Press Release - Carmen Dubaldi

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: JANUARY 6, 2015

RE: PRESS RELEASE - CAMPAIGN TREASURER CHARGED WITH GRAND LARCENY

Carmen Dubaldi, age 48, a resident of Orange County, has been charged with three counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, class "D" non-violent felonies.  The Ulster County District Attorney’s Office has conducted an investigation over the course of the past several months after being appointed as a special prosecutor.  Dubaldi is accused of stealing in excess of three thousand dollars ($3,000 in U.S. Currency) from each of three victims, NYS Senator William Larkin, former Orange County Executive Edward Diana and Orange County Clerk Annie Rabbit.

The charges allege that Dubaldi, while acting as campaign treasurer for each of the victims, embezzled campaign funds.  The total sums stolen exceed $120,000.00.

Dubaldi surrendered himself to the New York State Police in Monroe for processing and was arraigned in the Village of Goshen Court where he was released on his own recognizance.

 

Press Release - Alexander Jeffries Plea and Sentence

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: JANUARY 4, 2016

RE: PRESS RELEASE – ALEXANDER JEFFRIES PLEA

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TEEN ADMITS BURGLARY OF KINGSTON PLAZA BANK

The Kingston teenager who was shot during the investigation of a reported break-in at Chase Bank in the Kingston Plaza on May 28, 2015, has pleaded guilty in Ulster County Court to burglary in the third degree, and sentenced to two and a third to seven years in state prison.

Alexander Jeffries, age 18, of Kingston, admitted that he had entered the bank with the intention to commit a crime. Jeffries gained entry to the bank through a rear door that had been left unsecured.  He was captured on video attempting, unsuccessfully, to enter the vault. Jeffries then left and obtained a mask and a handgun and returned to the bank at approximately midnight, unaware that he had triggered a silent alarm. Before gaining re-entry to the bank, the first officer arriving at the scene encountered Jeffries, who was wearing the mask and who raised his handgun and pointed it at the officer. The officer responded by firing one shot from his service revolver which struck Jeffries in the torso. The officer then immediately rendered medical assistance which ultimately helped in saving Jeffries’ life. Jeffries’ gun, which turned out to be a BB gun, was recovered.

The question of the officer’s use of force was presented to the Grand Jury which determined that his actions were appropriate. DA Carnright said “I am in complete agreement with the Grand Jury’s findings regarding the officer’s use of force.”

The case was prosecuted by Sr. Assistant District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji. The defendant was represented at the time of his plea and sentence by attorney Desmond Dutcher.

Press Release

DATE: DECEMBER 30, 2015

RE: PRESS RELEASE – GRAND JURY CONCLUDES INVESTIGATION INTO PLATTEKILL HOMICIDE

     An Ulster County Grand Jury determined that insufficient evidence existed to file criminal charges in connection with a shooting death in the Town of Plattekill on June 27, 2015.

     The incident occurred on Crescent Avenue in a private residence at approximately 7:15 PM on June 27, 2015. Police were alerted by multiple 911 calls of several persons being stabbed within the residence. Upon arrival, police officers from the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, and the Town of Plattekill discovered Rodshan Pittman, age 25, deceased due to a shotgun wound to the chest.

     Also within the residence were three individuals who had been stabbed multiple times each. Each of the victims required hospitalization.  One female stabbing victim remained hospitalized for over two weeks with significant, potentially fatal, stomach wounds.

     The police investigation revealed that Mr. Pittman, who knew each of the stabbing victims, “went berserk” and, unprovoked, attacked his three friends with a steak knife. One of the victims had her infant child present. While the male victim struggled with Mr. Pittman the females fled to a neighboring apartment with the infant. Pittman, brandishing the knife, tried to gain access to the neighbor’s apartment and was shot at close range with a legally possessed shotgun.

