Press Release - Mark Conklin Sentence

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: NOVEMBER 19, 2014

RE:  MARK CONKLIN SENTENCE

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: WALDEN MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ATTEMPTED ABDUCTION AND BURGLARY

A 35 year old Walden man, Mark Conklin, was sentenced in Ulster County Court by Judge Donald Williams to 15 years in prison for burglary and attempted abduction of his ex-girlfriend in the Town of Shawangunk, Ulster County.

An Ulster County trial jury in September convicted Conklin of entering the home of his ex-girlfriend, assaulting her, and trying to abduct her. Following a five-day trial and about 4 hours of deliberations, the jury returned a verdict convicting Mr. Conklin of the felonies of burglary in the second degree, attempted kidnapping in the second degree, unauthorized use of a vehicle in the first degree, and the misdemeanor of assault in the third degree while acquitting him of the misdemeanor charge of criminal obstruction of breathing.

Mark Conklin was arrested on February 27, 2014, when he attacked his ex-girlfriend inside her home where she resides with her children. She had an order of protection against him at the time. He entered the home in the morning while the victim was at work; he went through her personal belongings, and hid in the bathroom until she returned, at which time he emerged from her bathroom and proceeded to assault her. Armed with an 8-inch knife, Conklin threatened to kill the woman in her home. When she pleaded for her life and said she did not want her children to come home and find her body, he forced her at knife-point to leave the house and he placed her in the passenger seat of her car, but she escaped as Conklin was entering the driver seat of her car. She ran across the street to her neighbors and called 911.

Conklin drove off in her car and was later observed by a Village of Walden police officer. He led the police on a chase through the village at speeds exceeding 95 miles per hour. He then returned to the ex-girlfriend’s home where he was instantly taken into custody by officers from the Town of Shawangunk Police Department.

      Conklin was prosecuted by Sr. Assistant District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji and was represented by the Ulster County Public Defender’s Office.

Press Release - IRS Phone Scam

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: NOVEMBER 17, 2014

RE: TAXPAYERS TARGETED BY IRS PHONE SCAM

If you get a call from someone from the IRS demanding that you pay up or else, hang up. According to the Ulster County District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs, these individuals are out to cheat you.

This phone scam has hit taxpayers in nearly every state in the country. Callers claiming to be from the IRS tell intended victims they owe taxes and must pay using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. They often threaten those who refuse to pay with arrest, deportation or loss of a business or driver’s license.

The truth is the IRS first contacts people by mail – not by phone – about unpaid taxes. And the agency won’t ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer, and it won’t ask for a credit card number over the phone.

If you get such a call, Consumer Affairs (340-3260) offers these suggestions:

·       If you owe Federal taxes, or think you might owe taxes, hang up and call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with payment questions.

·       If you don’t owe taxes, call and report the incident to TIGTA (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration) at 800-366-4484.

TIGTA and the IRS encourage taxpayers to be alert for phone and e-mail scams that use the IRS name. The IRS will never request personal or financial information by e-mail, texting or any social media. These scam e-mails should be forwarded to phishing@irs.gov. Don’t open any attachments or click on any links in those e-mails.

                                                                                          

Press Release - Billy D. Ganoe Jr. Appeal

PRESS RELEASE

FROM:     HOLLEY CARNRIGHT, DISTRICT ATTORNEY

DATE:     NOVEMBER 13, 2014

The Appellate Division, Third Department has today unanimously affirmed the March 8, 2012 conviction of Billy D. Ganoe, Jr. upon his plea of guilty convicting him of two counts of burglary in the second degree, a class C violent felony.    

Defendant’s arrest and conviction stems from a string of car thefts and residential burglaries in the Ulster County area between April and June, 2011.  Defendant was subsequently charged with multiple counts of burglary in the second degree, criminal mischief, grand larceny in the fourth degree and criminal possession of stolen property and eventually pled guilty to two counts of burglary in the second degree in exchange for a concurrent term of 10 years with five years of postrelease supervision.

Defendant was subsequently sentenced, as a second felony offender, to the agreed upon term of imprisonment by County Court Judge Donald A. Williams.    

On appeal, defendant argued that the Judge should have recused himself as a result of certain remarks he made during the sentence proceedings and that the negotiated sentence ultimately imposed was unduly harsh and excessive.  The Appellate Division, Third Department, however, rejected both of these claims, noting that defendant had a lengthy criminal history spanning almost 20 years and had numerous prior felony convictions.    

On appeal, the defendant is represented by Gail B. Rubenfeld, Esq. of Monticello, New York.  Assistant District Attorney Joan Gudesblatt Lamb, Esq. handled the appeal for the District Attorney’s Office.

Lamont Keaton press release

                                                              PRESS RELEASE

FROM:     HOLLEY CARNRIGHT, DISTRICT ATTORNEY

DATE:     NOVEMBER 6, 2014

 

The Appellate Division, Third Department has today unanimously affirmed the September 11, 2012 conviction of Lamont Keaton upon his plea of guilty convicting him of the crime of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. 

Defendant’s conviction stems from his involvement in two separate sales of crack cocaine to a confidential informant in the presence of an undercover officer on October 20, 2011 and again on November 15, 2011 in the City of Kingston. 

Defendant, a second felony offender, pled guilty to criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree in satisfaction of a four count indictment and was sentenced to a term of six years state prison to be followed by three years of post-release supervision by County Court Judge Donald A. Williams. 

On appeal, defendant claimed that he was denied meaningful representation during the pre-trial phase of the proceedings leading up to and including the time he entered his guilty plea.  The Appellate Division, Third Department, however, concluded that this claim was without merit. 

On appeal, the defendant is represented by Brent R. Stack, Esq. of Valatie, New York.  Assistant District Attorney Joan Gudesblatt Lamb, Esq. handled the appeal for the District Attorney’s Office.