Press Release - IRS Phone Scam

TO: MEDIA

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: APRIL 10, 2015

RE: PRESS RELEASE – TAXPAYERS TARGETED BY IRS PHONE SCAM

If you get a call from someone who claims they are 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 - Legislature's Revision of Animal Cruelty Laws

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: APRIL 8, 2015

RE: LEGISLATURE’S REVISION OF ANIMAL CRUELTY LAWS (ASSEMBLY BILL NO. A00352)

There is currently a Bill, New York State Assembly Bill Number A00352, which seeks to amend and modernize the animal cruelty laws of New York State.  As a District Attorney whose Office has prosecuted many aspects of our current animal cruelty laws, I support the proposed revisions in this Bill.

Presently New York State’s animal cruelty laws are codified in the Agriculture & Markets Law, which primarily deals with production, distribution, sale, and regulation of such products as dairy, meats, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. The language in the current Bill dates back to 1881.  The new Assembly Bill proposes to remove the crimes of animal cruelty from the Agriculture and Markets Law and codify them within the Penal Law.  This change would promote the uniform and efficient enforcement of animal cruelty laws across New York State. It would also encourage effective training and cooperation between law enforcement and peace officers in investigating, collecting, and preserving evidence in cases of animal cruelty.

More significantly, the proposed revisions simplify the confusing, albeit, well intended, terms of our more serious animal cruelty provisions as they currently stand. Many jurors, judges, and lawyers have differed over what the legislature meant by its use of various phrases and terms within the existing laws. In my judgment, the proposed revisions remove any element of uncertainty. The new laws would harmonize with the rest of our criminal laws as to the required mental state and appropriate punishment for perpetrators of crimes. The proposed revisions contained in Bill Number A00352 appropriately modify our animal cruelty laws to more fairly and accurately reflect our values as a society with regard to the serious and heinous crime of animal cruelty. 

I applaud the proposed revisions and encourage their passage by the legislature.

                             

Press Release - Matthew Miller Sentence

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: APRIL 7, 2015

RE: PRESS RELEASE – KERHONKSON MAN DRAWS ONE YEAR JAIL FOR EXECUTING DOG

Following his conviction by an Ulster County trial jury in February for killing his friend’s 9 year old pit-bull, 31 year old Matthew Miller of Baker Road in Kerhonkson was sentenced last Friday in Ulster County Court to one year in jail. County Court Judge Donald Williams also barred Miller from owning or harboring any animal and ordered him to pay restitution of $1500 to the owner of the dog. The dog named Ivan was briefly entrusted in Matthew Miller’s care at the time when he killed it. 

In March of 2014 Ulster County SPCA went to Miller’s residence to investigate reports that dogs had been shot at the residence. The SPCA investigators observed blood and recently turned earth in the snow covered premises. Matthew Miller told the investigators that he had shot a “stray dog” that had wandered onto his property and was badly injured in a fight with another dog; he claimed he shot the “stray dog” to put it out of its misery. However, the dog was exhumed and found that he was not a stray and had not been injured or in any type of distress; in fact, it was Ivan, the same dog entrusted in Miller’s care by his longtime friend, Lauren Kosonen, and known to him for virtually all of the dog’s life. 

Ivan had been rescued at the age of about six months when it was tied up and left in the snow, without water or food, in abandoned premises. Lauren Kosonen, committed to rescuing abandoned and distressed animals, heard about the plight of the 6-month old puppy and set out to rescue and care for him. Matthew Miller knew what Ivan meant to Lauren, having seen her relationship and interaction with the dog and other animals over the years.

Following a three day trial in which five witnesses testified, the jury deliberated for about two hours and returned a guilty verdict on the sole count of the indictment which charged Miller with Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, a felony.

     Miller and his attorney, Russell Schindler of Ulster County Public Defender’s Office, asked for a probation sentence claiming that the dog was killed as an act of mercy, but Judge Williams disagreed. The judge said he was in complete agreement with the jury’s quick rejection of Miller’s explanation, and probation was not the right sentence or message given Miller’s senseless conduct against a helpless animal.

    The case was prosecuted by Sr. Assistant District Emmanuel Nneji.

Press Release - Contractor Pitfalls

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: APRIL 6, 2015

RE: AVOIDING HOME IMPROVEMENT SCAMS

Spring is finally here and many homeowners will be embarking on home improvement projects. The Ulster County District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs offers these warning signs that a home improvement contractor may not be reputable:

·        The contractor is hesitant to provide a written contract (or will not put verbal promises in writing).

·        The contract does not have the name, address or telephone number of the contractor.

·        The contractor is located out of county or out of state.

·        The contractor shows up uninvited and offers to seal your driveway, repair your roof or cut down a tree.

·        The consumer is asked to pay for the entire job in advance, or to pay in cash.

·        The contractor uses high pressure sales tactics, stating a special price is “only available today”.

·        The contractor is hesitant to furnish references.

·        The contractor has many judgments against him (judgments are filed with the County Clerk).

·        The contractor has unresolved consumer complaints on file with Consumer Affairs.

Doing some homework prior to hiring a contractor can save lots of time and money. Ulster County Consumer Affairs can be reached at 340-3260.

                                                                                             

Press Release - Jesse Soyka-Hutting Sentence

FROM:   HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

        ULSTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

DATE:   APRIL 3, 2015

SUBJECT: PRESS RELEASE

On April 2, 2015, Jesse Soyka-Hutting, age 21, of Wallkill, NY, was sentenced to a period of five years in state prison with five years post-release supervision following a conviction for the crime of Burglary in the Second Degree. Soyka-Hutting was also sentenced to 1-3 years in state prison for the crime of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, and 1 1/3- 4 years in state prison for the crime of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree, all sentences to run concurrently. Soyka-Hutting was convicted after a jury trial on January 16, 2015. The evidence at trial established that Soyka-Hutting and an accomplice broke into a residence in the Town of Shawangunk and stole a guitar, guitar amplifier, shotgun, and iPod radio, among other items. Soyka-Hutting was found to have sold the stolen shotgun to a colleague at work. When interviewed by the police, he admitted to going into the residence, but claimed it was only to use the bathroom. As part of his sentence, Soyka-Hutting must also pay $618 in restitution to the homeowner and an order of protection was issued for the homeowner.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Paul Derohannesian. The defendant was represented by attorney Randy Siper.