A 25-year-old Clifton Park man was arrested for allegedly possessing an unregistered firearm.

Basim B. Vergara was charged Sunday with criminal possession of a firearm, a felony, and fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. Police accuse Vergara of displaying the gun during an altercation in a home on Pine View Lane in Halfmoon.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to the address around 10:23 p.m. Sunday. The suspect’s four-year-old son was turned over to a family member, according to the sheriff’s office.

A Mechanicville man was arrested Thursday on sex crime charges, and could face additional ones, police said.

Richard T. Sullivan, 22, sent sexually explicit photographs and videos to underage females and enticed them to engage in sexual conduct, according to Mechanicville police. Authorities say he met with at least one minor female several times with the intent to engage in sexual activity.

Mechanicville police say they started investigating Sullivan when a parent of an underage female filed a complaint about him. A joint investigation with the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office revealed Sullivan was sending sexually explicit material to young females, and met with at least one minor, police said.

Sullivan was charged with first-degree sex abuse, first-degree disseminating indecent materials to minors, both felonies, third-degree sex abuse, and endangering the welfare of a child, both misdemeanors.

Police arrested Sullivan at his residence on East Saratoga Avenue. He was arraigned Thursday in Mechanicville City Court before Judge Joseph Sheehan and taken to county jail on $15,000 bail. He was still being held Friday afternoon, Mechanicville Detective Sgt. William Rabbitt said.

“There’s likely going to be other charges pending against him, as the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office is investigating him for similar acts,” Rabbitt said. He said Sullivan was unemployed at the time of his arrest.

Anyone with concerns about Sullivan or potential victims should call Mechanicville Police at 664-7383.

Update: Click here for the full story and photos.

A resident of Edinburg was killed in a police “officer-involved shooting” overnight, Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo said in a statement Tuesday morning.

Zurlo, county District Attorney Karen Heggen and members of the State Police will release additional information at an 11 a.m. press conference in the DA’s office in Ballston Spa.

The Daryl Mount Jr. case produced a war of words this week between Saratoga Springs Public Safety Commissioner Christian Mathiesen and Brian Breedlove, an attorney who alleged Mathiesen is leading a cover-up of excessive force employed by officers that resulted in Mount’s death.

Last month, Breedlove filed an amended complaint against the city, Mathiesen, police Chief Gregory Veitch and six officers who chased Mount, a 22-year-old African-American from Malta, into an alley on Broadway on the morning of Aug. 31, 2013. It accuses the officers of racial-profiling and beating Mount, and Mathiesen and Veitch of conspiring to cover-up what happened.

Police brass have maintained that Mount assaulted a woman on Caroline Street, tried to elude police and accidentally fell 20 feet from scaffolding in the alley. Mount’s injuries restricted him to a bed until he died May 13, 2014. A death certificate says the cause of death was “respiratory failure due to pneumonia due to immobilization due to brain injuries due to blunt force trauma.”

Through an attorney, the city last month denied Breedlove’s explosive charges. But on Monday, Mathiesen himself blasted the accusations in a four-paragraph letter (see below), calling them not only baseless, but reckless.

“To allow or create a public misperception is unfortunate,” Mathiesen wrote. “To unnecessarily promote and encourage a public mistrust in the men and women who serve and protect this city is irresponsible.”

I asked Breedlove what he thought of Mathiesen’s remarks, and the Clifton Park attorney emailed a statement: “Bill Clinton said ‘I never had sex with that woman, not a single time.’ Then the blue dress showed up. Bill Cosby said, in essence, ‘I never had sex with those woman, not a single one.’ Now his sealed sworn testimony shows up. Press releases don’t have much value. We will rely on the evidence presented in court.”

Mathiesen’s full letter:

Press Release by Steven Bailey

A woman is being held in Saratoga County jail without bail following her arrest for allegedly selling cocaine in Ballston.

