Alleged meth manufacturers arraigned in City Court and remanded to jail
NORWICH— Three City of Norwich residents were arraigned in Norwich City Court and remanded to the county jail Thursday for allegedly cooking methamphetamine in their apartment and possessing more than $2,000 worth of meth in various stages of production with the intent to sell it.
According to Second Assistant District Attorney Thomas Bowen, 34-year-old Luis Calixto was considered the primary “cook” and the principal of the drug sales.
Calixto and his roommates, 29-year-old Hollianne M. Fitch and 32-year-old Dorothy M. Owens, were each charged with the class B felony of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (two counts for Calixto), the class D felony of unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine, the class E felony of criminal nuisance in the first degree, the class A misdemeanor of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, and the class A misdemeanor of criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree.
It is alleged on April 29 at approximately 5:15 p.m. at 28 Mitchell Street in the City of Norwich all three individuals possessed laboratory equipment for the purpose of cooking methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia such as scales to measure narcotic drugs for the purpose of sale, the chemicals required for the meth manufacturing process, more than $2,000 worth of methamphetamine in various stages of production with the intent to sell it, and packaged heroin with the intent to sell it.
Calixto was arraigned in Norwich City Court by Judge James E. Downey on April 30.
“Good morning, haven't seen you in awhile,” said Downey to Calixto.
“That's because I have been staying out of trouble,” said Calixto.
Calixto said he was last employed in December of 2014 as a cook at a Norwich restaurant before violating his probation and serving time in the county jail. He also mentioned previously working at two other local restaurants, one in Oxford and another in Norwich.
He also said he was born and raised in Long Island, moved to Chenango County with his previous girlfriend more than six years ago and had not left the state of New York since 2006. He said he has no transportation.
Calixto said he is the father of two girls who live in Long Island and two boys who live in North Norwich and Oxford. He also said he owes child support.
“His rap sheet is 17 pages long, your honor, and he was convicted of violent felony and has four misdemeanors,” said Bowen. “He also has failure-to-appears and a previous bench warrant out of this court.”
Bowen requested $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond be set for Calixto, because he said Calixto faces up to nine years in prison and has significant ties outside of Norwich.
“$100,000?” said Downey to Bowen.
“Yes, $100,000,” said Bowen.
“We're not talking about the candy bar (100 Grand), are we?” said Downey to Bowen.
Bowen said he was not talking about the candy bar. He said “obviously his kids won't keep him here,” citing the fact that Calixto left his two girls in Long Island.
“We believe he is the principal of it all,” said Bowen. “He cooks and sells.”
“He worked as a cook at [three different local restaurants],” said Downey. “Is that your evidence that he was the cook and cooked meth?”
Bowen said that is not the evidence and that the DA Office had other pertinent evidence.
“A very large amount of finished [methamphetamine] product, and a number of other [chemicals used to produce meth] in various stages of production,” said Bowen. “They are very dangerous and can easily explode and take out an entire block.”
Public defender, John Cameron, said his client has two children in the area, has worked in the area, has lived here for several years and has not left the State of New York in many years.
“There is nothing else he is charged with [compared to the other defendants] that enhances the charges,” said Cameron. “As a defense attorney in this county, I have represented people who were charged with homicides, and they were looking at $50,000 bail, which was just in the last few years.”
“It's an outrage as far as I am concerned,” said Cameron. “Obviously bail is appropriate, but I ask that it be reasonable.”
Calixto was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond.
Co-defendants, Fitch and Owens, were also each arraigned in City Court on the same day.
Downey asked the court and Fitch if he needed to be recused from Fitch's arraignment, because he said Fitch is his “secretary-of-25-year's stepdaughter.” No one objected to Downey presiding over the matter.
Both Fitch and Owens said they are unemployed. Fitch said she worked as a manufacturer a couple weeks ago, and Owens said she worked at a local cafe in the last couple months.
Both women also said they had family in the area but were not married. Fitch said she has two children who she has supervised visitation with, and Owens said she does not have any children.
Bowen requested $50,000 cash bail or $100,00 bond be set for both women and said if they could afford a lower bail amount like $5,000, then they could afford to leave the state. “$5,000 will get you as far as India these days,” he added.
Cameron said requesting $50,000 bail for the women was “excessive and punitive” because bail is “only set to assure [a defendant] will appear [in court].” He said his clients “maintain their innocence.”
The public defender said Owens only had two misdemeanors on her record, and Fitch had no criminal history with only a violation level offense due to drinking and driving.
He said Fitch was born and raised in the area, and that Owens had lived in the area since the 90's. He said neither women are going anywhere.
"She doesn't even have shoes on," said Cameron regarding barefoot Fitch.
Bowen disagreed and said nine years in prison is a good reason to leave town, and he believed anyone “self-centered and self-absorbed” enough to manufacture methamphetamine “right in the middle of the City,” endangering everyone, would “definitely run if given the chance.”
