byron

The 18-year-old Byron woman who is accused of causing the death of a friend entered a guilty plea today to negligent homicide and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Cortney L. Greene entered what is known as an "Alford Plea." The plea indicates she believes she would be convicted if the case went to trial, but does not admit factual guilt.

The District Attorney's Office agreed to the plea because Greene is facing a potential lawsuit in connect with the death of Zachary J. Rusin, 18, of Holley.

Assistant District Attorney Kevin Finnell recited the evidence against Green, which Green then agreed was sufficient for a likely conviction.

According to Finnell, Greene was operating all-black golf cart in the middle of northbound Route 237 just seven minutes after midnight, Nov. 26, when a car driven by Emmaleigh R. Odom, 19, of Pavilion, crested a hill near Warboys Road and stuck the golf cart.

Finnell said that with the hill and the lighting conditions, Odom had no time to react before her car struck the cart.

A blood alcohol test, Finnell said, found that Greene had a BAC of .04 and there were traces of marijuana in her blood.

Both Greene and Rusin were ejected from the vehicle. Rusin succumbed to his injuries two days later.

The maximum penalty for the homicide charge is four years in prison. Greene will also likely lose her driving privileges.

The plea did not include a sentence cap.

Greene will be sentenced Sept. 6.

A young Batavia mother who was among the first people in the state charged under Leandra's Law for driving under the influence with children in the car will spend a year in jail for violating probation by allegedly driving drunk again.

Michelle T. Crawford, 26, of 7963 Batavia Stafford Townline Road, sobbed throughout the court proceedings this morning and asked Judge Robert C. Noonan for another chance at rehabilitation.

Besides the violation of probation conviction, Crawford is still facing charges that she drove drunk March 8 and was involved in a rollover accident in Byron. Crawford was seriously injured in the accident and had her jaw wired shut for a period of time as a result.

Crawford was on probation, having recently completed one alcohol treatment program, at the time of the accident. While she wasn't convicted under Leandra's Law on the prior case, which was heard in Erie County, Crawford was found guilty of driving under the influence and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

In court today, Crawford's attorney said his client has a serious drinking problem and needs treatment, not jail time.

"Jail isn't going to fix Ms. Crawford," Attorney Louis P. Violanti said. "I realize society may demand jail time, but without treatment, she's going to end up doing life on the installment plan, one year at a time, three years at a time, until one day she wakes up and she's in her 60s and her life is gone and her children are grown."

Violanti said Crawford was recently accepted to an in-patient program and that her rehabilitation would be a long-term process.

When Crawford spoke, she cried through all of her statement.

"If I don't get this under my thumb, I'm never going to have my family," Crawford said. "Please let me be able to do this. Please from the bottom of my heart. I'm a good person. I just made poor choices and I just want to go home to my family and the people that I love. And I want to prove that I can be successful in life and not be harmful to anybody else, including myself."

Noonan said if Crawford was appearing before him for just the first time he would be a lot more sympathetic to her plea to be with her children, but Crawford promised Noonan once before, he said, to follow the orders of the court and then apparently violated them.

"You're very lucky you didn't kill a family or somebody else in your alcoholic stupor," Noonan said. "Now you must face the consequences.

"We're all very interested in doing something that will get Michelle Crawford going in the right direction in life," Noonan added, "but right now you must be punished."

The year in jail -- Crawford has already served about three months -- is the maximum penalty under the sentencing guidelines for her misdemeanor convictions.

Crawford still faces a misdemeanor DWI charge and a felony count of aggravated unlicensed operation.

Noonan said he and the attorneys are trying to come up with a plan for Crawford on those charges that will satisfy justice and get her help.

On the way back from the accident on Swamp Road today, I headed down Route 262 and passed these old military vehicles flying four flags.

A serious injury accident is reported at Swamp Road, east of Hessenthaler Road. There are reportedly two people unconscious in the vehicle. Byron and South Byron fire departments are responding along with Mercy medics. A responder on scene has spotted the vehicle in the middle of a field. Mercy Flight is put on standby.

UPDATE 5:28 p.m.: They are asking that extraction equipment be brought in.

UPDATE 5:31 p.m.: Fire police from Bergen are requested to shut down Swamp Road at Pocock Road.

UPDATE 5:34 p.m.: Mercy Flight is heading to the scene.

UPDATE 5:38 p.m.: Mercy Flight has landed.

UPDATE 5:49 p.m.: One male required extrication and was boarded on Mercy Flight, which is now airborne.

UPDATE 5:59 p.m.: The man is being taken to Strong Memorial Hospital.

A car fire has been reported in the area of 6378 N. Bergen Road, Byron.

Byron and South Byron departments have responded.

The car is located near a structure and is described by a chief on scene as "a working car fire."

The fire was reported by a passerby and the address is approximate.