Sheriff’s deputies recently arrested Andrea Morales-Depalo, 34, at her home on Brookline Road and charged her with multiple counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, both felonies, and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, according to the county sheriff’s office.

Morales-Depalo was arraigned in Ballston Town Court and taken to county jail with no bail due to prior felony convictions, police said. She will reappear in court at a later date.

Santillana (Saratoga Springs police)

City police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents conducted a months-long investigation that resulted in a house raid on Tuesday evening, Saratoga Springs police said. Following a search of the home, police say they arrested Kevin Johnson, 47, and Robert J. Santillana, 38, both residents of the city. In addition to illegal drugs, police say they also located more than $4,200 in cash and items associated with selling drugs in the house.

Santillana was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, both felonies, police said.

Johnson (police)

Both were sent to Saratoga County jail on $10,000 bail, police said.

Shea (police photo)

Joseph R. Shea, 64, allowed workers at the Stadium Cafe on Broadway and West Side Stadium Cafe on Congress Street to receive compensation for hours that were not worked, Lt. Robert Jillson said Friday.

Shea, of Clifton Park, was arrested Tuesday and arraigned in City Court Wednesday, Jillson said. Shea was charged with third-degree grand larceny and first-degree falsifying business records, both felonies, according to police. Police believe his actions cost the owners of the restaurants more than $3,000 between September 2013 through March 2014, and possibly in excess of $10,000.

“The investigation is ongoing, as the time frame in question is lengthy,” Jillson said. “Additional charges are possible.”

Shea managed the restaurants for years until April 2014, according to police. In the middle of last year, the owners of the eateries asked police to investigate if Shea was involved in criminal activity. Police interviewed numerous employees and pored through several years of business records.

Jillson could not say late-Friday if Shea was being held, or what his bail was. Those with information about the case are asked to call police Investigator Vanessa Rose at 584-1800.

Another public official has been arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated in Saratoga Springs.

Mark A. Luciano, 37, the chief of staff for state Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake), was pulled over by city police on South Broadway at 2:12 a.m. Monday and charged with DWI and driving with a blood alcohol content of more than .08 percent, according to a list of arrests released by police Monday morning.

Luciano, of Malta, also received traffic tickets for having an expired inspection certificate, failure to keep right, failure to stop at a stop sign and improper lane use, police said.

Luciano has worked with a variety of local legislators. He did not return a call for comment. After checking with him by phone, Woerner confirmed Luciano was arrested on the DWI charges. Luciano will not be suspended from his roughly $60,000-a-year job, the first-term assemblywoman said.

“He is deeply regretful about it,” Woerner said. She said she felt confident that Luciano “will never make this mistake again.”

Saratoga County Public Defender Oscar Schreiber, 58, recently returned to his $125,000-a-year job last month after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated. He allegedly tried to use his position to get out of being arrested when police arrived at his home, according to a video released by police.

Arthur Gannon (provided by sheriff’s office)

Arthur A. Gannon, 46, and his wife, Heidi L. Gannon, 39, were arrested on multiple sex crime charges following a police investigation into complaints of repeated abuse, the sheriff’s office said.

“It is alleged that both defendants, over a period of several years, did subject two minor females to repeated sexual abuse,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Arthur and Heidi Gannon did restrain the children against their will and force them to perform or engage in sexual acts, photographing them in the process.”

The victims are related to the defendants, and along with two other children from the residence, were in the care of a family member, police said, adding that additional charges in the case were possible.

Each defendant was charged with two counts of first-degree attempted rape, first-degree criminal sex act and first-degree sex abuse, all felonies, and endangering the welfare of a minor, according to the sheriff’s office.

Heidi Gannon (police)

Amy Stock (her Facebook page)

Amy L. Stock, who moved to Albany from Saratoga Springs three weeks ago, died early Sunday morning when a 22-year-old motorist, Kadeem Fowler of Albany, plowed into multiple parked vehicles on First Street, failed to stop at a stop sign, and struck the Ford Focus wagon Stock was driving south on Henry Johnson Boulevard, Albany Police Department spokesman Steve Smith said.

