NORWICH – A pair of warrants were issued after two alleged felons failed to appear in Chenango County Court Monday, while Friday’s court proceedings found Judge Frank B. Revoir Jr. denying a written request for the return of a pistol confiscated as part of a recent investigation and overseeing a pre-trial hearing in the case of the People versus Mark J. Williams.
• A written request for the return of a Taurus .45 caliber pistol was reviewed and ultimately denied by Chenango County Court Judge Frank B. Revoir Jr. on Friday.
The pistol was confiscated and is currently in the possession of the New York State Police in Norwich following an incident involving a Kyle Davis, 23, of Sherburne. It’s alleged that Davis did point the loaded weapon, with a chambered round, at another individual. It is also alleged that Davis fired the same weapon in the presence of police officers, although no injuries were reported.
The request for the return of the pistol was written by Davis’ father, Ronald Davis, who claimed he had – at the time of the incident – been in the process of purchasing the gun from his son. First Assistant District Attorney Stephen M. Dunshee asked that the request be denied, noting that Davis allegedly leveled the weapon at his wife’s face in front of their child, and citing his belief that – should the weapon be returned – it would find its way back into Kyle’s possession. Judge Revoir ruled in favor of Dunshee’s request, noting that Davis’ father included no proof of the alleged sale.
• Mark J. Williams, 43, of Endicott, charged with second degree burglary, a class C felony, and petit larceny, a class A misdemeanor, appeared for a pre-trial hearing on Friday. Williams had previously pleaded not guilty to both charges in county court, and it’s alleged that Williams – on or about Sept. 12, 2012 in the Town of Afton – did “knowingly enter and unlawfully remain” in two private residences, stealing a wallet and an iPod.
During the pre-trail hearing, three witnesses were called to the stand to testify. NYS Trooper David W. Sersen, one of those who responded to the Sept. 12 burglary call, testified that – when he arrived in Afton – the suspect had been chased into a nearby marsh by local residents. According to his testimony, troopers had located Williams, whom Trooper Sersen identified in court, who subsequently waived his Miranda Rights. It’s alleged that Williams then told authorities he had been chased after inquiring about a roofing job. When asked for his name, Williams informed the police it was Bruce R. Richard, using variant spellings on three different occasions. With the aid of a nearby witness, and Trooper Sersen’s familiarity with the Binghamton area, he was able to ascertain Williams’ true identity. At this point during his testimony, Trooper Sersen did admit being slightly perplexed at the notion of giving a false identity and not being able to spell it correctly. Sersen then testified to having transported Williams to State Trooper Barracks C in Sidney where he relinquished custody of Williams.
Trooper Jeremy M. Hick and Investigator Michelle Marshall testified separately to witnessing admissions Williams made while being recording in their custody. According to their testimonies, Williams said on tape, and in regards to the alleged burglaries, “I opened the door and the little girl was standing there … the front door was the only thing that I touched.”
Investigator Marshall and Trooper Hick also testified that Williams had admitted to having thrown the wallet which he allegedly stole from one of the residences into the bushes near the dwelling because he was “scared.”
It was also reviewed whether or not the DA's office would be allowed to question Williams on his prior convictions during the impending trial. Williams has been convicted of three felonies in the past, including one count of second degree burglary and two separate counts of robbery. He has also been convicted more than once on charges of petit larceny. After hearing both the defense and prosecutor's arguments, Judge Revoir decided to reserve judgment on all matters.
• Caitlyn M. Richmond, 19, formerly of Guilford, charged with fourth degree grand larceny and scheduled to appear in court Monday, did not appear. Upon District Attorney Joseph McBride's request, Judge Revoir issued a warrant for her arrest.
“She is an active drug user … a local girl. And if you can get her here in jail she will be able to detox and maybe she will come back to us,” said D.A. McBride.
• Shinyrra K. Legrand-Thomas, 19, Syracuse, charged with third degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, also failed to appear for her scheduled court appearance Monday afternoon. Although Judge Revoir allocated Thomas an extra 15 minutes to appear, she still did not show. A warrant was subsequently issued for her arrest.