UPDATE 7:27 p.m.: Fire is out. No extension into the house.

UPDATE 8 p.m.: Byron, South Byron back in service.

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Steven Carnell McKnight, 18, of 14th Street, Buffalo, is charged with burglary, 2nd. McKnight is accused of breaking into a residence on Batavia Elba Townline Road, Batavia, on Dec. 15. The Monroe County Crime Lab has reportedly matched blood found at the scene with McKnight. The home on Batavia Elba Townline Road suffered damage to exterior French doors, a rear window, and a table and desktop computer. The only items reported missing were a complete Nintendo Wii system with games and two hutch drawers containing old mobile phones and odds and ends. McKnight is currently awaiting sentencing on a burglary charge from a break-in in the Town of Pembroke on Dec. 14. 

Andrew John Sprague, 33, of State Street, Batavia, is charged to failure to report change of address. Sprague is a registered sex offender and allegedly failed to report a change of address.

Al Davids, 42, of Bird Road, Byron, is charged with discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a residence. The alleged incident was reported at 6:58 p.m., Monday.

Kelly A. Lucas, 41, of 62 Summit St., Le Roy, is charged with DWI. Lucas was reportedly involved in an ATV accident Friday night at a location just off Lake Street. Lucas reportedly lost control of the ATV and rolled it. She was arrested following an investigation by Le Roy PD. (Initial Report)

Joshua Andrew Robert Anstett, 18, of Caledonia, Ontario, Canada, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and possession or consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Anstett was charged following an investigation into an accident in the employee parking lot of Darien Lake Theme Park at 9:55 p.m., Saturday. Anstett is accused of driving over nine fence posts, striking three different chainlink fences and a set of wood stairs before he was stopped by Darien Lake security officers.

Christina Catherine Fiscus, 33, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and speeding. Fiscus was stopped at 2:11 a.m., Sunday, on Route 262, Elba, by Sgt. Brian Frieday.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C-Batavia) recently announced the recipients of this year’s Public Library Construction Grants. More than $327,000 has been committed for projects at the Byron-Bergen, Lee-Wheldon Memorial and Swan libraries, serving as sorely needed support for facility improvements. 

“In a time of staggering unemployment and fiscal crisis that is crippling our educational institutions, these library construction grants will be a boon for the community,” Hawley said.

“Our local libraries deserve the support necessary to provide up-to-date tools and services to the public, and that’s exactly what these grants will do. I know these libraries will put this funding to great use and become an even more integral part of our community.”

In Genesee County, the Byron-Bergen Public Library will receive $7,325 to open the wall via a French door to provide easy and secure access to an additional programming and educational resource space, thereby increasing the effectiveness of library service.

GO ART! has announced the winners of the 2012 Genesee/Orleans Student Poetry Contest.

Students from schools in both counties were invited to participate.  
The winners in Genesee County are:

• Ian Edwards -- Grade 2, Alexander
• Will Johnson -- Grade 5, Byron
• Emily Leone -- Grade 6, Le Roy
• Anna Dembowski -- Grade 12, East Bethany

A teenage boy was assaulted and suffered a head laceration at Byron-Bergen Central School. Sheriff's deputies are responding along with Mercy medics. The bleeding is controlled now. The student is in the art room.

The school is located at 6917 W. Bergen Road in Bergen.

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: The student is 16 years old and he is being transported to United Memorial Medical Center. He has a 6 centimeter slash (which is 2.36 inches) in the back of his head. He is alert and oriented and suffered no loss of consciousness.

Motor-vehicle accident with possible injuries is reported at Byron-Holley and Town Line roads, Byron.

Byron Fire Department along with Mercy EMS dispatched.

UPDATE 8:40 a.m.: Sounds like minor injuries.

Brianna Rae Burlingame, 20, of Palmer Road, Churchville, is charged with driving under the influence of drugs, criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana. Burlingame was arrested after deputies Chad Minuto and Jason Saile responded to the parking lot of Petco at 2:14 p.m., Saturday for the report of a woman asleep behind the wheel of her vehicle while it was running. Burlingame was issued an appearance ticket.

Sean Allen Kota, 18, of Byron-Holley Road, Byron, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and driver view obstructed. Kota's vehicle was stopped following complaints of the occupants throwing beer bottles out of the window of the car. His vehicle was stopped at 2:47 p.m., Thursday, on Oatka Trail in Le Roy by Deputy Matthew Butler.

Joshua Webster, 25, of York Road, Pavilion, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and criminal possession of stolen property. Webster is accused of stealing a purse and credit cards from a location on Commerce Drive, Batavia, and of possessing stolen property from another incident at the time of his arrest on an unrelated incident. (Previously)

Gregory J. Battaglia, 30, of Pavilion Center Road, Pavilion, is charged with petit larceny. Battaglia is accused of stealing gasoline from a station in Le Roy.