“She was a beautiful soul, a kindred spirit, and an advocate for peace,” Amy’s older brother Tom Stock said Monday.

Stock taught three courses as an adjunct professor at SUNY Empire State College and worked as a grant writer for Capital Region Community Gardens in Troy. She died at the scene of the accident, police said.

Fowler serves as a specialist in the New York Army National Guard who is assigned to the headquarters and support company of the 42nd Infantry Division based in Troy. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, in Albany Medical Center Hospital, where he was recovering from injuries sustained in the crash, Smith said.

“The investigation is still ongoing and further charges are pending,” Smith said.

Amy Stock, 48, co-founded the non-profit organization Sustainable Saratoga in 2008 with Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen, and served as chairwoman of the Sustainable Saratoga Task Force. The group advocates for renewable energy sources, the protection of natural resources and smart development.

“Her passion for living a life of advocacy served as an inspiration for many,” Yepsen said. “Her legacy will continue.”

Amy Stock worked as an adjunct faculty member at Bryant and Stratton College and SUNY Empire State College, where she developed many of the ecological and environmental courses she taught. She started at the SUNY school in 2005, according to Ronnie Mather, interim dean at the college’s Center for Distance Learning. College officials were preparing to tell Stock’s students about her death, and must find other faculty members to complete the courses she taught, they said.

“She had a big impact in her area,” Mather said. “She was a pioneer in environmental studies, and she brought a great deal to the curriculum of the college.”

Stock moved to Albany from Saratoga Springs three weeks ago to be closer to her job at Community Gardens, her brother said.
“Her belongings were still in boxes,” Tom Stock said. “She was just getting settled in.” Sunday morning’s fatal accident occurred about a mile from her home, Tom Stock said.

Amy Stock was born in Gloversville and learned her love of the outdoors from her father, Tom Stock said. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science from Rochester Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in environmental studies from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash.

She wrote about green issues for multiple blogs and publications. She moved to Albany from Olympia several years ago, then purchased a home in Saratoga Springs. It was there she served as a consultant for Saratoga PLAN, and helped the organization conserve farms, trails and nature preserves through her coordination of an annual feast, grant writing and newsletters.

“This is a sad day for the Stock family, for Saratoga PLAN and for the entire community,” said Maria Trabka, executive director of the land conservation group. “Amy Stock had a great spirit and a big heart, with a laugh to match.”

Amy Stock posted her final open message on Facebook during the afternoon of June 29. In it, she said she had noticed a lot of people undergoing change, herself included.

“I have sold my house and (am) officially a resident of Albany (again),” she wrote. “I love being near my community garden, walk to library, corner store, shorter commute, and 10 minutes from my favorite walking trail/spot along the Hudson River. If the saying is ‘Happy as a Clam’, then I must be a clam. Hope you are finding your right place as well!”

Amy Stock is survived by three brothers, three sisters and her parents, who were absolutely devastated by her death, Tom Stock said. Calling hours will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday in Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 207 Glebe St., Johnstown. A funeral mass will follow at 1 p.m. Friday.

Amy Stock will be buried imediately following the service at St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Route 67, Johnstown. Contributions may be made in the form of a donation in “memory of Amy Stock” to: The Capital Roots “Community Gardens Program,” 594 River Street, Troy NY 12180.

First version of story: The woman who died in a motor vehicle accident in Albany early Sunday worked as an environmental educator and writer in Saratoga Springs before moving to Albany, where she reported feeling happy as a clam.

Amy L. Stock, 48, died just before 2 a.m. Sunday, when a 22-year-old motorist who had been drinking alcohol failed to stop at a stop sign and struck a vehicle Stock was driving south on Henry Johnson Boulevard, Albany Police Department spokesman Steve Smith said. Kadeem Fowler, of Albany, was charged with driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor, Smith said. The suspect was still in Albany Medical Center Hospital recovering from injuries sustained in the crash, he said.

