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Batavia resident accused of rape

By Howard B. Owens

A Batavia resident has been arrested and charged with rape in the first degree.

The alleged rape was reported Oct. 17.

Arraigned in Town of Batavia Court and jailed without bail was Oscar Donaldo Ramirez-Castanon, 33, of Lewiston Road, Batavia.

Ramirez-Castanon is accused of using force for sexual intercourse against a woman in Batavia.

Grand Jury Report: Man charged with first-degree Gang Assault

By Billie Owens

This week the Genesee County Grand Jury issued the following indictments.

Bradley A. Clark is accused of criminal mischief, 2nd, a class D felony, for allegedly intentionally damaging another person's property on May 22. He is alleged to have damaged a 2007 Ford Fusion in an amount exceeding $1,500. He is also accused of criminal contempt in the first degree, a class E felony, because he allegedly violated an order of protection in the City of Batavia on May 22 and caused property damage exceeding $250. In a separate indictment, Clark is accused of first-degree Gang Assault, a class B violent felony. On July 3, he allegedly intentionally caused serious physical injury to another person and was aided by two or more persons present. In count two of the second indictment, Clark is accused of using a dangerous instrument, his footwear, to seriously injure a person in the area of Center Street in the city. That is a class B violent felony -- first-degree assault.

Ronald L. MacGregor is accused of knowingly using a forged prescription for the drug Oxycodone on Oct. 1, 2010, in the City of Batavia. He is also accused of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree. Between Oct. 5, 2010 and Sept. 28 of this year, he allegedly used a falsely altered prescription for Oxycodone in the Village of Le Roy. Both counts of the indictment are class D felonies.

Shannon M. Graham is indicted for a misdemeanor crime of driving while intoxicated. It is alleged that on June 9, in the Town of Alexander, Graham drove a 2001 Hyundai on routes 20 and 98 while intoxicated. In count two of the indictment, Graham is accused of aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a class E felony. Graham, it says, should have known his license was suspended and that he had in effect three or more suspensions imposed on at least three separate dates for failure to answer, appear or pay a fine.

Jose L. Morales is indicted for burglary in the third degree, a class D felony, for allegedly knowingly entering a church in Bergen with the intention of committing a crime some time between Jan. 10 and Jan. 11. He is also accused of criminal mischief in the fourth degree, a class A misdemeanor, for allegedly intentionally damaging another person's property. This included a rear door, office doors, furniture and file cabinets. In the third count of the indictment, Morales is accused of petit larceny, a class A misdemeanor, for allegedly stealing money and postage stamps from a church in the Town of Bergen.

Two Stafford residents accused of selling drugs

By Howard B. Owens

A pair of Stafford residents were arrested this week, accused of selling drugs to an undercover agent of the Local Drug Task Force.

Taken into custody following a traffic stop was Pamela Predmore (McKenzie), 35, of Covell Road, Stafford.

Another resident of Covell Road, 33-year-old Jason L. McKenzie, turned himself in.

At the time of her stop, Predmore allegedly resisted arrest and was found in possession of a quantity of crack cocaine and a crack pipe.

She is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 4th, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd, resisting arrest and aggravated unlicensed operation.

McKenzie was charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 5th.

Bail for Predmore was set at $5,000. McKenzie was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Uniformed deputies assisted the Drug Task Force in the arrest of Predmore.

Law and Order: Man accused of calling ambulance to test response time

By Howard B. Owens

Kevin G. Viehdeffer, 51, of 334 W. Main St., Batavia, is charged with falsely reporting an incident, 3rd. Viehdeffer is accused of calling the Emergency Dispatch Center and requesting an ambulance for himself when he, in fact, did not need medical attention. Investigators claim Viehdeffer made the call merely to test the response time of personnel.

Tori Ann Jewell, 34, Thomas Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Jewell is accused of stealing $16.19 worth of merchandise from Kmart.

Michael Law Kennedy, 26, of Prospect Street, Batavia, is charged with aggravated harassment, 2nd. Kennedy is accused of sending several text messages threatening physical harm to the alleged victim and his family. Kennedy was arraigned in Stafford Town Court and ordered to stay away from the alleged victim.

Fire hydrants on Myrtle Street, Le Roy, vandalized

By Howard B. Owens

A Le Roy fire chief reports that all of the fire hydrants on Myrtle Street have been vandalized. 

