Accused Murderer Charged with Assaulting Fellow Inmate

Anthony Grigoroff An 18-year-old Lake Peekskill youth accused in the shooting death of a popular Garrison businessman a year ago is now facing new charges for allegedly assaulting an inmate at the Putnam Correctional Facility in Carmel.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher York told the Courier yesterday (Wednesday) Anthony Grigoroff was indicted by a Putnam County Grand Jury for punching another inmate: “A sealed indictment handed up to a grand jury was opened and Grigoroff was arraigned on the new charges. Since the incident allegedly occurred within a correctional facility it becomes a felony because physical injury was incurred by another person.”

Grigoroff remains held at the county jail without bail for allegedly causing the death of John Marcinak on New Year’s Eve Day 2008 outside his Garrison Garage on Route 9.

During a brief court appearance last summer, prosecutors reported that Grigoroff had provided police with videotaped and written statements detailing the shooting death.

Grigoroff faces a murder charge carrying a 25-year to life prison term. He also was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of attempted burglary.

When announcing his arrest, Sheriff Donald Smith said the married father of three was shot to death when he interrupted the suspect and “one or more other persons” who were attempting to burglarize the garage.

Grigoroff also now faces an additional 15 years in state prison should he be convicted of the assault charge.

The latest incident follows a long line of run-ins with the law. Assistant District Attorney Chana Krauss, who is prosecuting the case, charged that Grigoroff had threatened to harm a corrections officer escorting the teenager to the courtroom earlier this year and that he was arrested in May 2008 on two felony drug charges after being accused of selling cocaine to an undercover officer in Yorktown Heights.

No trial date has been set for the murder charge.