A 17-year-old resident of Bacon Street, Le Roy, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. The youth is accused of failing to provide appropriate supervision to a child left in his care.

Press release:

Approximately 700 National Grid customers in the Byron-Bergen area will experience a brief electrical service interruption on Saturday (April 14) morning to allow technicians to safely replace a vital transformer in a substation servicing that region.

Affected customers are receiving automated telephone calls from the company prior to the outage, which is scheduled from 4 to 6 a.m. on Saturday.  In addition, National Grid has notified local police and fire officials.

National Grid makes every effort to minimize both the number and length of planned service outages, and attempts to schedule events during times that will have the least impact on most customers.  Work in the Byron-Bergen station is part of the company’s commitment to provide safe and reliable service.

The brief interruption should have no lasting impact on service, but customers may wish to disconnect sensitive electronic equipment during the outage as a precaution.

Matthew Joseph O'Connor, 19, of Byron Holley Road, Byron, is charged with grand larceny, 4th, and unlawful possession of marijuana. O'Connor is accused of stealing a debit card from a friend and using it in Genesee and Monroe counties to make purchases and ATM withdrawals. At the time of his arrest, O'Connor was allegedly found in possession of a small baggie of marijuana.

Lacey M. Muntz, 28, of Maltby Road, Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny. Muntz is accused of stealing license plates from a vehicle she did not own.

Paul Uzarowski, 41, of Genesee Road, Pembroke, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC 0f .08 or greater, failure to dim headlights and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Uzarowski was stopped at 8:57 p.m. Tuesday on Route 77 in Pembroke by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Amy Lynne Koch, 37, of Route 98, Alexander, is charged with grand larceny, 3rd, and petit larceny. Koch is accused of using information of her estranged boyfriend, who is incarcerated in state prison, to file both state and federal income tax forms. Koch allegedly created a bank account in both of their names so any tax refund money could be deposited in the account. Once the money was deposited, Koch allegedly withdrew the funds.

Timothy S. DiSalvo, 51, of 106 North St., Batavia, is charged with strangulation, 2nd, and two counts of harassment, 2nd. DiSalvo was allegedly involved in a fight with a family member at their business location on Harvester Avenue, Batavia. DiSalvo is accused of choking another person and shoving a female employee who tried to intervene to stop the fight.

Cheryl Lynn Vanelli, 52, of 2101 Main Road, Pembroke, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 and failure to keep right. Vanelli was stopped at 2:42 a.m, Jan. 21, on Boyce Road, by Deputy Kevin McCarthy. Vanelli will be arraigned in Pembroke Town Court on April 17.

Veshaun D. Thomas Sr., 34, of 110 Bank St., Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, and suspended registration. Thomas was stopped at 2:40 a.m. Sunday by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Kyle David McNutt, 21, of Route 238, Warsaw, is charged with petit larceny. McNutt is accused of shoplifting $24.99 in merchandise from Kmart.

Gina Marie Glor, 18, of Route 238, Warsaw, is charged with petit larceny. Glor is accused of shoplifting $24.99 in merchandise from Kmart.

Sandra Lynn Cassford, 29, of South Main Street, Castile, is charged with petit larceny and unlawful possession of marijuana. Cassford was arrested on a warrant stemming from alleged events on Dec. 22. She was jailed on $200 bail.

Peter Joseph Gravante, 23, of Townline Road, Byron, was arrested on a warrant for driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Gravante was taken into custody on a warrant out of Town of Batavia Court by NYSP in Monroe County and turned over to the Sheriff's Office.

Ryan Douglas Woodward, 22, of Vallance Road, Le Roy, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to reduce speed for a curve, moving from lane unsafely and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Woodward was allegedly involved in a motor vehicle accident while intoxicated on Route 19, Bergen, at 2:45 a.m. on Feb. 26.

Michelle Tarin Crawford, 26, of Batavia Stafford Townline Road, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 or greater, aggravated unlicensed operation, 1st, and failure to keep right. Crawford was charged following an investigation into a motor-vehicle accident at 12:55 a.m., March 8, on Townline Road, Byron, in which Crawford was seriously injured. Crawford remains jailed on a violation of probation charge. (Previous stories, one, two and three).

Michael Octavio Tardy, 46, of Woodside Drive, Bergen, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater, failure to stop at stop sign and moving from lane unsafely. Tardy was allegedly driving at 1:41 a.m. on Lewiston Raod, Oakfield, when his vehicle struck a curb.

John Chrisley, 46, of Mechanic Street, South Byron, was arraigned in Town of Byron Court today on charges of first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.

Chrisley is accused of sexual contact with a child under age 11.

The incident allegedly occurred Oct. 5 in Byron.

Chrisley was released under supervision of Genesee Justice, pending his next court appearance April 2.

The case was investigated by John Dehm.