Grand jury indicts eight
NORWICH – The Chenango County grand jury met last week and handed up several criminal indictments.
At the proceedings, the District Attorney’s Office presents evidence against those they wish to prosecute and the jury decides if there is enough reasonable cause to charge a person.
• Anthony R. Botte Jr., 23, was indicted for first degree robbery and first degree criminal use of a firearm, both B class felonies.
Police arrested Botte Feb. 28, claiming he was involved in an armed robbery at the Bainbridge Great American along North Main Street that took place Nov. 28.
Police said Botte and a female, dressed in black with bandanas over their faces, robbed two clerks with a revolver and made off with more than $2,000 in cash.
A warrant for the arrest of Botte’s alleged coconspirator, 27-year-old Jamie L. Ballard, was issued shortly after he was apprehended by police, but she hasn’t yet been apprehended.
Police said a $500 reward was being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Anyone with information about the incident should contact the sheriff’s office at 337-1863.
Botte is currently in Chenango County Jail on $50,000 cash bail.
• Richard D. Tyler III, 27, Shawndell M. Johnson, 20, and Semajdanyell S. Baker, 33, all of Syracuse, were indicted on charges of third and fifth degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, B and D class felonies, respectively.
The indictment claims the three conspired to sell cocaine.
The defendants were originally arrested along with three other coconspirators involved in trafficking crack cocaine between Norwich and Syracuse, according Sheriff Ernest R. Cutting Jr.
Detective Kevin Powell testified at a Feb. 15 hearing police were investigating drug activity for the past three months and that they were specifically targeting Tyler, who was the only defendant mentioned by name in a search warrant.
Officers also testified that they did not previously know any of the defendants prior to their arrest, except for Tyler.
Lt. Richard Cobb testified police pulled over a car in which Tyler was a passenger at around 9 p.m. in the Town of Norwich’s South Plaza. Cobb said since police already had a warrant, he drove the vehicle back to the sheriff’s office to be thoroughly searched. Cobb testified he and other officers uncovered a digital scale, plastic baggies and two more bags of crack cocaine, each containing about $100 of the drug tucked under a seat.
After holding the suspects for 12 hours and following consultation with the District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office charged all the car’s occupants with a B class felony based on the law of “automobile presumption.” The law allows police to charge all occupants with possession of any illegal substance located in the vehicle, explained Cobb.
A fourth Syracuse defendant, 34-year-old Asia Owens, was also arrested in the vehicle stop and charged with drug felonies, but was not indicted. The DA’s Office said she is now being charged with lower level misdemeanor crimes in Town of Norwich Court. Her defense attorney, Michael A. Garzo Jr., said his client had no previous criminal record.
Two people from Norwich, 47-year-old Richard Brewer and 42-year-old Gwenda Knapp, were charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, after police searched their home in connection to the case and discovered a small amount of cocaine.
• Leah M. Hawk was indicted for operating a motor vehicle while she had .08 percent or more by weight of alcohol in her blood, driving while intoxicated, both D class felonies, and first degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, an E class felony.
The indictment stated at 1:46 a.m. Feb. 10, along State Highway 12 in the Village of Greene, Hawk was pulled over by police with a blood alcohol level of .15 percent and driving on a license that had been suspended for a previous drinking and driving charge.
The indictment stated Hawk was convicted of DWI Sept. 26, 2005 in Chenango County Court and on Dec. 1, 2004 in Kirkwood Town Court.
• Antwan D. Goodman, was indicted for aggravated driving while intoxicated and first degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, both E class felonies.
The indictment stated Goodman was pulled over along North Canal Street in the Village of Oxford Feb. 18 with a blood alcohol level of .19 percent, more than double the New York State intoxication level of .08 percent.
The indictment said Goodman was convicted of DWI on May 11, 2010 in Syracuse City Court.
• Milton E. Brooks, 39, was indicted for failing to register or verify as a sex offender, an E class felony. According to the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office web site, Milton was convicted of third degree rape Feb. 25, 2008 and designated as a level two sex offender.
The indictment said Brooks was arrested Feb. 15 after he failed to register an address change in the Town of New Berlin since Oct. 4, 2010.
• Lynae K. Savory, was indicted for driving while intoxicated, an E class felony. According to the indictment, Savory was pulled over by police on March 4 in the Village of Greene and found to be intoxicated.
The indictment states Savory was convicted of DWI May 1, 2006 in Oxford Town Court and of DWAI on Nov. 16, 2004 in Oxford Village Court.
