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Oakfield

Law and Order: Batavia woman accused of shoplifting at Walmart in Warsaw

By Howard B. Owens

Stephanie A. Wixson, 26, of Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Wixson was arrested by State Police at the Walmart in Warsaw for allegedly stealing a woman's purse that had also been stuffed with other merchandise. The value of the items was $292.76.

Stephen W. Thweatt, 32, of Alexander, is charged with criminal mischief 2nd, a Class D felony, Thweat is accused of causing more than $2,000 of damage in October to the interior of a residence where he previously lived. Thweatt was arrested by State Police, Warsaw, with the assistance of the Genesee County Sheriff's Office. Thweatt was jailed in Wyoming County without bail.

Manuel L. Valdez, 35, of 2 Miller Ave., Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Valdez was taken into custody on an arrest warrant out of Batavia City Court.

Robert L. Stanley, 53, of Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Stanley is accused of pushing a juvenile to the ground and then kicking the juvenile Saturday on Ganson Avenue. Stanley was located by Batavia PD on Sunday and taken into custody.

Kasean L. Shannon, 20, of 115 Jackson St., Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Shannon allegedly went to the residence of a protected party. Because of a prior criminal contempt conviction in the previous five years, the charge is elevated to a felony. Shannon was jailed without bail.

Russell Lowther III, 55, of 541 E. Main St., Batavia, is charged with menacing, 2nd, and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Lowther is accused of threatening another person with a knife.

Matthew James Cronin, 24, of Crushing Street, Fredonia, is charged with felony DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to keep right, driver's view obstructed and no or inadequate exhaust. Cronin was stopped at 12:14 a.m. on West Main Street Road, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Keith Andrew Hamilton, 46, of Scribner Road, Penfield, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to keep right. Hamilton was stopped at 2:46 a.m. Sunday on Richmond Avenue, Batavia, by Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello.

Joshua Paul Moore, 22, of Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Moore was a passenger in a vehicle stopped at 1:51 a.m. Sunday on Main Street, Batavia, by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Moore was allegedly found to have a small quantity of marijuana concealed in his pants.

Jackson Ray Snow, 23, of Milestrip Road, Irving, was arrested on a bench warrant out of Pembroke Town Court. Snow was stopped for an alleged traffic infraction in Brant and turned over to the Sheriff's Office on an active warrant by Brant PD. Snow was jailed on $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond.

Latisha Renee Woods, 25, of Syke Road, Rochester, was arrested on a bench warrant for alleged unlicensed operation. Woods was stopped on I-490 in Rochester for allegedly using her mobile phone while driving and was turned over to the Sheriff's Office on a bench warrant out of Town of Elba Court. She was jailed on $800 bail.

Gerald Earl Hensel, 57, of S. Pearl St., Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Hensel was arrested at 12:25 a.m., Friday, after a report of a sick or intoxicated driver heading into Batavia from Oakfield. Hensel was taken into custody at the Genesee County Jail, where he had reportedly gone to pick up an inmate scheduled for release.

Kristen Antwan Miller, 32, of State Street, Batavia, is charged with falsifying business records, 1st, and grand larceny, 4th. Miller allegedly stole money from Radio Shack in Batavia and falsified business records in an attempt to conceal the crime.

Law and Order: Man accused of firing shotgun at fox, stray BB hitting neighbor

By Howard B. Owens

Gregory Scott Snyder, 44, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with reckless endangerment, 2nd. Snyder allegedly shot toward the roadway at a fox he believed to be injured using a 12-gauge shotgun. A BB from the shell reportedly hit a neighbor. Deputy Joseph Corona and Deputy Tim Wescott handled the case. The State Police and the Department of Environmental Conservation assisted.

Crystal L. Kiebzak, 30, of 1359 Broadway Road, Darien, is charged with petit larceny, issuing a bad check in the Town of Batavia, and issuing a bad check in the Town of Darien. Kiebzak allegedly drafted checks to buy goods and services from businesses in Darien and Batavia from a nonexistent checking account.

