Press Release - Daniel K. Poole Plea

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: JULY 25, 2017

RE: PRESS RELEASE -

DISTRICT ATTORNEY D. HOLLEY CARNRIGHT ANNOUNCES:  MARYLAND MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CRIMINAL SEXUAL ACT AND STATUTORY RAPE OF CHILD HE MET ONLINE

Daniel K. Poole, 49, of 135 Remington Road, Port Deposit Maryland, pled guilty on Tuesday, July 25, 2017, in Ulster County Court to Criminal Sexual Act in the Second Degree, a Class “D” violent felony and Rape in the Third Degree, a Class “E” felony.

 Poole admitted that in June of 2016, he engaged in oral sex with a fourteen year old child in Ulster County.  He further admitted that in October of 2016, he returned to Ulster County and engaged in sexual intercourse with that same child.

The plea follows an investigation by the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office with guidance from the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office.  The investigation commenced on January 25, 2017, when officers were participating in K9 training exercises at a location in Rifton, within the Town of Esopus.  Officers observed suspicious activity which ultimately led to the discovery that Poole was there to meet a minor, as he had done in the past.  It was later determined that Poole had initially met the minor online and had been engaging in inappropriate exchanges with the minor online for almost one year.  He had also traveled to New York on several occasions to engage in sexual acts with the child knowing that the child was underage. 

Special Victims Bureau Chief Katherine R. Van Loan spearheaded the investigation and is handling the prosecution for the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office.  Sentencing is scheduled for October 4, 2017.  The defendant faces up to eleven years on state prison followed by up to ten years of post-release supervision.  He will also be required to register for a minimum of twenty years following his release from prison under the New York State Sexual Offender Registration Act.  A new temporary “No Contact” Order of Protection was issued and will remain in effect until the time of sentence or January 25, 2018, whichever comes first and will be replaced with a Final Order of Protection at sentencing.  The defendant was represented by Michael Pollok, Esq. of Red Hook, New York. 

    

Press Release - Darren Olympia Plea

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: JULY 24, 2017

RE: PRESS RELEASE – DARREN OLYMPIA PLEA

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ARMED GUARD PLEADS GUILTY TO INDICTMENT FOR RECKLESS ASSAULT OF FEMALE FRIEND IN MARLBORO

On July 21, 2017, in Ulster County Court, with both his family and the victim’s family present, Darren Olympia pleaded guilty to Assault in the second degree for recklessly shooting a female friend in the face on February 26.  The incident took place in the Town of Marlboro.

Following a night of drinking Olympia, who had recently been certified and licensed for a handgun as an Armed Guard, for no justifiable reason produced his loaded pistol. A short time later he unintentionally caused the gun to discharge. The bullet struck the victim’s forehead who suffered extensive injuries to her forehead and face and has undergone several surgeries and reconstructive procedures to save her life. 

Sentencing is scheduled for September 21 in Ulster County Court.

Darren Olympia is represented by attorney William Garvin of Newburgh. Sr. Assistant District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji is prosecuting the case.

Press Release - Gerald Babcock Appeal

TO:       ALL NEWS MEDIA

FROM:     HOLLEY CARNRIGHT, DISTRICT ATTORNEY

DATE:     JULY 20, 2017

The Appellate Division, Third Department has today unanimously affirmed the December 20, 2013 conviction of Gerald Babcock of manslaughter in the first degree, a class B violent felony.

The victim of the crime was defendant’s fiancée, age 36, who suffered from multiple sclerosis. On the morning of March 6, 2013, the defendant beat her about the head causing severe head trauma, brain swelling and two large subdural hematomas, strangled her, and then dragged her outside into the freezing Winter weather, down a set of stairs where he left her, barely conscious and hardly breathing, to die.  The victim died the following day from multiple blunt force injuries and strangulation. 

Following his conviction of manslaughter in the first degree, the defendant was sentenced by County Court Judge Donald A. Williams to a 25 year sentence to be followed by five years of postrelease supervision. 

On appeal, the defendant challenged the Court’s pretrial ruling which allowed evidence of his prior bad acts of domestic violence against the victim.  In addition, the defendant argued that the verdict, particularly with respect to the element of intent, was against the weight of the evidence, that the Court’s imposition of the maximum sentence was unduly harsh and excessive and that County Court erred when it failed to instruct five courtroom spectators, who were wearing purple ribbons that signified their opposition to domestic violence, to remove their ribbons.  Each of these claims, however, were addressed at length by the Appellate Division, Third Department and ultimately rejected. 

