Anthony Dean, of Huntington Station, sentenced to 90 days in jail for assaulting LIRR conductor

A Huntington Station man who punched a Long Island Rail Road conductor to avoid paying train fare was sentenced Monday in Nassau County Court to 90 days in jail.

Anthony Dean, 40, had pleaded guilty on April 9 to second-degree assault after socking the commuter rail worker collecting tickets.

Dean was on the Huntington Station bound train around 11:20 p.m. on March 8 when a conductor came by to check passenger tickets, according to prosecutors.

Instead of paying his fare, Dean stood up and clocked the conductor in the left check, causing swelling and pain, authorities said.

He tried to flee at the Carle Place station, prosecutors said, but the conductor told an office duty police officer riding the train at the time of the assault. The officer held Dean, until MTA police arrived and arrested him on the platform.

Supreme Court Justice Colin O’Donnell sentenced him to three months in jail and five years of probation. The judge also issued a stay-away order.

"The defendant chose to lash out at an LIRR conductor, who was simply doing his job, all because he did not want to pay for a train ticket," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement. "Violence against MTA workers will not be tolerated. These workers deserve to perform their duties without the fear of being targeted or attacked. Securing a jail sentence just two months after the initial assault reflects my office’s commitment to prioritizing the safety of those who keep Nassau County and beyond moving."

Dean’s attorney Jillian Gardner, of the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.