No valid plate, DWI, alcohol and cocaine in car
COLONIE – Colonie police stopped a 28-year-old Amsterdam man for traffic violations on Central Avenue on March 1 for not having valid license plates but found that he was allegedly drunk and had alcohol and cocaine in the vehicle.
At 2:12 a.m. after the stop, officers observed the man to show signs of impairment. He was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device. He was taken into custody. An inventory of the car yielded a quantity of cocaine and alcohol.
The man was charged with DWI and criminal possession of a controlled substance, both felonies, and ticketed for drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle, no license plate, and no stop lights.
He was released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on March 4.
Ghost cars removed from streets
ALBANY – On Thursday, March 14, 2024, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office in an effort to reduce crime in the City of Albany, conducted a detail in conjunction with Investigators from New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple, Sr., said the results of a proactive traffic-safety enforcement detail within the City of Albany focused on removing “Ghost Cars” from the city streets.
As a result of the detail, 17 unregistered and uninsured vehicles were impounded by the Albany
County Sheriff’s Office. Many of the vehicles had either switched license plates, stolen license plates, fraudulent license plates or no license plates attached to them at all.
On Wednesday, March 6 at approximately 4:55 p.m., deputies patrolling in the City of Albany in an effort to reduce crime, observed a vehicle traveling on Watervliet Avenue with fake NY temporary license plates on it. Through an investigation, it was revealed that the operator, Gregory A. Galaratti, 30, of Venezuela, illegally purchased the fake temporary license plates in New York City, and attached them on his vehicle.
Galaratti was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, a felony. He was arraigned in Albany City Criminal Court on March 7.
Assault and grand larceny
COHOES – On Saturday, March 2 Colonie police responded to call for an assault near St Agnes Highway and later located a Halfmoon woman in a parking lot on Columbia Street.
At 3:50 p.m., after an investigation, police arrested Jaime Chicaway, 47, in a car and leaving the incident location.
She was arrested and charged with grand larceny – fourth degree, a felony, and assault with intent to cause physical injury, a misdemeanor.
Judge Norman Massry advised police to release Chicaway with an appearance ticket for Monday, March 4. Grand larceny and assault are not bail eligible under NY law and Colonie Court was not in session at the time.
Felony assault
COLONIE – A domestic dispute on Wicken Square on Saturday, March 2, 12:02 a.m. landed a Colonie man in jail after violating an order of protection and injuring a Colonie police officer while resisting arrest.
According to reports, Timothy Johnson, 29, was charged with assault with intent to cause injury to a police officer, a felony, and resisting arrest and disobeying a mandate, both misdemeanors.
He was sent to the Albany County jail as a pre-arraignment detainee.
Two burglaries, warrant and bail jumping
COLONIE – Colonie police arrested a Loudonville man for multiple burglaries, domestic charges, while he was out on bail and an outstanding warrant for not showing up for court in January. He was arrested in November on domestic charges.
On Sunday, March 3 at 8:12 a.m., Vincent Mastianni, 53, was arrested and charged with the outstanding warrant, burglary-criminal intent and burglary bail jumping, both felonies, and bail jumping and two counts of disobeying a court mandate.
In the November case, Mastrianni was charged with aggravated criminal contempt- violating a order of protection and criminal contempt – physical contact, both felonies, and assault with intent to cause physical injury and criminal obstruction of breathing, both misdemeanors.
This time he was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge Norman Massry.
Warrant
COLONIE – Cohoes police arrested Jason Murray-Craig, 33, East Berne on Sunday, March 3 for an outstanding warrant from Colonie Town Court. Murray-Craig failed to appear in court and was sent to the Albany County jail as a pre-arraignment detainee. He was scheduled to be back in court on March 4 to be arraigned.
Weapon charges
COLONIE – A Colonie man turned himself into Colonie police on Monday, March 4 to face charges stemming from a January incident on Farnum Place. Christopher Mason, 53, was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, and criminal obstruction of breathing and menacing – weapon, both misdemeanors, for the January 6 incident. He was processed and then arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green.
Two grand larceny incidents, also a warrant
LATHAM – Colonie police responded to a larceny in progress call from Sam’s Club on Troy Schenectady Road on Monday, March 4 at 3:55 p.m. and found the subject of the call was also involved in another larceny at the store.
According to reports, Zachary Plante, 33, of Troy, admitted during the investigation that he took items from the store. He also was linked to another incident at the store earlier on the same day. Plante also had an outstanding warrant for not showing up to Colonie Town Court in June 2022.
He was charged with two counts of grand larceny, both felonies and the warrant.
Plante was processed and arraigned on all the charges by Town Judge David Green.