“The investigation is still ongoing and further charges are pending,” Smith said.

Fowler was driving on upper First Street in Albany at around 1:20 a.m. when he struck several parked vehicles and left the scene, according to police. The man headed east toward Henry Johnson Boulevard where he failed to stop at a stop sign and struck Stock’s vehicle, police said.

Stock lived in Saratoga Springs for many years and worked as an environmental educator, activist and writer. She co-founded the organization Sustainable Saratoga in 2008 with Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen.

Stock moved to Albany from Saratoga Springs three weeks ago to be closer to her job at Capital Region Community Gardens in Troy, her brother, Tom, said Monday. She was an adjunct professor at SUNY Empire State College.

“She was a beautiful soul, a kindred spirit, and an advocate for peace,” Tom Stock said.

In her last Facebook message on June 29, Amy Stock wrote: “I have sold my house and (am) officially a resident of Albany (again)! I love being near my community garden, walk to library, corner store, shorter commute, and 10 mins from my favorite walking trail/spot along the Hudson River. If the saying is ‘Happy as a Clam’, then I must be a clam.”

> A man from Fort Edward was arrested for accepting thousands of dollars in unemployment insurance benefits while uneligible to receive them because he was employed.

Brenden J. Matice, 28, unlawfully received $5,513 in unemployment payments from April to August 2012, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. An investigation by the state Labor Department revealed Matice took the money, even though he was working at the time, police said. He was charged with third-degree grand larceny and first-degree offering of a false instrument for filing, both felonies, police said. Matice will answer the charges in Northumberland Town Court at a later date.

> Brandon M. Lodge, 36, of Clifton Park, was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony, for allegedly possessing forged prescription forms at the county jail on July 11, according to the county Sheriff’s Office.

> Timothy Peck, 29, of Clifton Park, was arrested on felony charges for selling marijuana around Clifton Park and Halfmoon, according to the county Sheriff’s Office. Peck was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sale of marijuana, a felony, police said. He was taken to county jail on $2,500 bail, according to police.

A caseworker for Saratoga County Child Protective Services was arrested and resigned from his job for pursuing an inappropriate relationship with a female client, police said.
Scott T. Bradshaw, 46, was arrested Tuesday and charged with official misconduct, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. He “did commit an unauthorized act of his official functions” while employed as a CPS caseworker, the sheriff’s office said.
Bradshaw, of Ballston Spa, was arraigned in Mechanicville City Court and released pending another court appearance, police said. He is no longer employed by Saratoga County, the sheriff’s office said.

In other police news:

> A Melrose woman was arrested and charged with committing fraud while working at Exit 9 Wine and Liquor in Halfmoon.
Deborah L. Ukervich, 48, falsified business records and placed money on gift cards in her name from the company’s customer bonus club, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.
She was charged with first-degree falsifying business records, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor, police said. She was released and expected to return to Halfmoon Town Court at a later date.

> A Milton man was arrested and accused of selling crack cocaine across Saratoga County.
The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office arrested Alfred A. Evans, 26, last week and charged him with multiple counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal sale of a controlled substance, both felonies, according to a police statement. Evans is a registered sex offender, and he was also charged with failing to notify officials of his change of address when he moved to Greenfield Avenue in Milton, police said. He was being held in county jail.

The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help in identifying the male shown in the picture below. Police say he was involved in a larceny from a Wilton business on March 26. He is described as standing six-feet tall. Call 885-6761 or send information to Deputy T.C. Markwardt at tmarkwardt@saratogacountyny.gov and reference Case #SC1104-15.

Updated blog at 9:45 p.m.:

A dispute over a stuffed Scooby Doo doll worth $45 at the Saratoga County Fair led four men to steal and burn a man’s new Subaru Impreza, according to police.

Four men – Devin M. Chapman, 21, Jared M. Jeremias, 22, Jon W. Goldsmith, 21, all of Moreau, and John R. Flewelling, 21, of Fort Edward – face charges in a case that may have been motivated by revenge, according to police.

