Police News

Landlord in Hot Water

A Dutchess County man who owns an apartment complex on Secor Road in the Mahopac Falls section of Carmel is facing charges of harassment and criminal contempt for allegedly turning off the heat and electricity in one of the apartments.

Carmel Police charged John Verdon, 45, of East Fishkill, last week in connection with the landlord-tenant dispute.

Police Chief Michael Johnson said Verdon admitted to turning off the power despite an order of protection against him granted to the tenant by local magistrate.

Verdon was arraigned by Carmel Justice Thomas Jacobellis and was released pending future court action. He was also ordered to stay away from the unidentified tenant.

Teens Arrested

A 19-year-old Mahopac youth and a 16-year-old from Putnam Valley face charges in Yorktown Town Court next week.

James McMahon of Mahopac was arrested by Yorktown Police last Friday after he allegedly shoplifted a pair of earrings valued at $60 from the Sears Store at the Jefferson Valley Mall.

Meanwhile the Putnam Valley youth was charged with menacing for allegedly threatening several people with a knife at the Jefferson Valley Bowling Alley.

The youth was not identified because of his age, said Lt. Richard Malan.

Both youths were released without bail to the custody of family members pending the future court hearings.

Aggravated Unlicensees

Police agencies throughout the area are puzzled by an increase in aggravated unlicensed operation arrests in recent days.

“It’s bad enough receiving a citation for speeding, unlicensed operation, or for driving with a suspended or revoked license or registration, but for the offender not to appear in court to answer the charges is crazy,” said Carmel Police Chief Michael Johnson.

The chief’s comments came last week when members of his department made numerous arrests for aggravated unlicensed operation after officers stopped vehicles and checked with the New York State DMV database discovering outstanding charges.

Scott Staten, 35, of Mahopac, was arrested after Officer Michael Bodo stopped a vehicle on Secor Road in Mahopac Falls for being operated with a broken taillight.

A short time later the officer observed another vehicle with a broken taillight and stopped the car on Route 6 in Mahopac. The driver, Joseph Coryea, 42, of Mahopac, was found to be driving his car with a suspended license. The computer check also advised an outstanding warrant issued by the North Salem Town Court for Coryea’s alleged failure to appear to answer a DWI arrest. Coryea was arraigned on the aggravated unlicensed operation charges in Carmel before being turned over to Somers State Police to answer the warrant.

Officer Brian Shay arrested Diego Chure, 24, of Ossining, for aggravated unlicensed operation after stopping his pickup truck on Route 6 in Mahopac that was being operated with an uncovered load.

Marvin Mojek, 23, of Mahopac, was also arrested for aggravated unlicensed operation as well as driving with a suspended registration after his car was stopped on Route 6 in Carmel by Officer James Terrezas during a routine traffic check.

Yorktown Police arrested two residents of Putnam Valley last week for aggravated unlicensed operation after a pair of incidents involving speeding cars. Jason McKeever, 33, was stopped on East Main Street in Jefferson Valley, and was found to be operating his car with a suspended license resulting from several previous driving infractions. Luis Velasquez, 47, was involved in a personal injury crash last month and, according to Lt. Richard Malan, the motorist was cited for speeding and failing to wear a seatbelt.

The lieutenant said the Putnam County man’s license had also been suspended for failing to answer a summons. After Velasquez was released from the hospital arrangements were made for him to surrender at Yorktown Police headquarters. He showed up last week and after posting $100 bail was released pending future court action.

The others arrested were released without bail pending future court hearings.

Assaults in Mahopac

Two assaults have led to the arrests of a 45-year-old man and an 18-yearold woman in Mahopac.

Carmel Police Chief Michael Johnson said the first incident occurred on Jan.3 when Charles Olson allegedly attacked a woman in a residence along Mary Avenue causing the victim to sustain several broken ribs and a punctured lung. A warrant was issued for Olson’s arrest and last week Detective Robert Bagnarol took the suspect into custody.

Olson was arraigned by Carmel Justice Thomas Jacobellis and was released without bail pending a Feb. 23 hearing. The charge against Olson is a felony carrying a potential seven year state prison term if found guilty.

Meanwhile, police charged the unidentified 18-year-old with assault for allegedly attacking another teenager at a residence on Pennebrook Lane in Mahopac on Jan.17. Officer Michael Sheil investigated the incident which led to the young woman’s arrest last week. She was arraigned by Judge Jacobellis and was remanded to the Putnam Correctional Facility in lieu of $1,000 bail pending future court action.

District Attorney Adam Levy said the young woman also faced jail time if found guilty.

Prescription Fraud

Two Carmel men are facing forgery charges in Connecticut that could result in a state prison term upon conviction.

Danbury Police arrested Richard Epstein, 59, and Joseph Blando, 24, last Thursday after they reportedly attempted to fill a forged prescription for a narcotics medication at a pharmacy on Main Street in downtown Danbury.

Police said once the pharmacist did not recognize the physician’s signature he became suspicious and contacted the doctor’ office. The unidentified physician advised that he did not authorize the disbursing of a narcotics painkiller for the two men and furthermore that a prescription pad had been stolen from his office earlier in the week.

Epstein and Blando were arrested for criminal possession of narcotics and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance.

The latter charge is a felony in Connecticut carrying a maximum four-year state prison term if found guilty.

Both men posted bail and were released pending future court action in Danbury Superior Court.

DWIs Continue

Another week—another month— and the DWI arrest tally continues to climb.

State Police made five arrests in recent days. Troopers from Brewster locked up Kristofer Sullivan, 29, of Pawling, after stopping his car on Route 22 in Southeast that was observed weaving across the center median at 1:25am.

Brewster State Police also arrested Sovannara Tong, 29, of Danbury, for drunken driving after her car was stopped at 3am on Doansburg Road near the Green Chimneys School.

Somers State Police arrested Wayne Latourette, 37, of Putnam Valley, for DWI following a one car personal injury crash on Tomahawk Street in Somers last Thursday night at 11:30pm. Latourette was admitted to the Westchester Medical Center for observation suffering from massive cuts to his face and head.

Cortlandt State Police arrested a Mahopac man for DWI after his vehicle overturned on White Lion Drive in Cortlandt. Michael Doyle, 44, escaped unhurt, said police.

State Police at Hawthorne arrested another Mahopac motorist for DWI when stopping a car being driven erratically on the Sprain Brook Parkway in Greenburgh at 1:45am. Scott Atwater, 36, was taken into custody and like the others was released to the custody of a family member pending future court action.