GUILDERLAND – On June 13, State Police arrested Aaron R. Godlewski, 31, of Altamont, for grand larceny, three counts of scheme to defraud in the first degree- issuing a bad check and scheme to defraud in the second degree, all felonies, and two counts of theft of services and petit larceny, all misdemeanors.
On May 1, Troopers received a complaint from a contractor reporting they were issued a bad check by an Albany County Builder.
The investigation determined Godlewski was acting as a home builder and general contractor under the company name of Godlewski Builders LLC. In the course of the investigation, additional victims were discovered.
Godlewski allegedly was hired by multiple individuals and paid for contracted work. He allegedly hired numerous subcontractors who completed parts of the project but then failed to reimburse them and in one incident, issued a payment from an account known to have insufficient funds. These crimes occurred in New Scotland, Altamont, and Bethlehem from 2021 through 2023 and resulted in the theft of services more than $1,000.
Godlewski surrendered himself to SP New Scotland where he was arrested and processed. He was issued appearance tickets returnable to the multiple courts on later dates.
Drug charges in New Scotland
NEW SCOTLAND – On June 16 at approximately 8:23 pm, an Albany County Sheriff’s Deputy witnessed an alleged narcotics transaction at a business in New Scotland involving a white colored vehicle.
Deputies executed a traffic stop on the vehicle and the driver, Tatiana Valderrama, was identified and determined to be operating the vehicle with a suspended license. While interviewing the defendant, Valderrama was found to have in her possession clear plastic baggies containing approximately 1.18 grams of cocaine.
Valderrama was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, both felonies, and aggravated unlicensed operation, a misdemeanor, and traffic violations.
Valderrama was held at the Albany County Correctional Facility pending arraignment in New Scotland Town Court.
Robbery and assault
RAVENA – On Monday, June 12, at approximately 5:21a.m., Sheriff’s Deputies
responded to a residence in the Village of Ravena for a disturbance. Upon arrival,
deputies located the victim, who was physically assaulted. Investigation revealed the
suspect, Nicanne Brown, 44, of Albany, and the victim were involved in a domestic incident,
which turned physical. Prior to the deputies’ arrival, the suspect fled in the victim’s
vehicle. Ultimately, Brown was taken into custody later.
Brown was charged with robbery, assault, and unauthorized use of a Vehicle, all felonies, and criminal possession of a weapon and criminal obstruction of breathing, a misdemeanor. Brown was arraigned in Coeymans Town Court and remanded to the Albany County jail without bail.
Aggravated DWI on Elsmere Ave
DELMAR – Bethlehem police responded to Elsmere Avenue on Saturday, June 17 at approximately 4:44 p.m. after a concerned driver contacted police after following a gray 2023 Tesla and seeing the vehicle drive up on a sidewalk on Kenwood Avenue.
According to reports, police caught up to the Tesla on Elsmere as it passed the Delmar Bypass and performed a traffic stop after it turned onto Dalton Court. The driver allegedly did not immediately pull over, made an improper turn and did not stay in his lane before stopping.
When officers interviewed the driver, a 35-year-old Glenmont man, they observed an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from the man’s breath and that he had slurred speech. The man said he was returning home from the liquor store he owns.
The man was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device and taken into custody.
At the police station, the man provided a breath sample that returned a .23 percent BAC.
He was charged with aggravated DWI and was ticketed for the traffic violations, then released with an appearance ticket.
The man is scheduled back in Bethlehem Town Court on Wednesday, July 5.
DWI on Delaware Ave
DELMAR – On Saturday, June 17 at approximately 11:14 p.m. Bethlehem police observed a white Toyota traveling in the turning lane near Elsmere Avenue abruptly switch lanes and continued on Delaware Avenue by crossing a solid white line. Police followed the vehicle and, according to reports, the vehicle did not stop at multiple stop signs at other intersections.
Officers initiated a traffic stop on Kenwood Avenue and observed the driver, a 24-year-old man from Delmar, had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath and he had bloodshot, watery and droopy eyes.
The man was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
At the police station he provided a breath sample that returned a .12 percent BAC.
He was charged with DWI and ticketed for multiple traffic violations and released on an appearance ticket for Bethlehem Town Court on Wednesday, July 5.