The matter began Friday, when Chapman allegedly walked off with a Scooby Doo stuffed animal from a concession stand at the fair without paying for or winning it. A man who saw what happened near the basketball shooting booth intervened, and assisted in returning the prize back to M & J Concessions, according to Anthony Pirrone, a Ballston Spa police officer. The man, described as a firefighter, helped police identify Chapman, who was then charged with petit larceny, Pirrone said.

Somehow, during the confrontation at the fair, the man who rescued the Scooby doll dropped the keys to his 2015 Subaru, police said. After getting processed, Chapman returned to the fair grounds in Ballston Spa with Jeremias, Goldsmith and Flewelling, and they apparently located the Subaru by using its fob key that one of them had found, according to police.

“All four acted together in stealing the vehicle from a parking lot,” Pirrone said. Meanwhile, the owner of the Subaru reported his vehicle missing to police. At around 1:30 a.m., sheriff’s investigators and firefighters were called to an area with some power lines on Doe Run in Moreau, where they found the Impreza engulfed in flames, police said. An investigation revealed the four men intentionally burned the Subaru, the sheriff’s office said. Police believe the four burned the man’s car out of revenge for confronting Chapman about allegedly stealing the stuffed Scoob.

The four men were each charged with third-degree arson, a felony, according to the county sheriff’s office. On Tuesday, all four men were also charged with third-degree grand larceny of motor vehicle, a felony, Pirrone said. He said Jeremias was additionally charged with criminal possession of stolen property, a misdemeanor, for possessing the victim’s identification.

Initial blog:

Four men are accused of setting fire to a Subaru that was stolen from the Saratoga County Fair, police said.

Jon W. Goldsmith, 21, Devin M. Chapman, 21, Jared M. Jeremias, 22, all of Moreau, and John R. Flewelling, 21, of Fort Edward, were charged with third-degree arson, a felony, according to the county sheriff’s office. Police found a 2015 Subaru Impreza in flames near some power lines on Doe Run in Moreau at 1:30 a.m. Friday, hours after the four were involved in an altercation with the person who reported the vehicle stolen from the fair, according to the sheriff’s office. In a phone interview Tuesday, Sheriff Michael Zurlo said the incident and alleged car theft were under investigation. He directed additional questions to Ballston Spa police.

Sheriff’s investigators and firefighters responded to the car fire, the sheriff’s department said. An investigation revealed the four men intentionally burned the Subaru, the sheriff said. Goldsmith and Flewelling were arraigned in village court Sunday and released pending another court appearance, police said. Chapman and Jeremias were arrested, arraigned and released Monday, police said.

Mann

On Sept. 19, 2014, Jeffrey Mann, 25, slammed Aaron L. Huggins, 31, to the floor of the bar on Caroline Street, knocking him unconscious, according to police. Huggins had bumped into Mann, they exchanged a few words, and Mann grabbed Huggins around the neck and slammed his face on the concrete floor, according to police. Huggins suffered a traumatic brain injury and died five days later.

Mann, now of Lake George, was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and second-degree assault, both felonies. On Tuesday, Acting Saratoga County Judge Matthew J. Sypniewski sentenced Mann to the concurrent term of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison, and three years of post-release supervision, according to county District Attorney Karen Heggen. She said she was satisfied Mann had accepted responsibility, and was “sentenced appropriately.”

The attack left Huggins’ infant son, Aidan, without a father. Huggins’ widow, Alisa, delivered a statement in court detailing how Aidan would grow up without a father. The victim’s father, Reggie Huggins, also addressed the court. Other activity announced by Heggen’s office Tuesday:

PR July 28 2015.pdf by Steven Bailey

By Lori Van Buren/TU

Hayward suffered “some bone fractures” when he collided with the red-colored vehicle near the intersection of Nelson and Crescent avenues around 10 a.m. Saturday, city police spokesman Lt. Robert Jillson said. Hayward told police he was riding south on Nelson Avenue, and the driver of the truck shot across the west side of Crescent Avenue and hit him, Jillson said. The motorist stopped and exchanged personal information with Hayward, but at least some of it turned out to be inaccurate, Jillson said.