At the proceedings, the District Attorney’s Office presents evidence against those they wish to prosecute and the jury decides if there is enough reasonable cause to charge a person.
• Anthony R. Botte Jr., 23, was indicted for first degree robbery and first degree criminal use of a firearm, both B class felonies.
Police arrested Botte Feb. 28, claiming he was involved in an armed robbery at the Bainbridge Great American along North Main Street that took place Nov. 28.
Police said Botte and a female, dressed in black with bandanas over their faces, robbed two clerks with a revolver and made off with more than $2,000 in cash.
A warrant for the arrest of Botte’s alleged coconspirator, 27-year-old Jamie L. Ballard, was issued shortly after he was apprehended by police, but she hasn’t yet been apprehended.
Police said a $500 reward was being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Anyone with information about the incident should contact the sheriff’s office at 337-1863.
Botte is currently in Chenango County Jail on $50,000 cash bail.
• Richard D. Tyler III, 27, Shawndell M. Johnson, 20, and Semajdanyell S. Baker, 33, all of Syracuse, were indicted on charges of third and fifth degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, B and D class felonies, respectively.
The indictment claims the three conspired to sell cocaine.
The defendants were originally arrested along with three other coconspirators involved in trafficking crack cocaine between Norwich and Syracuse, according Sheriff Ernest R. Cutting Jr.
Detective Kevin Powell testified at a Feb. 15 hearing police were investigating drug activity for the past three months and that they were specifically targeting Tyler, who was the only defendant mentioned by name in a search warrant.
Officers also testified that they did not previously know any of the defendants prior to their arrest, except for Tyler.
Lt. Richard Cobb testified police pulled over a car in which Tyler was a passenger at around 9 p.m. in the Town of Norwich’s South Plaza. Cobb said since police already had a warrant, he drove the vehicle back to the sheriff’s office to be thoroughly searched. Cobb testified he and other officers uncovered a digital scale, plastic baggies and two more bags of crack cocaine, each containing about $100 of the drug tucked under a seat.
After holding the suspects for 12 hours and following consultation with the District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office charged all the car’s occupants with a B class felony based on the law of “automobile presumption.” The law allows police to charge all occupants with possession of any illegal substance located in the vehicle, explained Cobb.
A fourth Syracuse defendant, 34-year-old Asia Owens, was also arrested in the vehicle stop and charged with drug felonies, but was not indicted. The DA’s Office said she is now being charged with lower level misdemeanor crimes in Town of Norwich Court. Her defense attorney, Michael A. Garzo Jr., said his client had no previous criminal record.
Two people from Norwich, 47-year-old Richard Brewer and 42-year-old Gwenda Knapp, were charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, after police searched their home in connection to the case and discovered a small amount of cocaine.
• Leah M. Hawk was indicted for operating a motor vehicle while she had .08 percent or more by weight of alcohol in her blood, driving while intoxicated, both D class felonies, and first degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, an E class felony.
The indictment stated at 1:46 a.m. Feb. 10, along State Highway 12 in the Village of Greene, Hawk was pulled over by police with a blood alcohol level of .15 percent and driving on a license that had been suspended for a previous drinking and driving charge.
The indictment stated Hawk was convicted of DWI Sept. 26, 2005 in Chenango County Court and on Dec. 1, 2004 in Kirkwood Town Court.
• Antwan D. Goodman, was indicted for aggravated driving while intoxicated and first degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, both E class felonies.
The indictment stated Goodman was pulled over along North Canal Street in the Village of Oxford Feb. 18 with a blood alcohol level of .19 percent, more than double the New York State intoxication level of .08 percent.
The indictment said Goodman was convicted of DWI on May 11, 2010 in Syracuse City Court.
• Milton E. Brooks, 39, was indicted for failing to register or verify as a sex offender, an E class felony. According to the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office web site, Milton was convicted of third degree rape Feb. 25, 2008 and designated as a level two sex offender.
The indictment said Brooks was arrested Feb. 15 after he failed to register an address change in the Town of New Berlin since Oct. 4, 2010.
• Lynae K. Savory, was indicted for driving while intoxicated, an E class felony. According to the indictment, Savory was pulled over by police on March 4 in the Village of Greene and found to be intoxicated.
The indictment states Savory was convicted of DWI May 1, 2006 in Oxford Town Court and of DWAI on Nov. 16, 2004 in Oxford Village Court.
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