The caps have been stolen.

The chief asks dispatch to contact Monroe County Water Authority. The hydrants will all need to be flushed and recapped.

UPDATE 8:45 a.m.: A Le Roy police officer on scene, making a criminal mischief report.

Corfu woman who shot husband in knee given three years in prison

By Howard B. Owens

Her husband has forgiven her for shooting him in the knee and dozens of friends and family members sent letters of support to Judge Robert C. Noonan, but a 52-year-old Corfu resident will still spend three years in state prison.

The sentence is what Patricia Hardesty agreed to when she entered a guilty plea Sept. 22 to assault, 2nd, and it was the minimum sentence available to Noonan under the state's sentencing guidelines.

"This is kind of a sad case," Noonan said. "Everybody who has had any input to the court has said, 'please be merciful,' 'please don't send her to jail,' 'don't send her to prison,' 'send her to counseling or back to her family.' But I can't do any of that. I have no power to do any of that."

Hardesty shot her husband in the knee Aug. 1, 2010, during an argument at their home on County Line Road.

Typically in assault cases, Noonan is asked to sign an order protecting a victim for a period of time, but in this case, there was no request for such an order.

"It should have become clear to you before this event, and it should certainly be clear to you now, that you should never drink alcoholic beverages," Noonan said before Hardesty left the court room. "Whatever you do to stay away from alcoholic beverages, whether in prison or out of prison, that should be a very important thing for you to do."

Fight at McDonald's in Le Roy

By Billie Owens

Three people were reportedly fighting in the parking lot of McDonald's restaurant in Le Roy. Police are now on scene. Two of the individuals left and are walking toward "the eagle." They are described as youths, one has long brown hair.

UPDATE 3:56 p.m.: The police have been provided with two names, both males.

Green van on Route 262 being chased by deputies

By Billie Owens

Somewhere eastbound on Route 262, heading toward Byron, is a green van being chased by a guy in a car and Sheriff's deputies. A tire reportedly went flat on the van but it's still continuing on. The occupant(s) are wanted for questioning in a suspicious condition complaint.

The caller came either to her house or business and found the van parked there. When approached, the occupant(s) fled and dispatch was called. The caller tried to block in the van, the vehicles collided, and the van took off.

The caller gave chase. At some point, the caller lost sight of the van, which was also being pursued by her son in another vehicle.

Didn't catch address of original complaint.

UPDATE 2:43 p.m.: The van is an Astro van, light blue, registered to a Batavia driver. It will have rear driver's side damage from the earlier collision. The flat tire shredded and is now completely off. It is was last seen heading at a high rate of speed toward Orleans County, north on Transit Road toward the mucklands.

UPDATE 2:51 p.m.: The van is still barreling along, now northbound, last seen on Oak Orchard Road. The complaint was taken from a resident of Old Ford Road in Elba.

UPDATE 2:54 p.m.: Orleans' deputies have the driver in custody at the junction of old Route 98 and new Route 98.

UPDATE 3:19 p.m.: An officer checking the van says it appears the driver had a passenger and he asks for clarification from the complainant, who recalls seeing only the driver.

Law and Order: Man arrested on warrant for allegedly breaking victim's nose

By Howard B. Owens

Robert L. Williams, 21, of 112 State St., Batavia, is charged with assault, 3rd, and disorderly conduct. Williams was arrested on a warrant. He is accused of punching another person onOct. 22, which resulted in the alleged victim suffering a fractured nose. Williams was jailed on $1,000 bail.

Tanyka N. Blanding, 33, of 7 Madera Drive, Rochester, is charged with DWI and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Blanding was arrested by Le Roy Police in the early morning on Sunday. Blanding was stopped after the car she was driving allegedly almost collided with a police car on Lake Street. At the time of her stop, she was allegedly found in possession of brass knuckles. Blanding was jailed on $2,000 bail.

Dustin J. Good, 24, of 2937 Merle Road, Attica, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, and possession of a hypodermic instrument. Good was stopped at 11:12 p.m., Friday, on North Lyon Street, Batavia, by Officer Matthew Fleming.

Kenneth M. Gray Jr., 24, of 77 Myrtle St., is charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident, failure to keep right, operating in violation of restriction and inadequate tires. Gray is accused of hitting a street sign and a parked car on Hutchins Street near Ellicott Street. Gray was stopped some time later on South Main Street by Officer Darryle Streeter. Gray was arrested without incident. The investigation was handled by Officer Jason Ivison.

