CHATHAM—State Police from Livingston charged Brandon W. Roth, 21, of Valatie with third degree burglary, a class D felony, and fifth degree criminal possession of stolen property, a class A misdemeanor, August 24 at 2:50 p.m.
State Police were dispatched by Columbia County 911 to investigate a reported burglary, August 23.
The victim told police that camping gear and fishing equipment was stolen from a building on his property. An investigation revealed that Mr. Roth was allegedly in possession of the burglary proceeds.
He was arraigned in Canaan Court and sent to the Columbia County Jail in lieu of $2,500 cash bail.
*State Police conducted an underage drinking enforcement operation in Columbia County, August 4.
Eight stores were checked by enlisting an 18-year-old volunteer to purchase alcoholic beverages under the observation of plainclothes investigators supported by uniformed troopers.
The enforcement operation resulted in the arrest of one clerk who allegedly completed an illegal sale of alcoholic beverage to a person under 21 years of age.
Narender K. Sharma, 58, employed by Sunoco in Chatham Village, was charged with first degree unlawfully dealing with a child, a class A misdemeanor.
Mr. Sharma was issued a ticket ordering him to appear before in Chatham Village Court, August 26. In addition, his employers face possible civil penalties imposed by the State Liquor Authority.
The following businesses were also checked by State Police and found to be in compliance with state laws: Thruway Beverages, New Lebanon; New Lebanon E-Z Mart; Sunoco Mart, Canaan; Super Mart III, d/b/a Canaan Truck Stop; Getty Mart, Chatham; Ganesh Convenience Store, Chatham and Price Chopper, Ghent.
Drugs/alcohol
The following face drug and/or alcohol-related charges:
*Clyde L. Wilburn, 40, of Hudson was charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance by Hudson Police Officer Kevin Sweet at 6 North Second Street, Hudson, July 24 at 11:42 p.m.
Police saw Mr. Wilburn sitting in a car on North Second Street and knew he was wanted on a Village of Catskill warrant. They took him into custody and found that he allegedly possessed a plastic bag containing crack cocaine. He was issued an appearance ticket for Hudson City Court and turned over to Catskill Police on their charges.
*Kyle E. Taylor, 40, of Ghent was charged with driving while intoxicated and having a blood alcohol content greater that .08%, both U misdemeanors, and failure to keep right (infraction) by Deputy Jeffrey Hofstetter, July 27 at 12:25 a.m. He failed field sobriety tests. A breathalyzer yielded a .22% blood alcohol content. He was issued tickets returnable in Kinderhook Town Court at a later date.
*Jennifer Lee Milroy, 25, of Hudson was charged with three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, possession of a hypodermic instrument, third degree aggravated unlicensed operation; vehicle and traffic law violations for broken glass, tire standards, failure to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of an address change, having an inadequate plate lamp and failure to keep right on a two lane road by Hudson Police Officer Brent Rowe at 852 Columbia Street, Hudson, July 31 at 10:17 p.m. Officers responded to a report that several motor vehicles were struck in the area of Columbia Street near the hospital and subsequently charged Ms. Milroy. She was issued tickets to return to Hudson City Court August 19.
*Jennifer A. Smoliga, 38, of Old Saybrook, CT, was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated under Leandra’s Law, a class E felony, by State Police from Livingston, August 8 at 6:10 p.m. Troopers stopped Ms. Smoliga on the Taconic State Parkway in Claverack after Columbia County 911 broadcasted an erratic vehicle alert. While police interviewed Ms. Smoliga, she displayed clues that she was intoxicated. She was charged under Leandra’s Law because she had two child passengers, under the age of 16, in the vehicle at the time of the stop.
Her breath sample yielded a blood alcohol content of .21%. She was issued tickets ordering her to appear in Claverack Court at a later date.
*Ronald Rose, 56, of Schoharie was charged with driving while intoxicated by State Police from New Lebanon, August 9 at 10:56 p.m. Mr. Rose was pulled over on Route 20, in New Lebanon for failure to keep right. While interviewing Mr. Rose, troopers discovered he was intoxicated. He refused a breath test and was arraigned in New Lebanon Court. He was released on his own recognizance and is set to reappear in court at a later date.
*State Police conducted a Sobriety Check Point on State Route 23 at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge approach, Greenport, the evening of August 9. As a result, the following were charged: Kathleen E. Robbins, 54, of Cairo was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, August 9 at 11:55 p.m. Ms. Robbins provided a breath sample that yielded a .18% blood alcohol content. She was scheduled to appear in Greenport Court at a later date; Michael J. Tomaso, Jr., 44, of Hudson was charged with driving while intoxicated, August 10 at 12:35 a.m. He was issued traffic tickets ordering him to appear in Greenport Court at a later date; and Shauna L. Puckett, 30, of Greenport was charged with driving while intoxicated, August 10 at 1:53 a.m. Ms. Puckett submitted to a breath test that produced at .17% blood alcohol content. She was issued tickets ordering her to appear in Greenport Court at a later date.
