corfu

Carlene V. Santiago is indicted for the crime of first-degree falsifying a business record, a Class E felony. It is alleged that on April 30, in the Town of Batavia, that Santiago acted with intent to defraud by making a false entry in the business records of an enterprise. She is accused of entering fraudulent merchandise return information into the Walmart computer system; it is alleged that her intent to defraud included the commission of another crime or to aid or conceal its commission. In counts two through five, Santiago is accused of the same felony on May 13, 27, 31 and June 4, respectively. In count six, the defendant is accused of the crime of petit larceny, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly stealing cash or property worth $622.67 between April 30 and June 4.

Marquis R. Brown is indicted for the crime of third-degree burglary, a Class D felony. It is alleged that on Aug. 3, Brown knowingly entered or remained unlawfully inside a building on South Lake Road in the Town of Bergen with intent to commit a crime. In count two, he is accused of the unauthorized use of a vehicle in the third degree, a Class A misdemeanor. It is alleged in count two, that the defendant, knowing he did not have the owner's consent, took a 2006 BMW motor vehicle. In count three, Brown is accused of the crime of fourth-degree criminal mischief. It is alleged in count three, that without having the right to do so, he intentionally damaged property belonging to another person.

Stephen J. Turkasz is indicted for the crime of aggravated unlicensed operation in the first degree, a Class C felony. It is alleged that on Aug. 30 in the Village of Corfu, that Turkasz drove a 2010 Chevrolet on Route 33 while holding a conditional license and while under the influence of alcohol or a drug. In count two, he is accused of driving while intoxicated as a misdemeanor. In count three, the defendant is accused of failure to keep right, a violation of vehicle and traffic law. In count four, Turkasz is accused of consuming or possessing an alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle on a public highway. In count five, he is accused of the offense of refusal to submit to a breath test, another vehicle and traffic law violation.

Chris K. Mukendi and Darazian W.P. Williams are indicted for the crime of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, a Class C felony. It is alleged on on May 25, the defendants knowingly and unlawfully possessed a stimulant which weighed one gram or more -- about 1.8 grams of amphetamine/dextroamphetamine capsules.

Sgt. Christopher Green was happy to be reunited with his girlfriend, Kaela McMartin, along with friends and family in Corfu last night, but the real surprise was the fire and police escort from the Buffalo Airport to the Corfu Fire Hall last night.

Green, originally from Elba, has been away from home for a year and just finished an eight-month deployment in Afghanistan.

A member of the National Guard, Green is part of Bravo Company 3126 out of Rochester.  He was a gunner on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.

"We were with a bunch of great people," Green said. "Basically, we supported the ground troops in Nangarhar province, supporting ground troops, defeating the enemy, basically ISIS and Taliban that were there, just flying around having a great time."

The job, he said, is one of the best jobs he's had.

The fire and police escort was a big surprise, said Green, who has been a trooper with the State Police (currently assigned to Amity) for three years, especially the way the escort just started growing, from just two Transient police units at the airport to including State Police, Lancaster Police, Cheektowaga Police, Corfu Police, the Genesee County Sheriff's Office, along with fire departments from Corfu, East Pembroke, Darien and Pembroke by the time it reached Countyline Road.

"It was awesome," he said. "It's great to be home. I wasn't expecting anything of this magnitude."

Given the expense of buying and training police K9s, you wouldn't expect a small village like Corfu to have a K9 officer, let alone a handler with two dogs. In fact, just a couple of years ago, Corfu residents wondered if they would even keep their police force.

But a loss for one village is a gain for another.

Officer Anthony Bartucca, with 27 years experience in law enforcement and K9s "Rocco" and "King" by his side, became available to Corfu after the Village of Lyons dissolved and shut down its police department.

"We're very blessed that this situation came up," said Mayor Biggs Johnson. "It’s not a situation where we had to go out and purchase a K-9 or pay for the training. He’s already got certifications. We just have to maintain the training."

Rocco is an advanced drug-detection dog who can also perform tracking and trailing duties. King sniffs out explosives and weapons.

"Rocco will sniff out all drugs known to man, including pharmaceutical drugs, which you know is now more prevalent than street drugs," Bartucca said.

The K9 team joined the 14-officer police force five weeks ago; all are part time.

Rocco, 6 1/2 years old, is a Belgian Malinois and German shepard mix, and 2-year-old King is purebred German shepard.