Jeffrey Matthew Kaczmarek, 42, of Alleghany Road, Alexander, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, felony aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, driving left of pavement markings in no-passing zone and violation of conditional license. Kaczmarek was stopped at 11:23 p.m., Saturday, on Attica Road by Deputy Jason Saile.

Steven Michael John Kaczmarek, 25, of Gilhooly Road, Alexander, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Kaczmarek was arrested at 4:03 a.m., Friday, after deputies were called to an address on Gilhooly Road to investigate the report of a domestic incident. 

William Thomas Foley, 19, of Main Road, Stafford, and Kristian Nicole Elderbroom, 19, of Marlton Circle, Liverpool, are both charged with unlawfully dealing with a child, 1st. Foley and Elderbroom are accused of hosting an underage drinking party Nov. 13 at a location on Main Road in Stafford.

Ryan D. Wilson, 19, of Alexander Road, Attica, and Jay W. Schafer, 19, of Broadway Road, Darien, are charged with harassment, 2nd. Wilson and Schafer are accused of punching another person while at College Village at 2:42 a.m., Sunday.

Jesse Lee Harner, 25, of Country Route 41, Friendship, is charged with violation of a child-support order. Harner was turned over to the Sheriff's Office after being arrested by Cuba Police officers on a warrant out of family court.

Jered Michael Brown, 23, of North Baxter Street, Sutton, W. Va., is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to keep right. Brown was stopped at 1:57 a.m., Friday, on Route 5 in Pembroke by Deputy Kevin McCarthy.

Mercedes Anne Marchese, 20, of Indian Falls Road, Corfu, is charged with false written statement. Marchese is accused of making a false written statement to the Sheriff's Office on Nov. 6.

Dajuandrick A. Gardner, 16, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing and endangering the welfare of a child. Gardner is accused of choking a 15-year-old boy in the Town of Bergen at 7:40 a.m., Oct. 3.

Street fight on State Street

By Billie Owens

Six juveniles are reportedly fighting in front of 126 State St. in the City of Batavia. Police are responding.

Person seriously injured after three people allegedly break into apartment

By Howard B. Owens

A resident of Woodstock Gardens was assaulted overnight and seriously injured after three people allegedly entered the apartment illegally.

Charged with the assault in the first degree was Christopher Preedom, 18, of 21 Holland Ave., Batavia.

Preedom was also charged with burglary, 1st, along with Kevin Andrews, 19, and Timothy Andrews, 21, both of 144 Bank St., Batavia.

The victim was treated at Strong Memorial Hospital.

Preedom, Kevin Andrews and Timothy Andrews were located by police within minutes of incident being reported.

All three were jailed without bail.

York Road resident returns home to find alleged burglars in driveway, gives chase

By Howard B. Owens

When a Pavilion resident of York Road returned home about 4 p.m., Friday, he found a light-colored minivan parked in his driveway and unknown man sitting in the driver's seat.

As he pulled into the driveway, the van took off.

The homeowner followed the van and called police.

Troopers and Sheriff's deputies from Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston counties converged on the area. The State Police also brought in their helicopter to assist in the pursuit.

The suspect vehicle was stopped on Route 246 in Covington. 

Arrested were Alexis Santiago, 34, of Columbus Avenue, Mt. Morris, and Roman E. Esparza, 22, of South Main Street, Batavia.

Santiago and Esparza were both charged with burglary, 2nd, and jailed on $100,000 bail each.

The two men may be suspects in a series of other burglaries in a three-county area.

As the suspects fled the York Road residence, the men tossed items from the window of the minivan that were allegedly stolen from the house they had just left. The York Road homeowner later identified the items as his. 

Once stopped, Santiago and Esparza were arrested without incident and the van was seized pending investigators receiving a search warrant for the van and its contents.

The case remains under investigation and, because the two men may be suspects in other burglaries, the Sheriff's Office is asking that anybody who might have information that could aid the investigation to call (585) 343-5000. For tips in Livingston or Wyoming counties, callers should contact their local Sheriff departments.

Photos: Top, Esparza; bottom, Santiago.

Burglary suspects arrested in Pavilion after multi-agency manhunt

By Howard B. Owens

Two burglary suspects are in custody in Pavilion after a manhunt by multiple law enforcement agencies and use of the State Police helicopter.