Fitch and Owens were remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $10,000 cash bail or $25,000 bond.
Calixto, Fitch and Owens are to reappear in Norwich City Court next week for their felony hearings.
According to Second Assistant District Attorney Thomas Bowen, 34-year-old Luis Calixto was considered the primary “cook” and the principal of the drug sales.
Calixto and his roommates, 29-year-old Hollianne M. Fitch and 32-year-old Dorothy M. Owens, were each charged with the class B felony of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree (two counts for Calixto), the class D felony of unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine, the class E felony of criminal nuisance in the first degree, the class A misdemeanor of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, and the class A misdemeanor of criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree.
It is alleged on April 29 at approximately 5:15 p.m. at 28 Mitchell Street in the City of Norwich all three individuals possessed laboratory equipment for the purpose of cooking methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia such as scales to measure narcotic drugs for the purpose of sale, the chemicals required for the meth manufacturing process, more than $2,000 worth of methamphetamine in various stages of production with the intent to sell it, and packaged heroin with the intent to sell it.
Calixto was arraigned in Norwich City Court by Judge James E. Downey on April 30.
“Good morning, haven't seen you in awhile,” said Downey to Calixto.
“That's because I have been staying out of trouble,” said Calixto.
Calixto said he was last employed in December of 2014 as a cook at a Norwich restaurant before violating his probation and serving time in the county jail. He also mentioned previously working at two other local restaurants, one in Oxford and another in Norwich.
He also said he was born and raised in Long Island, moved to Chenango County with his previous girlfriend more than six years ago and had not left the state of New York since 2006. He said he has no transportation.
Calixto said he is the father of two girls who live in Long Island and two boys who live in North Norwich and Oxford. He also said he owes child support.
“His rap sheet is 17 pages long, your honor, and he was convicted of violent felony and has four misdemeanors,” said Bowen. “He also has failure-to-appears and a previous bench warrant out of this court.”
Bowen requested $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond be set for Calixto, because he said Calixto faces up to nine years in prison and has significant ties outside of Norwich.
“$100,000?” said Downey to Bowen.
“Yes, $100,000,” said Bowen.
“We're not talking about the candy bar (100 Grand), are we?” said Downey to Bowen.
Bowen said he was not talking about the candy bar. He said “obviously his kids won't keep him here,” citing the fact that Calixto left his two girls in Long Island.
“We believe he is the principal of it all,” said Bowen. “He cooks and sells.”
“He worked as a cook at [three different local restaurants],” said Downey. “Is that your evidence that he was the cook and cooked meth?”
Bowen said that is not the evidence and that the DA Office had other pertinent evidence.
“A very large amount of finished [methamphetamine] product, and a number of other [chemicals used to produce meth] in various stages of production,” said Bowen. “They are very dangerous and can easily explode and take out an entire block.”
Public defender, John Cameron, said his client has two children in the area, has worked in the area, has lived here for several years and has not left the State of New York in many years.
“There is nothing else he is charged with [compared to the other defendants] that enhances the charges,” said Cameron. “As a defense attorney in this county, I have represented people who were charged with homicides, and they were looking at $50,000 bail, which was just in the last few years.”
“It's an outrage as far as I am concerned,” said Cameron. “Obviously bail is appropriate, but I ask that it be reasonable.”
Calixto was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond.
Co-defendants, Fitch and Owens, were also each arraigned in City Court on the same day.
Downey asked the court and Fitch if he needed to be recused from Fitch's arraignment, because he said Fitch is his “secretary-of-25-year's stepdaughter.” No one objected to Downey presiding over the matter.
Both Fitch and Owens said they are unemployed. Fitch said she worked as a manufacturer a couple weeks ago, and Owens said she worked at a local cafe in the last couple months.
Both women also said they had family in the area but were not married. Fitch said she has two children who she has supervised visitation with, and Owens said she does not have any children.
Bowen requested $50,000 cash bail or $100,00 bond be set for both women and said if they could afford a lower bail amount like $5,000, then they could afford to leave the state. “$5,000 will get you as far as India these days,” he added.
Cameron said requesting $50,000 bail for the women was “excessive and punitive” because bail is “only set to assure [a defendant] will appear [in court].” He said his clients “maintain their innocence.”
The public defender said Owens only had two misdemeanors on her record, and Fitch had no criminal history with only a violation level offense due to drinking and driving.
He said Fitch was born and raised in the area, and that Owens had lived in the area since the 90's. He said neither women are going anywhere.
"She doesn't even have shoes on," said Cameron regarding barefoot Fitch.
Bowen disagreed and said nine years in prison is a good reason to leave town, and he believed anyone “self-centered and self-absorbed” enough to manufacture methamphetamine “right in the middle of the City,” endangering everyone, would “definitely run if given the chance.”
Fitch and Owens were remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $10,000 cash bail or $25,000 bond.
Calixto, Fitch and Owens are to reappear in Norwich City Court next week for their felony hearings.
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