PRESS RELEASE
TO: ALL NEWS MEDIA
FROM: D. HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: SEPTEMBER 29, 2011
Ulster County District Attorney D. Holley Carnright announced today the guilty verdict of John Coutant, who was convicted after trial on September 28, 2011, of the crime of burglary in the second degree.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on August 24, 2007, an intruder climbed through the window of a home located on Dowe Road in Naponoch, Ulster County. The homeowner arrived home to find a man in the master bathroom hiding in the corner with his face covered by a towel. The homeowner fled the home as did the burglar. The State Police Ellenville barracks arrived on the scene and processed the home as well as the surrounding area. Two towels were retrieved as evidence near the home of the burglary. The New York State Police sent the towels to their forensic investigation center in Albany for DNA testing and the case went cold.
Two years later, on April 10, 2009, John Coutant was arrested for selling a .40 caliber firearm to an undercover police officer in the City of Kingston and he pled guilty to that charge on June 8, 2009. Parenthetically, that firearm had previously been stolen in an Ulster County burglary. As a result of his 2009 plea Coutant was sentenced to six (6) years in state prison and he was required to provide a DNA sample. The DNA sample from the 2009 case was logged into the state DNA databank and a positive hit was obtained matching DNA from the towels retrieved at the August 2007 burglary. Based upon the DNA hit New York State police investigators James Charlonis and Scott Volano obtained additional information and the burglary case was presented to the Ulster County Grand Jury and the defendant was indicted for burglary in the second degree.
The defendant has a long criminal history dating back to 1981. In addition to the 2009 illegal possession of the stolen .40 caliber handgun Coutant has three burglary convictions, convictions for Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, and another Criminal Possession of a Weapon charge.
“This was a case where excellent police work led to the arrest and conviction of a person who can best be described as a menace, stated District Attorney Holley Carnright.”
The trial of John Coutant was held before the Honorable Donald A. Williams. Assistant District Attorney Kevin C. Harp handled the prosecution. The defendant was represented by the Public Defender’s Office.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Press Release - People v Lee
TO: MEDIA
FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: SEPTEMBER 20, 2011
RE: PRESS RELEASE – PEOPLE V GREGORY LEE
Gregory Lee, age 44, residing at the Wenton Motel on Route 9W in Saugerties, was convicted yesterday by an Ulster County Jury of two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with intent to sell, and two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance. The charges stem from an undercover drug investigation conducted by the URGENT Task Force. The task force investigation began in Kingston and led to two subjects living at the Wenton Hotel, Lee, and Jeffrey Munoz, a/k/a Face. Lee sold crack-cocaine and heroin on two separate occasions, the first for $180.00 and the second time for $150.00.
At the trial the defendant testified that he had received the drugs from Munoz. He argued, however, that he was not guilty because he was just doing the confidential informant a favor.
The case was prosecuted by Ulster County Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth A. Culmone. On cross examination Culmone brought out that the defendant had an $1100.00 per week drug habit with an income of only $600.00, suggesting that he sold drugs to support his addiction. Culmone went on to argue that the sale of drugs is a business of distribution. Each dealer has a supplier. If you credit Lee’s testimony Munoz was his supplier in the chain of distribution.
This defendant has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1983 for Robbery with a deadly weapon, Distribution of a non controlled substance, Possession of a controlled substance, Assault, Escape from confinement, and Theft, all in the State of Maryland.
Defendant also has an extensive criminal history in New York State for Assault in the third degree, and Possession of contraband in prison. He was convicted of selling cocaine two times in February of 2005. He was convicted in 2006 for criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree(2 counts) after a jury trial in 2006.
“This case was professionally investigated by the URGENT Task Force. We had quality video and audio to back up the drugs that they picked up from Lee. In my judgment Lee is a good example of why the sale of heroin and cocaine are and should remain criminal actions” stated District Attorney Holley Carnright.
Lee will be sentenced by Judge Donald A. Williams in Ulster County Court on November 2, 2011.
FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: SEPTEMBER 20, 2011
RE: PRESS RELEASE – PEOPLE V GREGORY LEE
Gregory Lee, age 44, residing at the Wenton Motel on Route 9W in Saugerties, was convicted yesterday by an Ulster County Jury of two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with intent to sell, and two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance. The charges stem from an undercover drug investigation conducted by the URGENT Task Force. The task force investigation began in Kingston and led to two subjects living at the Wenton Hotel, Lee, and Jeffrey Munoz, a/k/a Face. Lee sold crack-cocaine and heroin on two separate occasions, the first for $180.00 and the second time for $150.00.
