TO: MEDIA
FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: MARCH 27, 2012
RE: PEOPLE V JOSHUA THOMASON SENTENCE

Joshua Thomason, 37, of Kingston, was sentenced in Ulster County Court today to five years in State Prison and five years Post Release Supervision for his conviction to the crime of Strangulation in the Second Degree stemming from an domestic violence incident which took place on January 21, 2011 in the City of Kingston. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution of $14,215.00 to the victim and an order of protection was issued on her behalf effective through March 27, 2025. The sentence was handed down by Ulster County Court Judge Donald A. Williams.

Thomason’s indictment for Strangulation the Second Degree was one of the first felony indictments in Ulster County under the new Strangulation Statute. The case stemmed from a domestic violence incident which took place on West Chester Street wherein the defendant strangled his live-in girlfriend to a point where she lost consciousness. At one point during the struggle the defendant stomped on the back of the victim’s head forcing her face into the floor and breaking two of her teeth.

The defendant has a prior criminal history which includes two Driving While Intoxicated convictions, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property and Reckless Endangerment.

At the time of defendant’s sentencing the victim appeared and thanked Family of Woodstock Domestic Violence Services for their support throughout this ordeal. In speaking to the court and the defendant the victim stated that she had been the victim of domestic violence at the hands of this defendant on previous occasions but she had not had the courage to report them. The help she received from Family’s Domestic Violence Services, she said, has made her a stronger person and enabled her to go through the prosecution process. Domestic Violence prosecutor Elizabeth A. Culmone, in her comments to the court, also advised that there were prior incidences of domestic violence between the victim and the defendant.

We have purposely not disclosed the name of the victim in this matter and we would ask that you exercise discretion in not discussing the name of the victim.

If you have been the victim of domestic violence you may call the Family of Woodstock Domestic Violence Services 24 hour hotline number (845) 338-2370.

Press Release - People v Granville Bost

To: Media

From: Holley Carnright

Date: March 22, 2012

Re: Press Release on People v. Granville Bost


Granville Bost, 54, of Kingston, pled guilty yesterday in Ulster County Court to felony Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree. After the completion of an investigation by the New York State Department of Labor, Bost was charged in connection with his fraudulent collection of $1104 in unemployment benefits in late 2008. During the time he was collecting benefits, Bost failed to disclose that he was working at the Hannaford grocery store on Ulster Avenue.

District Attorney Holley Carnright stated: “This prosecution is emblematic of my office’s continuing efforts to coordinate with our partners in law enforcement to ferret out and prosecute social services fraud”.

As a prior felon, Bost faces a mandatory term of at least 1 ½ - 3 years in state prison when he is sentenced on May 16. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Joshua Povill.

Press Release - People v Rondy Russ

To: ALL MEDIA
From: D. Holley Carnright, District Attorney
Date: March 7, 2012
Re: Russ, Rondy

The last member of the Bloods street gang charged in the conspiracy to murder a witness in mid-town Kingston in 2010 pleaded guilty today in Ulster County Court. Rondy Russ a/k/a “Ski”, 25, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy in the Second Degree immediately prior to a scheduled suppression hearing. Four of Russ’ co-defendants and fellow members of the Bloods’ had previously been convicted after trials in the February 9, 2010, execution of Charles King, Jr., on Cedar Street.
Charles King, Jr., was a potential witness to a November 21, 2009, shooting on Henry Street, where Curtis Williams a/k/a “Black”, a member of the Crips, fired a shotgun at Jarrin Rankin a/k/a “Phat Boy”, a member of the Bloods, who returned fire shooting Williams in the face. Rankin was arrested on charges arising from the Henry Street shooting on November 24, 2009. In the weeks following Rankin’s arrest, Russ attempted to locate King in Kingston. In mid-January, Russ brandished a box cutter while demanding that King’s father tell him CJ King’s whereabouts. In his plea Russ admitted that he conspired with other members of the Bloods to execute King.

When Russ was incarcerated on a probation violation less than two weeks before King’s murder, co-defendant Trevor Mattis a/k/a “Little ‘T’” assumed the lead in the gang’s efforts to find and eliminate King. On February 9, 2010, Mattis shot King in the back of the head after Jermaine Nicholas a/k/a “Maino” summoned Mattis and Gary Griffin a/k/a “G Money” to a deli on Cedar Street. A jury convicted Mattis and Griffin of Murder in the First Degree and related charges in April 2011. Each have since been sentenced to life without parole. Both Rankin and Nicholas were convicted of Conspiracy in the Second Degree and related charges by separate juries and have been sentenced to lengthy state prison sentences.
During the co-defendants’ trials, the juries heard recordings of Rankin’s phone calls from the Ulster County Jail. The calls demonstrated the gang’s efforts to locate King after Rankin’s arrest on charges arising from the Henry Street shooting.
The plea was taken before Judge Thomas A. Breslin, a Supreme Court Justice presiding as a visiting County Court Judge. Russ’ sentencing is scheduled for April 25, 2012.

“ When Russ is sentenced in April it will close an important chapter in law enforcements’ efforts to combat gang violence in Ulster County” stated Holley Carnright, Ulster County District Attorney. “In my judgment these were significant prosecutions whose success are a result of the excellence and dedication to duty of the Kingston Police Department, the Sheriff’s Office, and the work of the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office”.

