A man has been sentenced to 6 months in jail and five months of probation for his role in causing the death of a co-worker on a Rensselaer County quarry in 2022.

Anthony Valente was operating a crane on Oct. 1, 2022 at the R.J. Valente gravel quarry in Grafton. 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.

That crane had been damaged in a rollover and was brought to the mine two years earlier, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor. Repairs were made but were not inspected. The crane was not fit for service, according to a 2021 letter sent to the construction company.

Miller’s family was disappointed in the length of the negotiated sentence during the plea in April and had urged the judge to reject it.