At the trial the defendant testified that he had received the drugs from Munoz. He argued, however, that he was not guilty because he was just doing the confidential informant a favor.
The case was prosecuted by Ulster County Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth A. Culmone. On cross examination Culmone brought out that the defendant had an $1100.00 per week drug habit with an income of only $600.00, suggesting that he sold drugs to support his addiction. Culmone went on to argue that the sale of drugs is a business of distribution. Each dealer has a supplier. If you credit Lee’s testimony Munoz was his supplier in the chain of distribution.
This defendant has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1983 for Robbery with a deadly weapon, Distribution of a non controlled substance, Possession of a controlled substance, Assault, Escape from confinement, and Theft, all in the State of Maryland.
Defendant also has an extensive criminal history in New York State for Assault in the third degree, and Possession of contraband in prison. He was convicted of selling cocaine two times in February of 2005. He was convicted in 2006 for criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree(2 counts) after a jury trial in 2006.
“This case was professionally investigated by the URGENT Task Force. We had quality video and audio to back up the drugs that they picked up from Lee. In my judgment Lee is a good example of why the sale of heroin and cocaine are and should remain criminal actions” stated District Attorney Holley Carnright.
Lee will be sentenced by Judge Donald A. Williams in Ulster County Court on November 2, 2011.
press release - People v Mosley a/k/a Mosely
PRESS RELEASE
TO: ALL NEWS MEDIA
FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
The Appellate Division, Third Department has today unanimously affirmed the March, 2009 conviction of Tyshaun Mosley, a/k/a Trashaun Mosely, a/k/a Tyshawn Mosely of the crimes of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol as a felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.
Between January 30th and April 2, 2008, the defendant was arrested three separate times and charged with multiple felony offenses in Ulster County. He was pulled over by the State Police on January 30, 2009 for operating his vehicle at an excessive rate of speed and after failing five field sobriety tests, was charged with felony driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree. On two separate occasions in March, 2008, the defendant sold cocaine in the presence of an undercover officer.
The defendant, a second felony offender, was sentenced by then County Court Judge J. Michael Bruhn to concurrent prison terms of six years on the criminal sale conviction, one and one-third to four years on the driving while intoxicated conviction and two and one-half years on the criminal possession conviction. Following the service of his prison term the defendant will remain on three years post release supervision.
Mosely argued on appeal that his sentence was unduly harsh and severe. The Appellate Division, Third Department, however, rejected defendant’s claim, noting the defendant’s lengthy criminal record and the fact that the sentence exposed defendant to a significantly less prison term than he could have faced if convicted after trial.
On appeal, the defendant is represented by Assistant Public Defender MariAnn Connolly Sennett, Esq. Assistant District Attorney Joan Gudesblatt Lamb handled the appeal for the District Attorney’s Office.
TO: ALL NEWS MEDIA
FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
The Appellate Division, Third Department has today unanimously affirmed the March, 2009 conviction of Tyshaun Mosley, a/k/a Trashaun Mosely, a/k/a Tyshawn Mosely of the crimes of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol as a felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.
Between January 30th and April 2, 2008, the defendant was arrested three separate times and charged with multiple felony offenses in Ulster County. He was pulled over by the State Police on January 30, 2009 for operating his vehicle at an excessive rate of speed and after failing five field sobriety tests, was charged with felony driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the first degree. On two separate occasions in March, 2008, the defendant sold cocaine in the presence of an undercover officer.
The defendant, a second felony offender, was sentenced by then County Court Judge J. Michael Bruhn to concurrent prison terms of six years on the criminal sale conviction, one and one-third to four years on the driving while intoxicated conviction and two and one-half years on the criminal possession conviction. Following the service of his prison term the defendant will remain on three years post release supervision.
Mosely argued on appeal that his sentence was unduly harsh and severe. The Appellate Division, Third Department, however, rejected defendant’s claim, noting the defendant’s lengthy criminal record and the fact that the sentence exposed defendant to a significantly less prison term than he could have faced if convicted after trial.
On appeal, the defendant is represented by Assistant Public Defender MariAnn Connolly Sennett, Esq. Assistant District Attorney Joan Gudesblatt Lamb handled the appeal for the District Attorney’s Office.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)