The call started late this afternoon when York Road residents came home and found the suspects in their driveway.

The door to their house may have been kicked in.

Details are incomplete at this time.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office is handling the case.

Area residents report seeing multiple Sheriff's and trooper cars in the area as well as use of the State Police helicopter.

Area barns and garages were searched during the manhunt.

Details have not yet been released on how or where the suspects were caught.

One area resident said there has been a series of burglaries in the area recently. That hasn't been confirmed with law enforcement and it's unknown if this case is related to previous cases.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

Sheriff's Office asks for more tips on suspect's whereabouts

By Howard B. Owens

The Sheriff's Office believes Wyatt Becker is in the Batavia area and knows law enforcement is looking for him but haven't yet pinpointed his location, according to warrant officer Eric Olson.

Olson is asking that anybody who has information on Becker's whereabouts to call (585) 343-0911.

Becker is wanted for alleged vehicular assault, DWI and felony violation of probation.

On Monday, Becker failed to appear for his arraignment in Genesee County Court on those charges. Previously, when Becker was in Alexander Town Court, after learning that he was going to jailed on $5,000 bail, Becker reportedly asked to use the restroom and never came back.

The assault and DWI charges stem from an Aug. 3 accident in which a person was seriously injured.

County clerk warns of two scams hitting the area

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Genesee County Clerk Don M. Read is advising the public of two scams that have been spreading across the state and have recently surfaced here in mailboxes and on computers. The first involves a letter offering to provide a copy of your deed and related property information and the second is an email that suggests you have an unanswered motor vehicle ticket.

Property owners may receive by mail or email a solicitation offering to do the research and secure a certified copy of the deed to your real estate for a fee of $87. Several years ago this approach made its way through the state with a price tag of $50. Before that the offer was for $35. You can very easily obtain either a plain photocopy of your deed for $2 or a certified copy for approximately $5 from the Genesee County Clerk’s Office. The actual cost could vary by $2 to 3, depending upon the length of your deed. If you would like a copy of your deed, you can write, call or stop by the County Clerk’s Office. It only takes a few minutes to obtain a copy. 

The company offering the so-called service on the letter which a local resident brought to our office is Record Retrieval Services of Albany, New York. They offer to provide you with a copy of the deed and a “Property Profile” for $87 if you respond by a specified date. The information in the supposed “Property Profile” (Tax Map Number, purchase date, sale amount, etc.) is readily available online. To access the information call the County Real Property Tax Office @ 585-344-2550, ext. 2225, or visit the website for real property data @ www.oarsystem.com/ny/geneseecounty/ 

There is no charge for this information.

A second scam that has surfaced recently involves an email supposedly from the N.Y. State Department of Motor Vehicles or the New York State Police. Individuals will receive an email suggesting that they have an unpaid ticket for a motor vehicle violation, with the subject line indicating “Uniform Traffic Ticket.” Generally, the ticket is from a small community somewhere in New York State. In order to avoid suspension of your license you will need to open an attachment, enter a plea on a ticket form and return it to the town court that is identified.

Opening the attachment may very well expose your computer to a virus. The address of the town court is bogus and usually a post office box. Neither the Department of Motor Vehicles nor the New York State Police send out notifications of this sort by email. Your best course of action is to delete the email without even opening it, and certainly do not open the attachment. The State Police and DMV have requested that you not send the email to them.

Law and Order: Worker accused of stealing CO detector from home where he was employed

By Howard B. Owens

William Lee Lantz, 25, of South Main Street, Castile, is charged with petit larceny. Lantz is accused of stealing a CO detector from a residence in Stafford where he had been working.

Albert Ackerman, 47, of 930 George St., Mumford, is charged with DWI, driving on a suspended registration, driving on a suspended driver's license and operating with an open container. Ackerman was stopped by a Le Roy police officer at 11:50 a.m., Sunday, for an alleged traffic violation at Main and Mill streets. Ackerman was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Angel Gregory Andujar, 26, of Perry Road, Pavilion, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of marijuana. Andujar was allegedly found in possession of metal knuckles and a small baggie of marijuana while walking on Perry Road. Andujar was reportedly walking away from a domestic incident involving family members.