*Mitchell Keyes, 62, of Craryville was charged with one count under Leandra’s Law—aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger under 16 years of age, a class E felony, by sheriff’s deputies, August 17. A breathalyzer test was administered which yielded a .21% blood alcohol content. The child in the vehicle was his grandson. Columbia County 911 dispatched deputies to a personal injury automobile accident on State Route 82, just south of Timber Lane in Taghkanic, August 17 at 2 p.m., according to a press release from Sheriff David P. Bartlett.
Deputies found that a 1998 Subaru, which was traveling northwest on State Route 82, went off the roadway, struck a mailbox and then came to rest on a wire guide rail on the east shoulder. A witness saw a man, child and dog leave the scene on foot. Deputies located them a short time after the accident and discovered that the 10-year-old child passenger in the vehicle sustained a bump to the head. Northern Dutchess Paramedics took the child to Columbia Memorial Hospital.
Mr. Keyes was also charged with first degree aggravated unlicensed operation, class E felony; endangering the welfare of a child, class A misdemeanor; and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, class A misdemeanor. He was arraigned before Town Justice Jeffrey Tallackson in Taghkanic Court and sent to the Columbia County Jail without bail. He was to reappear in court at a later date.
Investigating for the Sheriff’s Office were Deputies Kris Bauhoff and Jason Garvey. Assisting at the scene were the paramedics, Taghkanic firefighters and State Police.
*State Police from the New Lebanon barracks stopped a speeding vehicle on State Route 295, Canaan, August 24 at 5:10 p.m. While interviewing the operator, Gregg S. Sauber, 28, of Brooklyn, troopers smelled an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Their subsequent investigation revealed that Mr. Sauber was in possession of cocaine. He was charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor, was issued a ticket ordering him to appear in Canaan Court at a later date and released after posting station bail.
A passenger in the vehicle, Austin H. Fry, 25, of Ossining was found to possess cocaine, MDMA (a hallucinogen commonly called Molly), LSD and marihuana. Mr. Fry was charged with two counts of seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of third degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana. Mr. Fry was arraigned in Canaan Court and was sent to the Columbia County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.
Another passenger, Gregory A. Barrera, 27, of California, was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. He was issued a ticket ordering him to appear in Canaan Court at a later date.
To contact Diane Valden email dvalden@columbiapaper.com.
Make plans in case you get drunk
HUDSON—Columbia County STOP-DWI announces the launch of a new, free “Have A Plan” mobile app that encourages people to have a plan to get home safely if they are impaired by alcohol or drugs.
The “Have A Plan” app operates on iPhone, Android and Windows platforms, and targets people in the 18 to 34 age range with features such as an ability to preload a list of designated drivers, find a taxi cab via GPS, an alcohol impairment estimator, various motor skills tests to assess impairment level and a “Report DWI” button that connects users to their local 911 service.
The app also offers a list of DWI facts and myths, access to STOP-DWI social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed to get the latest news on impaired driving.
“We want people to enjoy themselves, but we also want them to get home safely. This app helps its users do that by placing a tool in the hands of a potentially impaired driver to find a safe way home,” STOP-DWI Coordinator Reginald Crowley said in a press release.
Developed by STOP-DWI New York and Staples Marketing under a grant from the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, “Have A Plan” is one of the most comprehensive traffic safety mobile apps in the country, says the release. Users can download the “Have A Plan” app by visiting
www.stopdwi.org/mobileapp and selecting the link for the Apple Store, Google Play, or the Windows Phone Store.
Sheriff’s Office lands Boston Whaler
GREENPORT—The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office received a new 2014 Boston Whaler, 24-foot patrol vessel.
This vessel which is valued at $125,000 was financed by the U.S. Coast Guard Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund for improving recreational boating safety on the waterways in Columbia County. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office was one of six law enforcement agencies to receive one of these patrol boats, according to a press release from Sheriff David P. Bartlett.
This partnering with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation gave the Sheriff’s Office the opportunity to use this vessel at no cost to Columbia County taxpayers.
“Having a vessel like this will help ensure that members of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit are able to keep up with the increasing demands for patrolling our waterways. The vessel will ensure that our deputy sheriffs’ are safe while assisting the boating community. I would also like to thank the United States Coast Guard and the New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for assistance in obtaining this vessel, the inter-agency cooperation between the three agencies has been outstanding,” Sheriff Bartlett said in the release.
The Sheriff’s Office currently has in its fleet: 2006 HydraSport 23-foot boat, a 1997 McKee Craft 19-foot boat, a 2010 Zodiac 14-foot rescue inflatable boat and a 2007 Jet Ski. The Marine Unit currently patrols about 30 miles of the Hudson River as well as Kinderhook Lake, Queechy Lake and Copake Lake.