Mindy Maria Miller, 23, of Clay Street, Le Roy, is charged with petit larceny. Miller is accused of shoplifting at Kmart.

Samantha Marie Kent, 19, of East Shelby Road, Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. Kent is accused of shoplifting from Kmart.

Melissa M. Morton, 27, of 4802 W. Middlebury Road, Bethany, is charged with petit larceny. Morton is accused of stealing cupcakes valued at $9.99 from Tim Horton's.

Joseph A. Ferrando III, 45, of 5 Buell St., Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Ferrando was taken into custody by Officer Arick Perkins following an investigation after allegedly being found behind the wheel of his vehicle, which was still running, on Liberty Street at 10:30 p.m., Wednesday.

Timothy M. Pendleton, 27, of 4 Cedar St., Batavia, is charged with resisting arrest, criminal trespass, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd. Pendleton is accused of going to the residence of a person he knows on Wednesday and entering without permission and harassing that person. On Thursday, officers Jason Davis and Eric Hill attempted to arrest Pendleton and he allegedly resisted arrest. Pendleton was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Oakfield FD seeks to get charges against Robert Hilchey dropped

By Howard B. Owens

Statement from the Oakfield Fire Department:

The Oakfield Fire Department would like to make the following statement. We do this in an effort to eliminate and rescind the charges that were filed against Robert Hilchey.

We as a department understand and acknowledge the fact that altering a water service prior to the water meter without prior discussion with the water provider is fraudulent. When the Fire Department was initially questioned, it was our position that we did not give Mr. Hilchey the authority to make alterations to the fire department’s water service. Acting in the Village residents' best interests, this required the Village Board to prosecute Mr. Hilchey.

After Mr. Hilchey was charged, he informed the Fire Department that he had asked for and was approved to make changes to the plumbing. We as a department reviewed past meeting minutes and it was discovered that we did give Mr. Hilchey permission to perform minor plumbing changes at the fire hall.

Any misinformation by the fire department was not intentional. We were unsure that permission was granted because the request by Mr. Hilchey for modifications to the plumbing was unspecified. We regret this entire episode and look forward to a constructive relationship with the Village of Oakfield.

GCEDC approves incentives for five business expansions

By Howard B. Owens

Reed Batavia Properties, LLC, 39 Washington Ave., Batavia, has been approved for $140,861 in tax incentives for upgrades to its building. Reed purchased the building from Batavia City Schools. The 13,452-square-foot building is the former administration building. Reed will renovate the building for medical/office use. Genesee County is currently designated a Health Professional Shortage Area. The assessed value is $475,000. The property was formerly tax exempted and will become taxable at the current assessed value. Reed will receive a tax abatement PILOT on the increase in assessed value over the current assessed value, which is an anticipated tax savings for Reed of $76,361. Reed will also receive sales tax exemption on construction materials, furniture and fixtures of $52,000 along with a mortgage tax exemption of $12,500. Reed is investing $1.5 million in the project and expected to create six new jobs.

Yancey's Fancy, Inc./D&Y Cheeses, Inc., 857 Main Road, Pembroke, is planning a $10.2 million expansion. GCEDC has approved $980,000 in incentives. The expansion will increase capacity and create new flavors and cheese types. All packaging will be performed at the facility. The company will also build new offices. The current facility is 29,000 square feet. The expansion is 65,000 square feet plus a 25,000-square foot expansion of the second floor. The sales tax exemption is $320,000 with a mortgage tax exemption of $112,500 and PILOT of $547,533. Yancey's Fancy has pledged 50 new jobs within three years.

Darien Lake Theme Park, is investing $5.2 million in new rides and upgrades to the park and accommodations. The company will receive a $328,939 incentive package through GCEDC. The project includes construction of new cabins, a new "launch ride," and a laser light attraction. The upgrades are expected to take three years to complete. GCEDC has approved a sales tax exemption of $181,600 and a PILOT of $147,339. Darien Lake provides more 400 full-time equivalent jobs, including 2,000 seasonal workers. The expansion is expected to create six new jobs and retain 422 FTEs.