Johnson thinks the team will have a region-wide impact, given Corfu's nexus at major traffic arteries -- Route 77 and Route 33. Johnson said he's concerned both about drugs and human trafficking passing through the area.

"I know we’re a small village, but because of where we are, where we’re located in close proximity to the Thruway, I think we can do quite a bit to help curb a lot of that activity," Johnson said.

Rocco was a big hit at Corfu's Halloween party last night. He was super friendly, eager to meet every person that came his way.

"He’s a big lovey until I tell him not to be," Bartucca said.

The Village of Corfu PD has a new motto: "Serving with Honor, Integrity & Pride; Protecting with Courage." Officer Cameron Leight on the left.

The Corfu Fire Department and Village of Corfu hosted a community Halloween party in the warmth of the Fire Hall last night.

Press release:

The New York State Association of Magistrates Court Clerks Inc. honors one of its members each year for his or her service and contributions not only to the State Association but to his or her County Association, community and colleagues by exhibiting leadership and assistance in all duties of our profession. 

The 2017 Court Clerk of the Year award was presented during the Awards Banquet of our Annual Conference held in Ellicottville on Sept. 24. It was a privilege to present this prestigious award to a local resident, Pamela Thurber. 

Pam has been a court clerk for seven years.  She has previously served as a court clerk in the Village of Corfu and the Town of Darien.  She currently holds the Court Clerk positions in the Village of Attica and Town of Alabama. 

Attending the award presentation were Pam’s family, significant other -- Michael Lute, sons -- Peyton and Colton, mother – Deb, sister - Terra, father --  Ron and stepmom Barb. Also in attendance were the Honorable John Tauscher, Town of Alabama, and the Honorable Julie Perry, Town and Village of Attica.

Judge Perry sent a heartwarming letter of recommendation stating why Pam was worthy of this great award. Judge Perry stated how efficient Pam was in her job, but what struck the award committee greatly, was that Judge Perry stated: “Every so often we meet people in our lives that leave an impact that cannot be described.” She hopes Pam will sit by her side on the bench for the remainder of her career.

Pam has a long list of involvements in our association as well as her community.  She serves as a county representative for Genesee County. She serves as a mentor for court clerks in her county, giving them a one on one training. Pam is an active member of the Genesee and Wyoming County Magistrate and Court Clerk Associations, and currently participating on a committee for centralized arraignments.

Pam is one of the “new kids” on the association’s board of directors. Last fall, she jumped in with both feet as soon as she was elected to the position of Director. She immediately volunteered to co-chair the publicity/media committee and was the lead in our website relaunch. Our NYSAMCC Web designer Ray sent me an email stating “I have to share with you that Pam has been a sport and a tremendous help. She has organized everything very well and made it as simple as can be for me to create this website from the start.”

Most recently, Pam has taken over the position of Editor in Chief for our association’s bi-annual magazine, "The Docket." Her first edition was recently released and was nothing short of spectacular! 

Nominations for Pam came from more than one clerk in her area, they all commented that Pam is smart, hardworking, detail oriented and very organized.  She is patient, understanding and kind and will step up to help anyone who asks. She is always willing to get involved to help her fellow clerks and will bend over backward to help educate the clerks in her county, district and all clerks of New York State. 

Pam’s journey as a court clerk has not always been the smoothest. She accepted a position in 2011 to replace a court clerk who was charged and convicted of stealing money from the court. She spent years cleaning up the mess that was left behind when the dust settled. Pam learned so much from that experience that last summer she co-authored a presentation for clerks called “Surviving an Audit.” She has been able to teach her fellow clerks real-life examples of what to expect during an audit, how clerks can be prepared for an audit, and best recordkeeping practices. 

“Pam is truly an example of what a court clerk should be. I am thankful to have her as a colleague and to have her serve on my team!” said Gillian Koerner, Town and Village of Arcade court clerk and president of the New York State Association of Magistrates Court Clerks Inc.

       Adante Davis

Adante L. Davis, 27, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with assault, 2nd, and burglary, 1st. Davis was arrested on a warrant for assault and robbery stemming from a home invasion at a location on Central Avenue on Oct. 28, 2016, in which he is a suspect. Davis was one of four suspects and has been at large since the incident. Three participants have pled guilty and been sentenced -- Daniel J. Gilbert, Marquis K. Saddler, and Oliver Thomas. Davis was ordered held without bail.

