A man accused of causing the death of a co-worker on a construction site pleaded guilty in Rensselaer County on Friday.

Anthony Valente was operating a crane on Oct. 1, 2022 at the R.J. Valente gravel quarry. He activated an override to bypass the safety system. A cable broke from the crane and a 285-pound hook ball fell, killing Darren Miller.

The crane was brought to the mine two years earlier and had been damaged in a rollover, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor. Repairs were made but they were not inspected by the manufacturer. A letter sent to R.J. Valente in 2021 said that the damage meant it was not fit for service.

Valente faces six months in prison when sentenced on June 14.

Ryan Miller, Darren’s brother, said he is disappointed in the length of the sentence, and he hopes that the judge would reject the plea agreement – like happened in the Schoharie limousine case.

“It’s absolutely ludicrous. I can’t believe that something like this. I see drunk drivers get more time than this 6 months. This is ridiculous. I’m appalled. I’m upset and we’re hoping people will do the right thing,” he said.

He described his brother as a fun-loving guy who loved the outdoors, his wife and his dog.

His mother, Lauren Miller, said she is sad that her son’s life is only worth 6 months in the Rensselaer County jail.

She said the defense had pointed out that the crane had been used 40 times without incident, which they claimed made it reasonable to assume that further use would not result in an accident.

“But it did. It killed our son,” she said.