Four plead not guilty, one sentenced and another one step closer to trial in county court
NORWICH – Four accused felons have pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them in Chenango County Court, while one defendant was sentenced to two and a half to five years in state prison and another may see his sexual abuse case go to trial.
On Friday, accused felon Virgilio Taveras pleaded not guilty to charges of third degree grand larceny – a class D felony – and unauthorized practice, a class E felony.
The 49-year-old Queens County resident – along with co-defendant Victor Nino – was arrested in early May by New York State Police and the NYS Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Both he and Nino were charged with the pair of felonies following an investigation into an alleged insurance fraud scheme and the practice of dentistry without a license at the Dental Care practice, County Route 39 in Afton.
A continuation of Taveras’ arraignment was granted in November so that a Spanish-to-English interpreter could be procured for the proceeding. According to his attorney, Kayphet Mavady, Taveras has difficulty understanding and communicating in English.
Prosecution attorney Ralph Tortora of the NYS Attorney General’s Office announced his continued readiness should the case against Taveras and Nino go to trial, and a conference for both defendants will be scheduled for a later date.
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On Monday, 35-year-old Ward Lozier was sentenced to two and a half to five years in state prison, with concurrent sentences of one to three years for the willful violation of the terms of his probation, two and a half to five years for first degree vehicular assault and one to three years for felony driving while intoxicated. He must also pay approximately $2,000 in restitution following a motorcycle accident that occurred on County Road 8 in the Town of Pharsalia, which resulted in serious physical injuries when Lozier’s passenger was ejected from the vehicle.
“The problem with you, sir, is every time you open your mouth you don’t tell the truth,” said Judge W. Howard Sullivan, prior to Lozier’s sentencing.
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Smyrna resident Tommy Kessinger, 24, also appeared in court on Monday to hear several motions related to the felony sexual abuse charges brought against him. According to the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office, Kessinger is accused of molesting a 4-year-old child placed under his care. They say he admitted to having inappropriate sexual contact with the child when interviewed by authorities and twice acknowledged waiving his Miranda Rights during that interview.
Sullivan reserved any decision regarding the motions presented by the defense and Kessinger was released on his own recognizance, although he was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim or the victim’s family.
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Also on Monday, accused felons Jack G. Alexander, Ronald K. Barnes and Bryan J. Petry pleaded not guilty to charges of third, fourth and fifth degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, failing to register as a sex offender, and grand larceny, respectively.
In November, all three defendants were indicted by a Chenango County Grand Jury: Alexander for his alleged possession of 20 individually wrapped baggies of cocaine, Barnes for allegedly failing to register his new, Town of Otselic address with the Division of Criminal Justice Sex Offender Unit and Petry for his alleged theft of a pair of Visa debit/credit cards from his mother and alleged use of the cards to withdraw money from a Sidney Federal Credit Union ATM.
On Friday, accused felon Virgilio Taveras pleaded not guilty to charges of third degree grand larceny – a class D felony – and unauthorized practice, a class E felony.
The 49-year-old Queens County resident – along with co-defendant Victor Nino – was arrested in early May by New York State Police and the NYS Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Both he and Nino were charged with the pair of felonies following an investigation into an alleged insurance fraud scheme and the practice of dentistry without a license at the Dental Care practice, County Route 39 in Afton.
A continuation of Taveras’ arraignment was granted in November so that a Spanish-to-English interpreter could be procured for the proceeding. According to his attorney, Kayphet Mavady, Taveras has difficulty understanding and communicating in English.
Prosecution attorney Ralph Tortora of the NYS Attorney General’s Office announced his continued readiness should the case against Taveras and Nino go to trial, and a conference for both defendants will be scheduled for a later date.
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On Monday, 35-year-old Ward Lozier was sentenced to two and a half to five years in state prison, with concurrent sentences of one to three years for the willful violation of the terms of his probation, two and a half to five years for first degree vehicular assault and one to three years for felony driving while intoxicated. He must also pay approximately $2,000 in restitution following a motorcycle accident that occurred on County Road 8 in the Town of Pharsalia, which resulted in serious physical injuries when Lozier’s passenger was ejected from the vehicle.
“The problem with you, sir, is every time you open your mouth you don’t tell the truth,” said Judge W. Howard Sullivan, prior to Lozier’s sentencing.
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Smyrna resident Tommy Kessinger, 24, also appeared in court on Monday to hear several motions related to the felony sexual abuse charges brought against him. According to the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office, Kessinger is accused of molesting a 4-year-old child placed under his care. They say he admitted to having inappropriate sexual contact with the child when interviewed by authorities and twice acknowledged waiving his Miranda Rights during that interview.
Sullivan reserved any decision regarding the motions presented by the defense and Kessinger was released on his own recognizance, although he was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim or the victim’s family.
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Also on Monday, accused felons Jack G. Alexander, Ronald K. Barnes and Bryan J. Petry pleaded not guilty to charges of third, fourth and fifth degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, failing to register as a sex offender, and grand larceny, respectively.
In November, all three defendants were indicted by a Chenango County Grand Jury: Alexander for his alleged possession of 20 individually wrapped baggies of cocaine, Barnes for allegedly failing to register his new, Town of Otselic address with the Division of Criminal Justice Sex Offender Unit and Petry for his alleged theft of a pair of Visa debit/credit cards from his mother and alleged use of the cards to withdraw money from a Sidney Federal Credit Union ATM.
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