Fontrick Door, Inc., 9 Apollo Drive, Batavia, is expanding through acquisition of the building at 1 Treadeasy Ave., Batavia. Frontrick Door is investing $500,000 to purchase the $31,919-square-foot building, where it plans to develop a window manufacturing location in 2014. GCEDC has authorized a mortgage tax exemption of $6,250. 

Bonduelle is planning to make a $3.2 million capital investment in its plants in Oakfield, Bergen and Brockport. This is mainly a retention project to upgrade facilities, according to GCEDC. The majority of the investment will be made at the Oakfield plant, where a lima bean line will be installed. Bonduelle has secured contracts with farmers for 2,500 acres of lima bean production. The upgrades are expected to lead to 12 new seasonal -- five months -- jobs in Oakfield. Bonduelle is receiving a $250,000 grant for the project. Jobs retained: 305.

Five young women named to dean's list at Elmira College

By Billie Owens

Elmira College has released its dean's list for Academic Acievement for the Fall 2012 term. The dean's list recognizes students that have a grade-point average of 3.6 or higher.

Alicia Hough ('13) of Elba, is majoring in Business Administration.

Megan Lowe ('13), of Le Roy, is majoring in Adolescence Education: Mathematics.

Jessica Pcionek ('15), of Oakfield, is majoring in Childhood Education and Foreign Languages French.

Amy Schmidt ('15), of Batavia, is majoring in International Studies.

Brittany Schmidt ('15), of Corfu, is majoring in History and Classical Studies.

Elmira College, located in the Finger Lakes Region of beautiful, historic Upstate New York, is one of the great small colleges of the nation. To learn more about what Elmira College has to offer, navigate to www.elmira.edu or call 800-935-6472 to schedule your visit to Elmira College.
 

Oakfield Fire Department issues statement regarding water dispute with Village

By Howard B. Owens

John Igoe, president of Oakfield Volunteer Fire Department, issued the following statement, approved tonight by the board, regarding the arrest of Robert Hilchey for alleged "theft of services."

The members of the Oakfield Volunteer Fire Department would like to state that we disagree with the actions of the Village of Oakfield against Robert “Buck” Hilchey.  

The Oakfield Fire Department has always had the ability to use public water prior to the water meter. The fire hall is equipped with a 2” standpipe that is installed prior to village water meter. We have a cap for that line that is drilled out with a ¾” water hose adapter. Over the course of several years this fitting has leaked when used. This has caused damage to our fire hall. We have had to remove the door to the bathroom in the truck garage as a result of this water damage.  

The Fire Department accepted and passed a motion on 12/3/2012 to allow Mr. Hilchey to make minor modifications to the plumbing in the fire hall, as well as looking into the possibilities of purchasing and installing a tankless hot water heater.  

In no way did Mr. Hilchey profit personally or monetarily from the plumbing changes that were performed.  

The Oakfield Fire Department has stated that they would repair the water service back to original, but the village mayor and trustees are requiring the fire department to install plumbing changes that will cost the department a significant sum of money.  

The sole purpose of the installation of the garden hose fitting was so the Oakfield Fire Department could service and maintain the village property, which for several years was done with metered water.  

The Oakfield Fire Department has been paying water bills for years so that we could have the privilege of maintaining the village trucks. The toilets, kitchen and other services have never been supplied by unmetered water, and our water bill has always been paid.  

It was stated in a closed-door meeting with the mayor and village trustees that they are pursuing this action in this way because the village wants to change attitudes, behaviors, and to send a message to the Oakfield Fire Department and Robert Hilchey.

Robert “Buck” Hilchey has been an active member of the Oakfield Volunteer Fire Department for over 42 years of service. He has been one the most active volunteers in our department's history.  

It is the position of the Oakfield Volunteer Fire Department that Mr. Hilchey is not at fault for the charge of theft of services. We stand as a department behind Mr. Hilchey. It is deplorable that the village is willing to ruin a person’s reputation in the community, and possibly his livelihood because that village wants to send a message and change attitudes and behaviors.