Grand theft auto, grand larceny
COLONIE – A 53-year-old Cairo woman was arrested by Colonie Police on Monday, March 4 for two separate theft incidents in the town.
Heather Billingsley was charged in relation to a larceny at Dick’s at Latham Farms on March 1 and also in a theft of a vehicle on Russell Road on January 12.
She was charged with grand larceny and grand larceny – auto, both felonies, and was arraigned in Colonie Town Court.
Warrant
COLONIE – Victor Barriera, 61, of The Bronx, was brought over to Colonie police from the Albany County jail on Monday, March 3 on an outstanding warrant.
He did not show up for court in July 2022. Barriera was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green and sent back to the Albany County jail.
Two grand larceny charges
COLONIE – A Troy man was brought over from the Albany County jail on Monday, March 3 to face grand larceny charges from two separate incidents on January 21.
Thomas Gervasio, 35, allegedly stole items from Dick’s in Latham and then also stole items from a person at the Advanced Auto Parts store in Watervliet.
He was arraigned by Colonie Judge David Green.
Warrant
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to the Bank of America on Wolf Road at midnight on Tuesday, March 5 to check a subject.
When they arrived they found Alexander Norwood, 31, who is homeless, had an open arrest warrant from the Town for not showing up for court in February.
He was sent to the Albany County jail as a pre-arraignment detainee to be arraigned later that morning.
Warrant
COLONIE – On Tuesday, March 5 at approximately 8:39 p.m., Colonie police were called to Colonie Center to check a subject. The suspect, Brian Lawyer, 44, of Glenmont, had an open warrant from Colonie for missing court in January. Lawyer was arrested by State Police in November for missing court in July.
This time, police contacted Colonie Judge David Green and he advised police to release Lawyer with an appearance ticket. Court was not in session at that time.
He was scheduled to return the next day to be arraigned.
Warrant
COLONIE – Cohoes police dropped off Ian Castaldo, 29, of Cohoes, on Wednesday, March 6 at 12:50 p.m. for an open bench warrant from Colonie Town Court. He failed to appear in April 2022.
He was released with an appearance ticket for 6 p.m. when court is in session in the same building. Under state law, police cannot hold people charged with a low-level crime beyond a few hours after processing.
DWI and crack cocaine
COLONIE – Colonie police stopped a vehicle on Central Avenue on Wednesday, March 6 at 12:55 a.m. for traffic violations and found the driver to be intoxicated.
When officers interviewed the driver, a 40-year-old man from Albany, they observed the man showed signs of impairment. He was given and failed field sobriety tests, tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device and was taken into custody.
A search of the man revealed a quantity of crack cocaine in his jacket pocket.
He was charged with DWI and criminal possession of a controlled substance, both misdemeanors, and ticketed for failure to stay in a single lane and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle.
The man was released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on March 18.
Grand larceny
COLONIE – A Pattersonville man turned himself in to Colonie police at the 7-Eleven on Exchange Streeton Wednesday, March 6 at 12:08 a.m. for an active arrest warrant.
Joseph Gannon, 56, was transported to the police station where he was charged with grand larceny, a felony, for an incident at the same store in October.
Gannon was released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court later in the day after police contacted Colonie Town Judge David Green. Grand larceny is not eligible for bail in New York.
Felony domestic charges
COLONIE – A 49-year-old Genville woman turned herself in to face charges related to a February 26 domestic incident in the town.
Sandra Deyette allegedly violated an order of protection and was charged with aggravated family offense and criminal contempt – first degree, both felonies, and disobeying a court mandate, a misdemeanor.
She was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green.
Felony DWI with child in car
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a personal injury automobile accident at the intersection of Driftwood Drive and Gadsen Court on Thursday, March 7 at 8:45 p.m.
According to reports, upon arrival, officers interviewed the driver of one of the vehicles, Mark Kosakowski, 39, of Colonie. During the interview, officers observed Kosakowski to have slurred speech, poor motor coordination and had an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. He was given and failed field sobriety tests and refused to take a test for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
There was a child under 16 riding in the passenger seat of Kosakowski’s car.
He was taken into custody and charged with aggravated DWI – with child in a car, a felony, and reckless endangerment, acting in a manner to injure a child, aggravated DWI and DWI, all misdemeanors, and ticketed for refusing to take a breath test, speeding, and failing to keep right.
Kosakowski was processed and released with an appearance ticket for Colonie Town Court on March 18.
Warrant
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to Target on Central Avenue on Thursday, March 7 for a possible larceny and found the subject wanted.
Nyiana Wimberly, 23, of Troy, was found to be wanted by Guilderland police. She was transported to meet officers from that department.
