NORWICH – A pair of individuals were sentenced in Chenango County Court Friday, one a registered sex offender who failed to notify authorities of a change of address, the other a former corrections officer who admitted to violating the terms of his probation.
David D. Callan, 49, Binghamton, pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register a change of address as a registered sex offender and was sentenced to five years probation and 30 days at the Chenango County Correctional Facility.
It’s alleged that Callan, on or about March 31, 2012, moved from the Bainbridge area to Broome County, failing to notify the Sex Offender Unit of the change in address within the required ten days to do so.
Chenango County Court Judge W. Howard Sullivan called it a “whole new ball game” for Callan, who could face one and a third to four years in state prison if he were to violate the terms and conditions of his probation. Callan, who admitted he had smoked a marijuana cigarette the evening prior to his sentencing, Thursday, was ordered not to consume nor possess any alcohol, marijuana or controlled substances and will be tested regularly to see if he is in compliance.
Edward J. Knuth Jr., 27, Norwich, admitted he had violated the terms and conditions of his interim probation and was re-sentenced to a second one-year term of interim probation, and must also enroll and successfully complete the county’s Treatment Court program.
It’s alleged that Knuth, in late October, signed a statement admitting to consuming alcohol – verified by a toxicology report – a “willful” violation of the terms of his interim probation, according to Judge Sullivan. Knuth was first sentenced to one year of interim probation in November of 2011, when he was charged with second degree criminal possession of a weapon, a class C felony; first degree unlawful imprisonment, a class E felony; and third degree assault, second degree menacing and criminal obstruction of breathing, all class A misdemeanors. The charges stem from an alleged domestic dispute that occurred in August of 2011, when Knuth was accused of detaining, choking and threatening another individual with a loaded .380 automatic Diamondback pistol. He could face up to seven years in state prison if he were to violate the terms or conditions of his interim probation.
Despite his “selfishness” and “silliness,” Knuth was given a second chance, said First Assistant District Attorney Stephen Dunshee, in consideration of his service to his country and pursuit of higher education. According to his attorney, Frank Revoir, Knuth – once a part-time corrections officer at the Chenango County Correctional Facility and an Iraq War veteran – is a full-time student in his last semester at Binghamton University.
Judge Sullivan, addressing the court, said he didn’t feel “100 percent comfortable” with the disposition and warned Knuth that he had “created a paper trail which the next judge is going to look at and you’re going to be going to prison,” if he should find himself in trouble with the law again.
“You’re playing with matches,” added Sullivan, who compared Knuth to a powder keg. “I don’t know when it’s going to go off ... we all want you to be successful, but we want society to be safe as well.”