Press Release - Kevin Greene plea

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: JANUARY 28, 2019

RE: PRESS RELEASE – KEVIN GREENE PLEA

Kingston shooter pleads guilty in Ulster County Court

     Moments before jury selection was set to begin, Kevin Greene, 33, of 80 West Pierpont Street, entered a guilty plea to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree today in Ulster County Court. By pleading guilty, Greene admitted he illegally possessed a loaded handgun.

     The guilty plea stemmed from a shooting that occurred near the intersection of West Pierpont and Hone Streets in the City of Kingston on June 5, 2018 around 10:00 AM as a resident of Hone Street was calling 911 when her home was struck with bullets. No one was injured in the shooting. A nearby school was placed in lockdown as a result of the incident as Kingston Police searched for armed suspects. 

     During the investigation, the Kingston Police Department located a loaded nine millimeter handgun in Greene’s backyard. DNA on ammo found in the gun matched the defendant’s. Police also found a spent cartridge outside of Greene’s house which was analyzed and found to have been fired from the nine millimeter. Greene told police that he was being shot at by two other persons, however, the only physical evidence recovered after an extensive search was linked to Greene’s gun.

          Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright stated, “This was a potentially deadly situation which was quickly stopped by the teamwork of the Kingston Police Department, Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, State Police and District Attorney’s Office. The Emergency Response Teams were on the scene immediately and were methodical in locating suspects and evidence while protecting people in the neighborhood from more gunfire. Greene has four prior convictions for selling drugs and has a history of weapons possession. The residents in that neighborhood should be commended for their courage in coming forward so that this dangerous individual could be held accountable for his actions.” 

     Greene faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of fifteen years in state prison on the class C violent felony when he is sentenced on April 2, 2019. Green was represented by Assistant Public Defender Mikael Cohn and the prosecutor on the case was Senior Assistant District Attorney Gerard Van Loan.

Press Release - Daniel Mikalonis sentence

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: JANUARY 28, 2019

RE: PRESS RELEASE - DISTRICT ATTORNEY D. HOLLEY CARNRIGHT ANNOUNCES:  KERHONKSON MAN SENTENCED TO MAXIMUMN SENTENCE FOR ORAL SEX WITH TEEN  

Daniel Mikalonis, 27, formerly of Krum Road in Kerhonkson, was sentenced on Friday, January 25, 2019 to 7 years in state prison to be followed by 10 years of post-release supervision, on his conviction of Criminal Sexual Act in the second degree. He also will be required to register under the New York State Sexual Offender Registration Act for a minimum of twenty years and an Order of Protection was issued in favor of the victim until 2044.

The defendant pleaded guilty on October 22, 2018, to the Class “D” violent felony of Criminal Sexual Act in the Second Degree in Ulster County Court.  The defendant admitted that in June of 2015, he engaged in oral sexual conduct with a fourteen year old child.  The plea took place on the morning a jury was to be selected for trial in this matter. 

The defendant was arrested on September 13, 2017, following an investigation by the New York State Police, Ellenville Barracks.  The case was prosecuted by Special Victims Bureau Chief, Katherine R. Van Loan. The defendant was represented by the Ulster County Public Defender’s Office.  

Press Release - Michael Rodriguez sentence

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: JANUARY 25, 2019

RE: PRESS RELEASE

Michael Rodriguez, age 36, of Kingston, was sentenced to nine years in state prison on his plea to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance second degree, a Class A II felony. Rodriguez’s conviction stems from an URGENT Task Force arrest from April 2018 where defendant possessed more than four ounces of heroin in the City of Kingston. The defendant has prior felony criminal possession of a controlled substance convictions from 2003 and 2004 and a prior Grand Larceny, fourth degree, conviction from 2014.

Press Release - Beware of Extortion Scams

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: JANUARY 23, 2019

RE: PRESS RELEASE – BEWARE OF EXTORTION SCAMS

 

Have you received a call or email pressuring you to send money, or else. . . Almost always a threat designed to frighten you into handing over your money is a scam according to the Ulster County District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs (340-3260).

The scammer may call you and pressure you into paying immediately and threaten to send law enforcement to your house if you refuse. The threats may include the threat of an arrest.

Scammers will also send emails claiming you owe money for things like speeding tickets, tax debts or payday loans.  The scammers may purport to be representatives of the FBI, various law firms or other legitimate sounding agencies, including local law enforcement. According to District Attorney Holley Carnright, no member of any Ulster County law enforcement agency will ever threaten to arrest you unless you pay them money.

If the scam is sent by email, it is likely to include an attachment or link to a fake website where you will be asked to download proof of the “bill”, “fine” or “delivery details”. Opening the attachment or downloading the file could infect your computer with malware.

Consumer Affairs advises:

·       Do not be pressured by a threatening caller.

·       A government agency or legitimate company will never ask you to pay by unusual methods such as by gift or store cards, iTunes vouchers, wire transfers or Bitcoins.

·       Do not respond to suspicious messages, texts or emails. If you do, the scammers will likely escalate their intimidation and attempts to get your money.

·       If you receive an extortion-type call or email requesting immediate payment, file a complaint with the FBI at www.ic3.gov.

Press Release - Jovan A. Wilkins sentence

FROM:     HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

          ULSTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

DATE:     JANUARY 18, 2019

SUBJECT:  PRESS RELEASE – JOVAN A. WILKINS

     On January 18, 2019, JOVAN A. WILKINS, age 26, a resident of Noxon Road, Lagrangeville, New York, was sentenced by Judge Donald A. Williams to eighteen years in state prison and five years post release supervision on his conviction to Assault in the first degree, a Class B violent felony. Wilkins’ conviction stemmed from his role in stabbing a man in the early morning hours of December 3, 2017 at a house party in the Town of Plattekill. The proof at trial revealed that defendant stabbed the unarmed, 26 year old victim, at least nine times, with seven of those wounds to the victim’s back.

At trial, Dr. Dennis-Roger Phillip, the victim’s emergency room physician, explained to the jury that many of the stab wounds could have been fatal. He described one stab wound as having punctured the victim’s lung, a second having lacerated his spleen and that the wounds to the victim’s abdomen in effect disemboweled him.  Dr. Phillip indicated that when the victim arrived at the hospital, he was at the point of death, and that he would suffer long-term physical effects from the attack.

At the sentencing, prosecuting attorney Kathleen Klein read statements from the victim and the victim’s mother describing the emotional and physical impact of the significant injuries caused by the defendant. Also at sentencing Aaliyah Kemp, the victim’s fiancée, addressed the court and Mr. Wilkins. Ms. Kemp described the fateful near death call she received from the victim as he was being taken to the hospital and how he told her that he might not make it and that he loved her. “His voice became really faint and I said do not say good bye to me”.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Klein. Sr. Assistant District Attorney Clifford Owens co-chaired the prosecution with ADA Klein. Wilkins was represented by Assistant Public Defender Mikael Cohn.