Two local students earn degrees from RIT

By Billie Owens

The following local residents graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in the Fall 2012 quarter:

•     Brittany Boyce, of Oakfield, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration Accounting from RIT's E. Philip Saunders College of Business.

•     Brett Squire, of Batavia, earned a Master of Science degree in Health Systems Administration from RIT's College of Health Sciences and Technology.

Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts, sustainability, and fine and applied arts. In addition, the university offers unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Law and Order: Man accused of installing illegal water line

By Howard B. Owens

Robert Augustus Hilchey, 60, of North Pearl Street, Oakfield, is charged with theft of services. Hilchey is accused of installing a water supply line at the Oakfield Fire Department at a location prior to the Village of Oakfield water meter, allowing himself and others to use water before it could be measured.

Lisa Sue Metcalf, 33, of Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield, is charged with criminal possession of stolen property. Metcalf was arrested at her residence on a warrant out of Town of Oakfield Court. She was arraigned and released under supervision of Genesee Justice.

Bryan S. Harris, 30, of 50 Montclair Ave., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Harris is accused of pushing another person against a vehicle.

Michael L. Titus, 28, of 71 S. Main St., Batavia, is charged with strangulation, 2nd, and harassment, 2nd. Titus is accused of choking and punching a victim during an argument. Titus was jailed without bail.

John L. Taggert, 31, of 16 N. Lyon St., Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Taggert is accused of shoving a family member against a wall. Taggert was jailed on $1,500 bail.

O-A student named to All-WNY Academic Team

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

An Oakfield-Alabama Middle-High School senior has been named to Business First's 2013 All-Western New York Academic Team.

Jennifer Crossen (First Team) has qualified for this year's list of the 100 most outstanding high school seniors in the eight-county region.

Winners were chosen for their records of academic excellence, school leadership and community involvement. The top 25 were named to the First Team, 25 runners-up to the Second Team, and another 50 to the Special Mention list.

"This is an extremely exclusive award," said Jack Connors, president and publisher of Business First. "There are roughly 20,000 seniors in Western New York's high schools, and we've selected only 100 for this year's Academic Team. That's the upper one-half of 1 percent. They're truly the best and brightest students anywhere in our region."

Schools throughout the eight-county area were asked to nominate their smartest and most accomplished students for consideration by an eight-member committee, which included six admissions directors at area colleges and two Business First editors. A total of 121 schools responded with 437 nominees. (Each school was limited to four candidates.)

The complete list of 100 honorees -- along with their photos and profiles -- will be published in Business First's 2013-2014 Guide to Western New York Schools, which will hit newsstands on June 14.

Law and Order: Students accused of stealing XBox at College Village

By Howard B. Owens

Jihad Abdul Hakiim, 19, of W. 168th St., New York City, and William A. Hucks, 18, of State Road, Webster, are charged with burglary, 2nd. Hakiim and Hucks allegedly entered a dormitory suite at College Village through a window and took two XBox game consoles and games. Hakiim was jailed on $15,000 bail and Hucks was jailed on $5,000 bail. The case was investigated by Deputy Brian Thompson with K-9 Pharoah, Investigator William Ferrando, Deputy Patrick Reeves and Trooper Eric Daigler.

Jessie Marie Cramer, 27, of Bank Street, Batavia, was arrested on a bench warrant. Cramer allegedly failed to appear in Town of Batavia Court on a petit larceny charge.

Justin Ryan Bidell, 38, of Meadville Road, Basom, was arrested on a bench warrant. Bidell turned himself in to the Sheriff's Office on a warrant for alleged failure to pay fine.

Andrew William Bruckman, of Robertson Road, Churchville, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Bruckman was stopped on Route 33, Stafford, at 6:08 p.m. on Saturday by Deputy Kevin McCarthy, for allegedly pulling a trailer with switched plates and having an unregistered trailer. During the stop, Bruckman was allegedly found in possession of marijuana.