Darrell J. Holloway, 49, of Farnsworth AVenue, Oakfield, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Holloway was stopped for an alleged traffic infraction at 8:02 p.m. Thursday on Evans Street, Batavia.

Daniel Joseph Difrancesco, 36, of Edgewood Drive, Batavia, is charged with criminal mischief, 3rd. Difrancesco was allegedly involved in a dispute at his residence. He was jailed without bail.

Alex Scott Dumbleton, 24, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, is charged with illegal disposal of items. Dumbleton allegedly threw a bag of garbage onto the property of another person without permission.

Michele L. DiFalco, 28, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. DeFalco allegedly stole property from an associate Sept. 25. He was jailed on bail.

Katty L. Jackson, 21, of Dewey Avenue, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Jackson allegedly struck another person in an incident reported at 6:29 p.m. Thursday at a location on Maple Street, Batavia.

A 17-year-old resident of Batavia is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, obstruction of governmental administration, failure to yield right of way to emergency vehicle, and no lights on a bicycle. Police attempted a traffic stop on the young bicyclist at 8:36 p.m. Thursday on Ellicott Street and the youth attempted to flee from police and led police on a chase. The youth was jailed following his arrest.

Casey Arthur Trommetter, 29, of Angling Road, Pembroke, is charged with DWI, moving from lane unsafely, and unregistered motor vehicle. Trommetter was arrested following an investigation by Deputy Ryan Young into a two-vehicle accident reported at 12:09 a.m. today on Genesee Street, Pembroke. When deputies arrived on scene they found an unoccupied vehicle in the westbound lane. Trommetter was in a second vehicle in a ditch off the side of the road. She was treated and released at the scene for minor injuries and charged with DWI. 

Michael Alan Shelter, 27, of Lewiston Road, Alabama, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Shelter was arrested following an investigation into a disturbance reported at 8:45 p.m. Friday on Lewiston Road, Alabama.

Anthony James Constable, 31, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, is charged with DWI. Constable was allegedly involved in a domestic incident at 11:08 p.m. Saturday in Elba. Following the incident, he allegedly drove to 7993 Call Parkway, Batavia, the location of Ashley Furniture, where he was located by Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello and arrested for alleged DWI. Additional charges are pending.

Mark Harley Bennett, 31, of Chamberlain Street, Albion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Bennett was arrested after deputies responded to a report at 8:57 p.m. Saturday of two men in a vehicle in a parking lot at 8363 Lewiston Road shooting up heroin. Upon investigation, Bennett was allegedly found in possession of a controlled substance.

Adrienne F. Yocina, 36, of Alleghany Road, Pembroke, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 3rd, and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Yocina was charged following a home probation check. She was allegedly in possession of high capacity ammunition magazines and a controlled substance.

Benjamin Jacob Skubis, 23, of Colby Road, Corfu, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Skubis was charged following an investigation by Deputy Mathew Clor into a motor-vehicle accident reported at 2:25 p.m. Saturday on Bloomington Road, Basom.

Nicolas James Scripp, 27, of Fullington Road, Attica, is charged with public lewdness. Scripp allegedly urinated near the entrance of a business on Park Road at 2:22 a.m. Saturday.

Pamela A. Battaglia, 59, of Limerick Road, Piffard, is charged with trespass. Battaglia is accused of refusing to leave a property on Junction Road, Pavilion, after being told to leave several times.

John Paul Henning Sr., 55, of Overlook Drive, Batavia, is charged with acting in a manner that could injure a child and assault, 3rd. Henning is accused of attempting to punish a child by striking him on the foot with a plastic object, which caused the child to bleed.

Trisha Rose Santora, 35, of Georgian Drive, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, controlled substance not in original container, aggravated unlicensed operation, license plate violation, and inadequate plate lamps. Santora was arrested on a warrant. She was jailed on $5,000 bail, $10,000 bond.

Robert E. Magoffin, 45, of Darien Center, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Magoffin was arrested by State Police in connection with an alleged incident reported 5:52 p.m. Friday in Darien. No further details released.

Nichole M. Ambrosoli, 50, of Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Ambrosoli was stopped at 2:45 a.m. Saturday on R. Stephen Hawley Drive, Batavia, by State Police.

Tyler Wood was promoted to the rank of Eagle Scout at the Old Courthouse last night.