Hayward, 64, worked as president of NYRA from 2004 to 2012. Shaken up, he was taken home before being flown to the Albany hospital, police said. Jillson said Wednesday he thought Hayward was still in Albany Medical Center Hospital on Wednesday, listed in fair condition, according to a hospotal spokeswoman.

Hayward was dismissed from his job at NYRA in 2012 following reports that NYRA was overcharging bettors millions of dollars over more than a year. Hayward has consistently called the NYRA take-out rates on exotic bets an inadvertent error. But an inspector general’s report said proper rates were pointed out to him and he was either careless or chose not to adjust it to the correct limit.

The Saratoga Springs Police Department issued a traffic advisory for Saturday morning’s Centennial Park ceremony, where Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson will dedicate a life-size Native Dancer sculpture to the city.

Those planning to drive to Saratoga Race Course or downtown using Circular Street and/or Union Avenue should make note of the following:

Police will close the Union Avenue-Circular Street intersection to traffic beginning at 10:45 a.m. Saturday. The intersection will reopen at the completion of the dedication ceremony, or between 11:30 a.m. and noon. Also, northbound traffic on Circular Street coming from the area of Broadway will be detoured to Park Place; southbound traffic on Circular Street coming from the area of Lake Avenue will be detoured to Spring Street; westbound traffic on Union Avenue will be detoured to Nelson Avenue.

State Police arriving at the crash scene in Malta at 3:15 a.m. Sunday found a naked man behind the wheel of a vehicle that had smashed into a tree off Plains Road.

Troopers list the usual elements of the arrest of Zachary M. Morgan, 25, of Stillwater for misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and driving on a suspended license. Morgan consented to have blood drawn to determine his blood alcohol content, which was not immediately available. Then the release strays from the norm.

“It is also noted that when Morgan was arrested, he was not wearing any clothing,” the press releases says in an understatement.

Troopers said Morgan was given appearance tickets and released to a responsible third party.

Further investigation determined that the vehicle Morgan drove in the nude was reported stolen. Morgan turned himself in at the Malta barracks at 7:30 a.m. Sunday and was charged with felony grand larceny of a motor vehicle.  He’s to appear in Malta Town Court Wednesday.

Zachary M. Morgan

Dutrow (from police)

A woman who worked as a food server at Lillian’s Restaurant in downtown Saratoga Springs is accused of stealing credit card numbers belonging to several diners and using the information to make personal purchases.

City police arrested Molly L. Dutrow, 20, of Gansevoort, on a warrant early Thursday. Police say she stole the credit card numbers while working at the restaurant during the first two weeks of July. Police could not put a value on the losses.

“The owners of the establishment, when made aware of one of the victims, started to look into the matter and subsequently contacted Saratoga Springs Police Department,” police said in a statement released Friday afternoon.

Dutrow was charged with seven counts of second-degree identity theft, a felony, seven counts of third-degree forgery, a misdemeanor, and petit larceny.

A 45-year-old man from Saratoga Springs was involved in a fatal motorcycle accident in Wilton just after 10 p.m. Friday.

Police identified the victim of the crash as Peter W. Lockwood, 45, of Albany Street. Lockwood was driving a motorcycle south on Ingersoll Road late-Friday, when he left his lane and crossed into the path of a northbound vehicle, striking it head on, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office responded to the accident. Members of Wilton EMS treated Lockwood at the scene, but he was pronounced dead at Saratoga Hospital, according to police. The operator of the vehicle that was struck by Lockwood’s motorbike was not seriously injured.

The sheriff’s office continues to investigate what happened. Assisting at the scene were members of the Wilton, Greenfield and Maple Avenue fire departments.