     The autopsy revealed that Mr. Pittman had ingested Phencyclidine (PCB) and synthetic marijuana (XLR-11) prior to his death.  A small quantity of synthetic marijuana was found on his person when the police arrived.

     Under New York law, a person may use deadly physical force upon another individual when and to the extent that he reasonably believes it to be necessary to defend himself or someone else from what he reasonably believes to be the use of deadly physical force by such individual.

     Ulster County District Attorney Holley Carnright stated “it appeared that the shooting was legally justified and no one was charged at the time of the incident but I felt the appropriate path would be to present all of the facts to an independent investigative body such as a grand jury to determine whether criminal charges should be charged regarding the shooting.”

 

Press Release - Matthew Kranenburg Appeal

PRESS RELEASE

FROM:     HOLLEY CARNRIGHT, DISTRICT ATTORNEY

DATE:     DECEMBER 28, 2015

Last week, the Appellate Division, Third Department affirmed the June 14, 2011 conviction of Matthew Kranenburg upon his plea of guilty convicting him of the crime of grand larceny in the third degree by misappropriation of trust funds, two counts, a class D felony. 

Between February, 2005 and December, 2008, the defendant perpetrated multiple frauds and larcenies while working as a private contractor.  In all, the defendant defrauded his victims out of more than $280,000. 

The defendant, a prior felony offender, was sentenced by County Court Judge Donald A. Williams to consecutive indeterminate terms of imprisonment with a minimum of two years and a maximum of four years in State prison. 

On appeal, the defendant argued that his sentencing was excessive, however, the Appellate Division rejected that argument.

The defendant is represented by Aaron A. Louridas, Esq. of Delmar, New York.  Assistant District Attorney Joan Gudesblatt Lamb, Esq. handled the appeal for the District Attorney’s Office.

Press Release - Tiffany Bub

FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT

DATE: DECEMBER 22, 2015

RE: PRESS RELEASE – TIFFANY BUB

Tiffany Bub, age 38, last known address Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty today in Ulster County Court to Burglary in the Third Degree. The case stems from a July 3^rd, 2015 incident where, at about 10:30 pm, defendant, an opiate addict, walked behind the Village Apothecary in Saugerties, and broke a window to gain entrance. Defendant crawled through the window and stole several prescription bottles of narcotics. Defendant crawled out and ran away while swallowing at least a dozen pills. Concerned citizens followed her and alerted police. Saugerties Police apprehended defendant a short distance away. Defendant became incoherent due to the consumption of the narcotics and was taken to the hospital.

Defendant has paid over $3000.00 restitution to the Saugerties Village Apothecary.  She has no prior criminal history.

Press Release - Lawrence Wright Appeal

PRESS RELEASE

FROM:     HOLLEY CARNRIGHT, DISTRICT ATTORNEY

DATE:     DECEMBER 17, 2015

The Appellate Division, Third Department has today unanimously affirmed the August 7, 2013 conviction of Lawrence Wright following a jury trial, of the crimes of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. 

Wright’s conviction of these class C violent and class D felony offenses stems from his participation in a shooting which occurred on January 13, 2013 in the Rondout Garden Apartments in Kingston, New York.  Following a verbal altercation with another individual in that apartment complex the individual threw a stick at defendant’s Jaguar which damaged the side view mirror. The defendant retaliated by firing a pistol out of the driver’s side window. 

Defendant, a second felony offender, was subsequently sentenced by County Court Judge Donald A. Williams to an aggregate prison term of 10 years to be followed by five years of postrelease supervision. 

On appeal, defendant argued that his convictions were against the weight of the evidence and that the Court’s instruction to the jury with respect to the charge of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree was incorrect as a matter of law.  The Appellate Division, Third Department, however, rejected each of defendant’s contentions. 

On appeal, the defendant is represented by Theodore J. Stein, Esq. of Woodstock, New York.  Assistant District Attorney Joan Gudesblatt Lamb, Esq. handled the appeal for the District Attorney’s Office.