His Eagle Project was the renovation of the restrooms at the Akron Free Methodist Church. He is a member of Troop 64 in East Pembroke. Pictured with him are his Scoutmaster Bryan Schiefer and his parents, Charles and Heather Wood.

Photo and info submitted by Heather Wood.

A kitchen fire is reported at the Corfu Meadows Apartments, 53 W. Main St., Corfu.

One person may have suffered smoke inhalation.

Corfu fire dispatched.

Darien, East Pembroke, and Pembroke fire departments also requested to the city. City Fast Team called to the scene. The city's 1st plattoon asked to fill in at the city Fire Hall.

UPDATE 9:47 p.m.: Fire knocked down.

A possible residential structure fire is reported at 2317 Angling Road, Corfu. East Pembroke fire is responding along with mutual aid from Town of Batavia and Corfu fire departments. The location is between West Avenue and North Angling Road.

UPDATE 5:31 p.m.: Photos and info from Alecia Kaus/Video News Service: The homeowner was attempting to smoke out bees and his house caught on fire. It got into the attic; a quick response by volunteer firefighters kept the fire from spreading.

Press release:

Corfu Firefighters have put into service 13 new SCBAs purchased through the federal government’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Awards.

The Corfu Fire District was successful in securing the grant through efforts of Rosalie Mangino-Crandall and her Insights Grants Development Company. She donated her time for the Corfu project which is greatly appreciated by the department. 

The newest and latest model of SCBAs replaced our outdated 1997 NFPA edition SCBAs that have been costly to repair and were at the end of their life cycle. The grant enabled the district to purchase 13 complete units and one mask integrated radio Bluetooth. The total cost of the grant is $88,400, with the district’s share of $4,209.

This will ensure our firefighters are well protected and have the latest technology available to them for the foreseeable future at a small cost to the taxpayers of the Corfu Fire District.

Photo credit: Alecia Kaus/Video News Service

A Corfu man died this morning as a result of injuries suffered during a vehicle accident at the intersection of West Middlebury and East Bethany roads, Middlebury.

The collision occurred around 8:30 when the driver of a 2013 Toyota Tacoma failed to yield to a 2014 International tractor-trailer.

The driver of the Tacoma, Dean M. Dale, 54, of Corfu, was traveling eastbound on West Middlebury Road when he struck the tractor-trailer traveling northbound on East Bethany Road.

Lifesaving measures performed by New York State troopers and Genesee County Sheriff’s deputies were unsuccessful and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The State Police collision reconstruction unit assisted in the investigation however, officials say it is still an ongoing investigation.

UPDATE 4:37 p.m.: Dean Dale was an employee of UMMC. UMMC released this statement:

We are deeply saddened to learn of Dean’s passing. He was a valued member of our Radiology team since 2012 and a dear friend that will be sadly missed by many.

Dean’s family, friends and UMMC team are in our thoughts during this difficult time.

Carrie Fisher, a mother of two in Corfu, has been waiting since August for a heart transplant and today, her family finally received word that a heart is available for transplant.

She is scheduled for surgery at 5 p.m. at Strong Memorial Hospital, according to Kurt Fisher.

Carrie Fisher has been at Strong since August on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine. Fisher developed cardiomyopathy during her second pregnancy with her son, Trevor, whom she delivered on July 11. Her heart was weakened and could no longer sustain her.

The whole family and the community have pulled together to help Carrie, Andrew, and their children get through the difficult time.

"We would like to let everybody know (that the transplant is taking place) who have helped us out," Kurt Fisher said. "Thank you."

Submitted photo.

     File Photo: Scott Doll

An attempt by Scott F. Doll to get his 2010 murder conviction overturned has hit a final state-level roadblock, with New York's Court of Appeals turning down a request for either a hearing or a new trial based on Doll's lack of legal right to seek the appeal.

An attorney for Doll, Timothy Murphy, argued in January 2016, before Interim County Court Judge Micheal Pietruszka, that his client should get a new trial because of what he believed was a mishandling of fingernail scrapings from the murder victim, Joseph Benaquist, and the possibility of third-party blood DNA on one of the boots of Benaquist.

Pietruszka denied the appeal and Murphy appealed to the Fourth Department of the New York Court of Appeals and a judge there ruled that the department wouldn't hear the appeal or grant a new trial.

Today, a judge with the state's Court of Appeals issued a ruling that said Doll was asking for an appeal on issues that were not appealable. 

For previous Scott Doll coverage, click here.