Thomas Ralph, Gianvecchio, 60, of Mountain Ash Drive, Greece, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. Gianvecchio is accused of writing letters to his estranged wife in violation of a protection order out of Monroe County Family Court.

Jason W. Killion, 30, of 5155 E. Main St., Batavia, is charged with felony DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, and failure to keep right. Killion was stopped at an unspecified time Tuesday on Ellicott Street at Swan Street by Lt. James Henning.

Nathan Michael Haag, 20, of Steel Circle, Niagara Falls, is charged with petit larceny. Haag is accused of stealing two bottles of 5 Hour Energy Drink from Kmart on Monday.

Justin R. Martin, 28, of 232 Henrietta St., Rochester, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater and passing a red light. Martin was stopped at 2:27 a.m., Sunday, on West Main Street at Oak Street, Batavia, by Officer Frank Klimjack.

Mathew J. Pentycote, 23, of 22 Spencer Court, Batavia, is charged with DWI, refusal of breath test and moving from lane unsafely. Pentycote was stopped at 1:16 a.m., Sunday, on West Main Street, by Officer Matthew Fleming.

A 17-year-old resident of 5270 E. Main St., Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a person under age 21. The youth's car, while parked on school property, was allegedly found to contain alcoholic beverages.

Jason L. Cramer, 27, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, aggravated unlicensed operation, improper right turn and failure to keep right. Cramer was stopped at 1:02 a.m., Sunday, on Elm Street, Batavia, by Deputy James Diehl.

Gloria Susan Moretti, 34, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd, a felony, and harassment, 2nd. Moretti was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute at 2:10 a.m., Oct. 29, at an address on Indian Falls Road, Pembroke, in which Moretti allegedly bit the victim twice and caused heavy damage to the victim's parked vehicle.

Devontre Levar Harvey, 27, of Garfield Street, Rochester, is charged with illegal possession of untaxed cigarettes. Harvey's car was stopped on Route 77 at 2:46 p.m., Nov. 5, after Genesee County dispatchers received a tip from a caller that a car occupied by two males were in possession of a large amount of untaxed cigarettes. Also charged was Holsey Wedlow, 59, of South Avenue, Rochester.

Scott Howard Baker, 49, of Fargo Road, Bethany, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Baker was allegedly found in possession of marijuana at 3:08 a.m., Nov. 5, at an address on Ellicott Street Road, Bethany.

Gregory James Baker, 31, no permanent address, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia, 2nd. Baker was allegedly found in possession of more than a dozen hypodermic needles and other paraphernalia while at his mother's residence.

James Anthony Dean, 54, of Brown Road, East Bethany, is charged with felony DWI, aggravated DWI (driving with a BAC of .18 or greater with one or more prior convictions), leaving the scene of a property damage accident, changing lanes when hazardous markings are in place and failure to keep right. Dean was arrested following an accident at 8:41 a.m., Nov. 2, on Herkimer Road, Darien.

Accused drug dealer gets a chance to turn his life around

By Howard B. Owens

A 33-year-old Batavia resident with a lengthy criminal record who is accused of selling cocaine to an undercover agent is getting his life turned around, he told Judge Robert C. Noonan in County Court on Wednesday morning.

Juan Roman wants to continue on that path and was hoping Noonan wouldn't send him away for any length of time.

"I’m glad that it happened (getting arrested), because it made me a better person," Roman said. "I thank the court system because it saved my life."

Noonan said the progress Roman has made in drug treatment over the past 90 days counts significantly in his favor. But the judge said he couldn't overlook his prior felony convictions, his multiple stints in state prison and previous probation violations.

"You come here with a horrible criminal record," Noonan said.

One of Noonan's options, besides straight prison time, might have been local probation with intermittent incarceration at the Genesee County Jail.

When Roman entered his guilty plea to attempted possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, he agreed to a possible sentence of up to four years in prison.

Since his guilty plea, Roman has been through Hope Haven and other programs of his own choosing. He's also been working on getting back his asbestos removal license. He has only one more week of classes before he can test again.

"I know my record is not a good record," Roman said. "I just want to get my license back to help me further myself and my family and my future."

Roman said he has four children.

He said he accepted full responsibility for the position he found himself in.

Noonan took all that in, but said Roman needed to go away for 90 days to the Willard Drug Treatment Center.

"There are components of Willard that you are not going through right now," Noonan said. "I hope you benefit from them as much as you have from the drug treatment you have been through.