Steven Ronald Dennis, 23, of Maple Ridge Road, Medina, is charged with felony DWI, felony driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, speeding (94 in a 55 mph and 84 in a 30 mph), and unlawful possession of marijuana. Dennis was stopped at 1:21 a.m., Sunday, on Water Street, Oakfield, by Deputy James Diehl.

Eric Alexander Ion, 40, of Pike Road, Batavia, is charged with felony criminal contempt and assault, 3rd. Ion allegedly violated an order of protection by assaulting the protect party, causing injury. Ion was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Jon Hoyt Bush, 29, of Route 98, Elba, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd.  Bush was arrested on a warrant after being released from the Livingston County Jail. Bush was jailed in Genesee County on $1,000 bail.

Cazan Jayrryary Cummings, 20, of Avenue W, Brooklyn, is charged with trespassing. Cummings was allegedly at College Village after being banned from the property.

Nicole Lee Cramer, 23, of West Main Street, Le Roy, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th. Cramer was a passenger in a vehicle stopped on Route 5, City of Batavia, at 1:07 a.m. on Saturday by Deputy Patrick Reeves. Cramer was allegedly found in possession of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Upon further investigation, an amount of suspected cocaine was found concealed in an undergarment.

Car crash, with one minor injury, at Macomber and Batavia Oakfield TL Road

By Billie Owens

A motor-vehicle accident is reported at Macomber and Batavia Oakfield Town Line Road in Oakfield Alabama. There is one injury and the person is inside the vehicle, alert and conscious. Oakfield Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding. Law enforcement is on scene.

UPDATE 4:17 p.m.: It's actually in Alabama's fire district. Oakfield was called first however, and asks for Alabama to provide fire police for traffic control.

UPDATE 4:19 p.m.: One patient will need transport to a hospital, two others will be sign-offs.

UPDATE 4:41 p.m.: Alabama is opening up the roadway and returning to service, along with Oakfield. One person is being taken to UMMC.

Burglary suspect arrested yesterday may be linked to other break-ins in the county

By Howard B. Owens

An observant resident may have helped the Sheriff's Office yesterday nab a suspect in a series of burglaries in the county.

So far, Jeffery James Leaton, 22, of Caswell Road, Byron, has only been charged with an alleged burglary on Griswold Road, Le Roy.

According to Deputy Chief Jerome Brewster, Leaton was caught in the act at the Griswold Road home after a person reported suspicious activity at the residence.

Brewster said investigators are looking at Leaton as a possible suspect in other burglaries. There have been strings of burglaries reported since early January in Elba, Oakfield, Byron, Bergen and Stafford.

Leaton has been charged with one count of burglary, 2nd, and is accused of making forced entry into the Griswold Road residence. He was allegedly in the process of stealing jewelry.

Following arraignment in Town of Le Roy Court, he was jailed on $20,000 bail.

Photos: Snowy Saturday morning in Genesee County

By Howard B. Owens

I left the house early this morning looking for snow-related photos.

I started at Centennial Park and grabbed this picture of the gate at the Rowell Mansion flocked in snow.

Tree on Lockport Road, east of Albion Road

Same spot on Lockport Road, other side of the street

Ledge Road and Alleghany Road, Alabama

Indian Falls

More than 60 students earn academic honors at the College at Brockport

By Billie Owens

The College at Brockport, State University of New York, recently honored students who excelled academically by naming them to the dean's list for the Fall 2012 semester. Students who earn a GPA of 3.70–3.99 are named to the dean's list with honors, while students who achieve a 3.40–3.69 are named to the dean's list.