Press Release - Promotion of ADA Katherine VanLoan to Chief of Special Victims Bureau

TO: MEDIA
FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: MARCH 5, 2012
RE: PRESS RELEASE – PROMOTION OF ADA KATHERINE VANLOAN TO CHIEF OF SPECIAL VICTIMS BUREAU

DA Holley Carnright announces the promotion of Sr. Assistant District Attorney Katherine VanLoan to Chief of the Special Victims Bureau of the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office. With this new assignment ADA VanLoan will be given additional responsibilities for the supervision of other members of the District Attorney’s office, whose primary duties are the investigation and prosecution of crimes against children and crimes of domestic violence.

Ms. VanLoan has been our liaison with the Family Violence Unit, the task force made up of members of the New York State Police, Town of Ulster Police, and the Sheriff’s Office led by Sr. Investigator Jim McKoy that investigates the majority of our crimes against children. With this new assignment Ms. VanLoan will coordinate with ADA Elizabeth Culmone, the office’s primary Domestic Violence prosecutor as well as the prosecutors who handle Ulster County’s Domestic Violence Court, Lisa Godfrey and Andrea Herasimtschuk.

Ms. VanLoan has been with the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office for thirteen years. She is a graduate of Kingston High School, Villanova University and Albany Law School.

Ms. VanLoan has had extensive experience in the prosecution of these cases, many of which present as the most heart wrenching cases we see. Dealing with cases where victims cannot or will not testify present unique difficulties to our office. I have been thinking of putting this Bureau together for quite some time and I am thankful that I have been given the opportunity, this year, to finally put it in place.

Press Release - People v Kanwarjit Singh Plea (Sunoco)

To: Media
From: Holley Carnright
Date: March 1, 2012
Re: Press Release on Sunoco Convictions
Plea of Kanwarjit Singh


The Ulster County District Attorney’s Office announces the convictions of Kanwarjit Sing, 39 of Wappingers Falls and Surrinder Kumar, 40, of Kingston, the former proprietor and night clerk, respectively, of the Sunoco Convenient Mart located at 675 Broadway in the City of Kingston. On February 22, 2012 Singh pled guilty in Ulster County Court to Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and Criminal Tax Fraud in the Fifth Degree. Kumar was convicted, today, of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and Criminal Tax Fraud, Fifth Degree. These charges stemmed from a large-scale food stamp fraud scheme that was uncovered at the Sunoco store in 2010. Subsequent investigation into Mr. Singh’s tax filings revealed significant understatements of his sales, earnings, and employee wages, which led to the tax fraud charge against him.

As part of his plea, Singh will forfeit all monies previously seized by the District Attorney’s Office from his bank accounts and located during the November 2010 raid of his store, and he will provide an additional $64,000 in restitution monies. In total, $325,000 will be returned to various governmental agencies, including $50,000.00 to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance for unpaid taxes. In addition, Mr. Singh is expected to receive a state prison term when he is sentenced in June of this year.

Kumar was sentenced to serve one year in the Ulster County Jail, and has been ordered to pay $4,796.00 in restitution. When he completes his sentence he will be deported to his native country, India. Neither Singh nor Kumar have prior criminal histories.

Of the 52 Sunoco customers who were arrested in connection with the food stamp fraud investigation, only four remain outstanding.

Depending on the severity and degree of their fraud and whether they had a prior criminal history, sentences for the 52 people arrested in this investigation ranged from civil compromise to imprisonment in state prison. In each instance the individuals were disqualified from future benefits, some for life, which has saved tax payers an estimated $125,000.00. Each defendant has been ordered to pay restitution for the sums stolen.

In addition to the criminal charges filed fifty individuals investigated were disqualified from benefits at a savings of $227,000.00 to taxpayers.

The bulk of the restitution expected to be received, $325,000.00, will be recovered from the principal, Kanwarjit Singh. In addition there have been restitution orders exceeding $110,000.00. The restitution will be repaid to various government agencies as determined by New York State Law, CPLR section 1349(2).

“The break in the investigation came from work done by the Kingston Police Department,” stated District Attorney Holley Carnright. “Our office then coordinated efforts with the Ulster County Dept. of Social Services and New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, as well as the Kingston Police Department.”

“The breadth and scope of an investigation like this is generally not accomplished by relatively small departments such as the Kingston Police Department. A lot of credit for the success of this case goes to County Executive Michael Hein and the Ulster County Legislature. When this case first came to me, I explained to them that I needed help in this investigation. The County Executive proposed, and the Legislature approved, money for my office to hire an investigator who would be dedicated to this investigation. Former Department of Social Services Commissioner Rodriguez arranged 50% of the investigative salary to be paid by the State and, thus, for a relatively small investment, and with the cooperative efforts of these different agencies, we were able to proceed with a historically significant, successful, prosecution. More importantly, the entire process was accomplished without compromising the integrity of the investigation.”

District Attorney Holley Carnright again wishes to thank all of the governmental partners involved in supporting these prosecutions for their hard work and invaluable assistance, including the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Kingston Police Department, Ulster County Department of Social Services, New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. The lead prosecutor on these cases was Assistant District Attorney Joshua Povill.