"If you play it right," Noonan added, "you won't be gone long. You will be able to get out and get back on track. I'm hopeful this sentence will continue your positive course."

If Roman doesn't say on the positive course, he will be required to serve four years in state prison.

If he completes Willard successfully, he will be on parole for the term of his sentence plus another three years of post-release supervision.

On anniversary of Bill Fickel's murder, widow renews call for help in solving case

By Howard B. Owens

Submitted by Lisa Fickel:

Time heals all wounds. You cannot prove that one by me. Life can change in the blink of an eye. This one yes, as I am living proof. In my case it was more like 10 minutes. 

My name is Lisa Fickel. My husband Bill was murdered in front of our home on November 10th, 2005. 

It was a warm night for November. Bill and I were chatting about our work day, while I heated our boring dinner -- meatloaf, green beans and rice. It was “crunch time.” Only 10 minutes to "Survivor"!  

It would later be called a “random act of violence.” What did that even mean? This was no act. It was fact. Life as I knew for the past 25 years had ended at the hand of a stranger! 

As we approach the 6th anniversary of Bill’s death, my emotions are as raw as they were on that horrible night. I see the eerie glow of the mist on something laying on the side of the road. Omg! That is my husband! I hear the sirens in the distance. Why don’t they seem to be getting any closer?  And I smell the familiar scents of fall, wet leaves, wood burning, mixed with an odd tinny, iron smell. I quickly discover it to be the smell of Bill’s blood.  

It’s funny how many deals you try to make with God in an instant like this.  I promised him anything and everything I could think of! After all, this couldn’t be happening. Not to me. Not in Oakfield. Not to normal people who played by the rules. Murder, stabbings, shootings only happened in downtown Buffalo or Rochester, right?

At some point I was surrounded by people, chaos -- where did they all come from? I felt an unbelievable sense of calm wash over me. My mind was as clear as it could be. I’m told that was probably shock setting in.  But I knew it was Bill guiding me through my ordeal, helping me cope. I knew at that moment he was gone. I just could not let myself think or believe it.

Fast forward, 2011…The murder of Bill Fickel has yet to be solved. 

Yes, Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster has named “a person of interest” in our case. However, NO ONE has been formally charged. 

In January 2006, I vowed that I would be involved in the investigation every step of the way. I would not, could not let Bill be forgotten. He was loved by many. He was a victim and deserves justice!

My goal by recounting some of my thoughts and feelings is to provide you with a human connection to a local headline. A murder occurred in your community. This loss affected your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc. If you know or have heard anything regarding our case, please contact the Genesee County Sheriff Office. The $100,000 reward still stands. Closure! It’s more than a word. It’s a new beginning. Perhaps a new life! 

Thank you to all for the endless love, support and prayers.

Pair accused of stealing windows from residence in Bergen enter not guilty pleas

By Howard B. Owens

Two men from Batavia who are accused of stealing 10 windows with casings and a screen door from a residence on Clinton Street Road, Bergen, on July 26 entered not guilty pleas in county court on Monday morning.

Jamie Scott Scholonski, 39, of Vine Street, and Joseph Allen Hogan, 42, of Bank Street, appeared separately before Judge Robert C. Noonan.

Both men were indicted by the Grand Jury last week on counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree and criminal mischief in the third degree.

Following motions, both are scheduled to reappear in court in mid-January.

Previously: Police Beat: Two Batavia men accused of overnight burglary in Bergen

Batavia resident pleads guilty to drug charge

By Howard B. Owens

A lifelong Batavia resident, who was at a house on Central Avenue in March when a search by law enforcement allegedly found a quantity of cocaine and drug paraphernalia, entered a guilty plea to a drug charge Monday morning.

Eric P. Williams was among three people arrested at 29 Central Ave., Batavia, on March 12.

The 45-year-old Williams, who was born in Batavia, admitted to attempted possession of a controlled substance, 3rd, telling Noonan that he knew he illegally possessed cocaine with an aggregate weight of 1.5 ounces or more.

He faces a sentence of two to eight years in state prison.

Sentencing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., Jan. 3.

Williams is currently in custody at the Genesee County Jail.

Arrested with Williams were Derek Leach, 31, of 29 Central Ave. and Randy G. Leach II, 24, of 58 S. Main St. The status of their cases is not immediately available.

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