Dean's list with honors:

Alexander

  • Patrick Guarino, with honors
  • Peggy Hamm-Johnson, with honors

Basom

  • Lori Stellrecht, with honors
  • Elias Seward, with honors
  • Danielle Hirtzel, with honors

Batavia

  • Heidi Dempsey, with honors
  • Kristin Aidala, with honors
  • Jennifer Baker, with honors
  • John Beckler, with honors
  • Kaley Falkowski, with honors
  • Leigh Woodall, with honors

Bergen

  • Shane Chatham, with honors
  • Cody Pierce, with honors
  • Rebecca Smith, with honors
  • Lindsay Stumpf, with honors
  • Athena Corodimas, with honors

Byron

  • Melissa Hale, with honors
  • Tammy Fuller, with honors
  • Sarah Ritchie, with honors

Elba

  • Gianni Zambito, with honors

Le Roy

  • Natalie Wedge, with honors
  • Katherine Rogers, with honors
  • Meghan Bishop, with honors
  • Danielle Ford, with honors
  • Gena Korn, with honors

Oakfield

  • Jamie Borkholder, with honors
  • Zackary Kibler, with honors

South Byron

  • Kallee Stein, with honors


Dean's list:

Alexander

  • Cory Dick

Batavia

  • Patrick Carr
  • Emily Mott
  • Felicia McJury
  • Erin Suttell
  • David Eick
  • Charles Eggebrecht
  • Cara Grosshans
  • Carrie Putney
  • Brittany Wormley
  • Diane Cox
  • Emily Glidden
  • Katrina Mogavero
  • Catherine Taylor

Bergen

  • Harjit Singh
  • Brian Humphrey
  • Alexander Gunther
  • Alyson Tardy
  • Emily Drzewiecki
  • Carrie Cooper
  • Paul Morton

Byron

  • Darren Kwiatkowski

Corfu

  • Casey Herman
  • Kristen Gaik

Elba

  • Keenan Hughes
  • Meg Stucko

Le Roy

  • Joel Pitts
  • Justin Becker
  • Abigail Graham

Oakfield

  • Samantha Denton
  • Olivia Waldron
  • Benjamin Cherry
  • Lisa Halat

Pavilion

  • Theresa Raponi
  • Shawn Mascho

Two different crews suspected of burglaries in Elba, Oakfield, Byron and Bergen

By Howard B. Owens

Sheriff's investigators are actively pursuing leads on a string of burglaries that started in January in Elba, Oakfield, Byron and Bergen.

Chief Deputy Jerome Brewster said investigators believe two different crews are involved in the burglaries.

"The crew in Elba and Oakfield enters with door kick-ins," Brewster said. "The other crew is more sophisticated about getting into a house."

The Elba/Oakfield crew may be associated with a white van. The Byron/Bergen crew (which may be responsible for a burglary in Stafford) may use stolen vehicles.

One vehicle from Bergen is still missing, another has been recovered and a car that was stolen in Henrietta was located in Bergen.

The Elba and Oakfield burglaries have occurred during daylight hours.

There are suspects in the Elba/Oakfield burglaries, Brewster said, and they don't live in the area.

Brewster said residents who see anything suspicious could contact the Sheriff's Office at (585) 343-5000.

"Give us a call," Brewster said. "We love to look into those things."

Residents should be on the lookout for a suspicious vehicle in a neighbor's driveway, a car slowing and apparently trying to check out homes in a neighborhood, and somebody knocking on your door with no apparent need to knock on your door  -- all the sort of things that should be phoned in as suspicious, Brewster said.

Attorney accused of being no show for fourth straight appearance for defendant

By Howard B. Owens

Brian P. Griffen is indicted on counts of burglary, 3rd, and grand larceny, 4th, and four times since October he's appeared before Judge Robert C. Noonan to answer to those charges.

Four times Griffen's attorney has been missing in action, according to Noonan.

Today, the judge told Griffen it's time for him to find a new attorney.

According to documents, Griffen is represented by David S. Widenor, a Buffalo-based defense attorney.

Griffen told Noonan he's paid Widenor $800 to represent him.

According to court staff, Widenor has never denied representing Griffen and Assistant District Attorney Will Zickl said he's received written correspondence from Widenor about the Griffen case.

Noonan said he's written to Widenor and told him he better make his next court appearance (which was today) or there could be financial consequences.

On at least one occasion, Widenor reportedly told Noonan that he forgot to record Griffen's court appearance on his calendar.