    

On appeal, the defendant is represented by Neal D. Futerfas, Esq. of White Plains, New York.  Assistant District Attorney Joan Gudesblatt Lamb, Esq. handled the appeal for the District Attorney’s Office.

DATE:   July 18, 2017

SUBJECT:  HANS APELLES PLEA

Hans Apelles, age 19, of Wallkill, New York, pled guilty to the felony of Burglary in the Second Degree in connection with entering a residence through a window on February 8, 2017, in the Town of Shawangunk and stealing two loaded firearms, among other items.  He then sold the firearms for heroin.  Apelles is due to be sentenced on September 20, 2017 and faces 10 years in state prison.

Apelles was familiar with the family he burglarized, who had actually tried to help him with his addiction.  This is a classic and sad example of one of the two things that heroin addiction leads to.  The other is death.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Paul Derohannesian. The defendant was represented by attorney Bryan Rounds.

Press Release - Courtney Williamson

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: JULY 18, 2017
RE: PRESS RELEASE – COURTNEY WILLIAMSON

On July 14th, 2017, Courtney Williamson, 25 years old, pled guilty to Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the 3rd Degree (a class B felony ) in Delaware County Court before acting County Court Judge Brian D. Burns. 

The plea culminated a year and a half long investigation spearheaded by Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (herein after “URGENT”), together with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, into heroin and cocaine trafficking from the New York City area to Ulster, Delaware, and surrounding counties. The investigation revealed that Williamson, based in Brooklyn, supplied heroin and cocaine to various individuals in her employ.  The “mules”, in turn, then transported the narcotics upstate for sale at her direction.

Previously, on March 30th, 2017, a sealed indictment was handed up by the Delaware County Grand Jury charging three counts of Sale of Narcotics and three counts Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics resulting in an arrest warrant for Williamson. On April 4th, 2017, defendant was spotted in Delaware County and arrested by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division. Following her arrest, as a result of the execution of a Body Cavity Search Warrant, defendant was found to have 83 decks of heroin and 30 bags of cocaine secreted in her vagina.

In 2012, Defendant has been previously convicted in Delaware County Court of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 5th Degree and was sentenced to 30 months State Prison.  Defendant was on parole when she was arrested and is a parole violator.
 
Williamson faces 12 years in prison as a Second Felony Offender, and her sentencing is scheduled in Delaware County Court on August 10th, 2017.

This case is being prosecuted by Ulster County Sr. Assistant District Attorney Clifford Owens.

Press Release - John Playford Indictment

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: JULY 11, 2017

RE: PRESS RELEASE – JOHN PLAYFORD INDICTMENT

The Ulster County Grand Jury, today, handed up an indictment charging John Playford with Vehicular Manslaughter in the first degree, et alia.  Playford, age 21, has been indicted as a result of a single car crash that occurred on Route 32 in the Town of Saugerties on January 31, 2017. It is alleged that, at that time, Playford operated his Jeep Cherokee at an excessively high rate of speed while in an intoxicated condition causing the death of the passenger in the vehicle. 

Playford will be scheduled for arraignment in Ulster County Court at a date to be determined.

Ulster County District Attorney’s Office

Family and Child Advocacy Center

PRESS RELEASE

The Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, Family and Child Advocacy Center, which is comprised of Investigators from the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, New York State Police, Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ulster County Child Protective Services, reports the arrest of David R. Vega-Soto, 38 years old, of the City of Kingston.

On June 26th, 2017, Investigator’s from the Ulster County Child Advocacy Center began investigating the report that a 12 year old female and a 6 year old female were being sexually assaulted.  The investigation revealed that 38 year old David R. Vega-Soto, had sexually assaulted both young girls in the early morning hours of 6/25/17.

On June 30^th, 2017  David R. Vega-Soto was arrested and charged with 2 counts of Endangering the welfare of a Child, 1 Count of Sex Abuse in the First degree, 1 Count of Sex Abuse in the Second  Degree, and 1 count of Criminal Sex Act in the First Degree.

The Child Advocacy Center Task Force was assisted in this investigation by the City of Kingston Police Department.

David R. Vega-Soto was arraigned in the Town of Rosendale court and remanded to Ulster County Jail in lieu of $25,000.00 Cash bail.  An Order of Protection was issued on behalf of the victim’s.  The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed. 

If anyone has further information that may assist the continued investigation contact 845-334-5155.