Goshen. Man found guilty of assault for breaking Monroe man’s jaw

An Orange County jury has found Michael Cowan, 57, of Newburgh, guilty of second-degree assault, District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced on April 28.

During the trial prosecutors argued that July 31, 2022, at approximately 9:30 pm, outside of a residence on Hidden Creek Boulevard in the Village of Monroe, Cowan severely beat the man who lived there.

When a witness yelled at Cowan to stop beating the man while the victim was lying on the ground, Cowan fled. Cowan later said he believed the man owed him money. The victim suffered serious physical injury as a result of the attack, including a broken jaw, which required multiple surgeries.

Village of Monroe Police officers executed a warrant at Cowan’s home and recovered gloves which had what appeared to blood on them. At the trial prosecutors argued that DNA testing of those gloves, along with other evidence, established that Cowan had worn the gloves during his attack.

Cowan faces up to seven years in state prison when he is sentenced on July 10. Cowan was sent to the Orange County Jail without bail following the jury’s verdict.