"I can't just leave this case on the calendar until someday he decides to grace me with his presence," Noonan said.

Zickl told Noonan, "(Griffen) has been here every time he's been directed to be here. We certainly support his realization that perhaps he needs another attorney."

Griffen was indicted in October and accused of breaking into a building on Fisher Road, Oakfield, sometime between June 12 and June 26 and stealing a dune buggy, Yamaha Kodiak 4-wheeler and a Honda dirt bike.

Under questioning from Noonan, Griffen said he has a job. He didn't ask for a court-appointed attorney. He said he has missed work to make his court appearances, which brought a sad shake from Noonan.

Noonan said that if Griffen files a grievance with the bar association that might be the best way for Griffen to get his $800 back. Noonan said he couldn't wait, however, for Griffen to get reimbursed before he retains another attorney.

Noonan ordered Griffen back in court March 6.

Whether Griffen files a grievance (about his attorney's absenteeism), Noonan said, is entirely up to him.

Woman accused of stealing money from charity raising money for cancer patient

By Howard B. Owens

Five Star Bank has reimbursed $6,600 to Austin's Army -- a fundraising effort to assist a Pembroke teen struck with a rare form of cancer -- after a local woman allegedly made unauthorized withdrawals from the charitable account.

The alleged theft was discovered by Jason Heineman on Nov. 27.

Jodi M. Coe, 37, of Batavia Oakfield Townline Road, Oakfield, was arrested in connection with the alleged theft and charged with 41 counts of possessing a forged instrument.

According to court documents, Coe allegedly acquired blank checks, drafted the checks in her name and forged Jason Heineman's signature on the checks.

Heineman wrote in an affidavit that he never wrote checks to Coe out of the Austin Army's account and that she was never authorized to write checks to herself.

The checks were all allegedly cashed between Oct. 7 and Nov. 5, while Heineman was in New York City with his son, Austin, who was in NYC for surgery and treatment.

The bank balance discrepancy was discovered by Heineman when he visited a Five Star branch in Dansville and needed to transfer funds to another account.

Upon requesting an account summary, Heineman noticed checks being cashed out of sequence. 

When confronted with an accusation by Heineman, Coe allegedly said she had a problem and was in over her head.

Later she allegedly told Heineman that she had a gambling problem.

According to documents, Heineman gave Coe an opportunity to reimburse the account and when that allegedly did not happen by Dec. 5 he contacted the Sheriff's Office.

Coe faces 36 counts in Batavia City Court of possession of a forged instrument and another five counts in the Town of Le Roy.

She is jailed without bail.

If convicted, Coe would likely be required to pay restitution and that restitution would be paid to Five Star Bank.

Austin Heineman still has ongoing medical expenses and anybody wishing to make a donation can contact Five Star Bank.

Two local students will attend RIT this fall

By Billie Owens

The following local residents have been enrolled for Fall 2013 admission at Rochester Institute of Technology:

Steven Cacner Jr., son of Heather Cacner, of Stafford, and Steven Cacner, of Oakfield, is in the Computer Engineering - BS program in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering and is a 2013 graduate of Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School. Steven has been awarded the RIT Innovation & Creativity Award.

Erica Hickey, daughter of Rhonda and Brian Hickey, of Byron, is in the Journalism - BS program in RIT's College of Liberal Arts and is a 2013 graduate of Byron-Bergen High School.

Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging science, sustainability, and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

RIT's cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.

Law and Order: Two new burglary counts added to charges against Alexander man

By Howard B. Owens

Nicolas Adam Antonucci, 25, of 4192 Broadway Road, Alexander, is indicted on two counts of burglary in the 2nd degree. Antonucci is accused of breaking into a residence on Broadway Road, Darien, on Nov. 12 and on Nov. 18. (For prior charges against Antonucci, click here).

Daniel H. Bettilyon is indicated on felony counts of DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Bettilyon is accused of driving a 1989 Harley Davidson motorcycle while drunk on Maltby Road, Oakfield, on Aug. 10. Bettilyon allegedly has a prior DWI conviction from July 2004.

