NORWICH – Two people appeared in county court Monday, the first sentenced to one to three years in state prison and the second pleading not guilty to the felony and misdemeanor charges brought against him.
• Richard A. Terrell, 27, of Afton, was sentenced to one to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to one count of fourth degree arson, a class E felony, in October of 2012.
Terrell was indicted by a Chenango County grand jury in February of 2012, originally charged with second and third degree arson, class B and C felonies respectively, as well as second degree obstructing governmental administration, a class A misdemeanor. It was alleged that Terrell, on or about Dec. 23, 2011 in the Village of Afton, intentionally set fire to a 23 South Main St. residence – occupied by two other individuals at the time – kicking over a kerosene heater and attempting to obstruct, impair or prevent authorities from securing the fire through the use of physical force when he twice tried to re-enter the building.
• Thomas Williams Jr., 23, Long Island City, pleaded not guilty to charges of third degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class B felony; and seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor.
Williams was indicted by a Chenango County grand jury in February and is accused of “knowingly and unlawfully” possessing six individual plastic wraps of the narcotic crack cocaine, with the intent to sell and in concert with another, according to his indictment.
The charges stem from a routine traffic stop that took place on Hale Street at approximately 5 p.m. Sept. 3 in the City of Norwich, when Ariana L. Edwards, 35, of Binghamton, was pulled over by a Norwich City Police officer and found to be driving with a suspended license. She was subsequently charged with third degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a class B felony; tampering with evidence, a class E felony; criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, an A misdemeanor; and second degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Edwards has since been indicted by a Chenango County grand jury on charges of third degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (B felony); tampering with physical evidence (E felony); and seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (A misdemeanor).
It was also discovered that Williams, originally charged with third degree criminal sale of a controlled substance – a class B felony – and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation, was wanted by the City of Utica Police Department on unrelated drug charges.
Williams is currently being held at the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $25,000 bail and is scheduled to re-appear in county court at a later date. Edwards is scheduled to be arraigned in county court on Monday.