NORWICH – A visibly shaken Curissa Jenkins took the stand Friday to testify against her former boyfriend, accused drug dealer Michael A. Victor Jr.
The 23-year old woman, a co-defendant in the case, agreed to testify against Victor in exchange for a reduced sentence in a negotiated plea deal.
Under direct examination by District Attorney Joseph McBride, Jenkins described how from January 2009 to the time of their arrest on March 27 of that year, she and others sold narcotics on behalf of her then boyfriend.
According to Jenkins, Victor, whom she referred to alternately as “J,” made frequent trips to New York City to purchase the narcotics, which were then sold to customers in the Norwich area.
“Somebody would call. From the call, somebody would go meet them,” she said.
She estimated that between $3,000 and $4,000 in narcotics were sold a week through the illicit operation. With his earnings, she said Victor bought three cars – first a Pontiac Grand Prix, then a black Mercedes Benz and followed by a Silver Mercedes Benz.
Jenkins stated that she rented the apartment on Hickock Ave., as well as a second apartment on Plymouth Street and later a storage unit in the Town of Norwich, all at Victor’s request and with money he supplied. The first was for them to live in, she explained, while the second was to use as a stash house to store drugs.
She described how, following a fight with a rival which left Victor with a broken jaw, he acquired three hand guns for protection. In March, he became increasingly paranoid about being robbed or raided. It was then that he asked her to rent the storage unit, she said.
“He didn’t say why, he just wanted everything out of there,” she said.
She also detailed how, in the days prior to their arrest, they moved the silver Mercedes Benz into the storage unit with the help of another couple. In the car, they placed a green and black Eddie Bauer bag containing drugs and guns.
“It came from both apartments,” she said.
Jenkins also described the events of March 27, when shortly before 7 a.m. the Hickock Ave. apartment where she lived with Victor was raided by police. She said that, at the time, she lied to police in order to protect him.
“He was my boyfriend. That’s why I was protecting him,” she said.
On the witness stand, Jenkins identified evidence photos as well as specific items seized during the raid, including the loaded firearms and pictures of the three vehicles.
During his cross examination of the witness, Defense Attorney F. Paul Battisti attempted to question Jenkins about other pending criminal charges. Upon the advice of her attorney, Public Defender Alan Gordon, she invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
However, under oath, she admitted to selling drugs prior to meeting Victor. She also admitted to lying on the rental applications for each of the apartments and the storage unit, and to police following her arrest.
Battisti also introduced a letter addressed his law office, bearing Jenkins’ signature and notarized by someone at the Chenango County Correctional Facility, in which Jenkins allegedly stated that McBride had promised to make the charges against her go away if she testified against Victor.
On the stand, Jenkins denied writing the letter herself and said that Victor had written it and asked her to sign and send it.
“He told me that if I cared about him and loved him, I’d sign the letter,” she said, in response to a question asked by the district attorney during re-direct questions.
Prior to Jenkins’ testimony, the jury heard from Resa and Harold Knudsen, the Sherburne couple who claim to have assisted Victor in bringing the Silver Mercedes to the storage unit where it was discovered by police in a raid on April 3, 2009.