Law and Order: Pa. man accused of carrying loaded, unregistered handgun

By Howard B. Owens

Richard David Farley, 64, of New Bethehem, Pa., is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 4th, unlawful possession of marijuana and possession alcohol in a motor vehicle. Farley was a passenger in a vehicle stopped on Route 77 in the Village of Corfu at 11:58 p.m. on Friday. During the traffic stop, Farley was allegedly found in possession of an open container of alcohol, a marijuana cigarette and a loaded, unregistered semi-automatic .22-caliber pistol. Farley was jailed on $2,000 bail.

Brandon P. Stagg, 20, and Oscar J. Familia, 21, of 25 Trumbull Parkway, Batavia, are charged with possession of alcohol under age 21 and unnecessary noise. Stagg and Familia were arrested following a complaint of an underage drinking party at their home. Stagg was charged with possession of alcohol and Familia was charged with unnecessary noise.

Caroline B. Robinson, 31, of 38 Gilbert St., Le Roy, is charged with trespass. Robinson is accused of remaining at a hotel on Oak Street after being told to leave by hotel staff and a Batavia PD officer.

William G. Raschi, 62, of 5630 W. Lake Road, Conesus, is charged with felony DWI, unlicensed operation, unsafe lane change, failure to stop for traffic signal and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Raschi was stopped on East Main Street, Batavia, at 5:57 p.m. Saturday, by Officer Matt Lutey. The charge is a felony because of an alleged prior DWI conviction in the previous 10 years. Raschi was jailed without bail pending a court appearance today.

Steven J. Raimondi, 19, of 679 E. Main St., is charged with possession of alcohol under age 21. Raimondi allegedly hosted a large underage drinking party at his residence, which was reported at 1:12 a.m., Sunday. A 16-year-old female was also charged.

Paul B. Heale, 58, of 234 Ellicott St., lower, Batavia, is charged with DWAI. Heale was stopped following a complaint of a possibly intoxicated driver at 2:30 p.m. Thursday on Pearl Street by Officer Eric Hill.

Robert D. Griffin Sr., 34, of 319 E. Main St., Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal mischief, 4th. Griffin is accused of breaking a window by throwing a boot at it during an argument and then preventing a female from calling police by taking her mobile phone.

Frank J. Falcone, 27, of 10599 Main St., upper, Alexander, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th, and harassment, 2nd. Falcone was charged following a lengthy investigation by Batavia PD into an incident in the parking lot of Billy Goats on Oct. 20. Falcone is accused of kicking a vehicle, causing damage, and of punching and slapping the owner of the vehicle.

Tharon Joseph Kunkle, 52, of Read Road, Pembroke, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, operating an ATV on a public highway and unregistered ATV. Kunkle was charged after allegedly being observed driving his ATV on Route 5, Batavia at 2:32 a.m. Sunday by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Samantha Nicole Frear, 25, of Hempstead Avenue, Buffalo, was arrested on a bench warrant out of Town of Darien Court by Buffalo PD following a traffic stop.  The warrant stems from a harassment, 2nd, charge in November, 2009. 

John J. Maroni, 50, of Clay, is charged with possession of unstamped cigarettes, DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, failure to use/improper use of four-way flashers, and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Maroni was arrested following a report of a vehicle parked along the roadway on Oakfield-Elba Townline Road, Oakfield at 7:13 p.m., Friday.

Vincent Donald Henning, 35, of Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with BAC of .18 or greater, improper right turn and unlicensed operator. Henning was stopped on Seven Springs Road, Batavia, at 10:47 p.m. Friday by Deputy James Diehl.

Andrew Garry Anderson, 28, of Basom, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and speeding in zone (65 in a 40 mph zone). Anderson was stopped on Route 77, Basom, at 12:25 a.m. Friday by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Danielle R. Dixon, 29, of Batavia, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Dixon was stopped at 2:30 a.m. Sunday on Hutton Road, Oakfield, by State Police.

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