Eric Matson, 35, of Bolton Landing, was charged Sept. 22 in Saratoga Springs with criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.
Michael Siska, 30, of Lake Luzerne, was charged Sept. 22 in Saratoga Springs with assault, and criminal mischief – both misdemeanors.
Douglas Cooper, 20, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 23 with criminal possession of a controlled substance, and motor vehicle registration suspended – both misdemeanors, and unlawful possession of marijuana.
Dennis Lescault, 28, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 23 with aggravated family offense – a felony, and the misdemeanors: aggravated harassment, and criminal contempt.
Jordan Woodward, 23, of Schenectady, was charged Sept. 24 in Saratoga Springs with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and speeding.
Mark Powers, 27, of Broadalbin, was charged Sept. 24 with operating a motor vehicle impaired by drugs, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and moving from lane unsafely.
Anthony Wells, 23, of Malta, was charged Sept. 25 with felony assault.
Kevin Darragh, 61, of Wellfleet, Massachusetts, was charged Sept. 25 with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and speeding.
Destiny Ozani Matari Ramirez, 23, of Galway, was charged Oct. 6 with two counts of assault and one count felony burglary. According to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, Ramirez entered and remained inside a neighboring apartment in Galway and assaulted a 24-year-old male and a 23-year-old female by using a taser on them, striking the male victim with a baseball bat, and then striking both victims with closed fists. The victims and the defendant were acquainted with each other for some time prior to the incident. The victims were treated at the scene by Galway Ambulance. Ramirez was stopped while fleeing the scene.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the indictment of several people suspected to be involved in a drug trafficking ring operating in Saratoga, Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, and Warren Counties, and sourced by New York City dealers. The network of alleged dealers are accused of distributing heroin laced with fentanyl, and in some cases straight fentanyl that they were calling heroin, as well as powder and crack cocaine and illegal prescription pills. The 303-count indictment was unsealed Oct. 8 in Saratoga County Supreme Court. “Drug dealers do not limit their illegal activities to specific jurisdictions, and we have shown by this collaborative effort that law enforcement will rise to the challenge and protect our communities,” said Saratoga Springs Police Chief Shane Crooks. “This investigation is the direct result of the hard work done by members of the various agencies involved and shows just how effective law enforcement can be when working together.” The multi-agency investigation, code-named “Operation Red Dawn," brought together the resources of state and local law enforcement agencies in a year-long investigation led by the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF), including the City of Saratoga Springs Police Department, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, the Schenectady Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police. The investigation led to the recovery of approximately 7 kilograms of cocaine, 70 grams of heroin, 120 grams of fentanyl, dozens of narcotic pills, and the seizure of $40,000. The indictment contains 303 counts, charging the defendants with suspected crimes in relation to their involvement in the narcotics trafficking operation, including operating as a major trafficker, and various felony counts of criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled substance, as well as felony conspiracy in the second degree. The Attorney General’s Suburban and Upstate Response to the Growing Epidemic (S.U.R.G.E.) Initiative to root out violent drug trafficking launched in 2017, and charges have been made against 554 alleged drug traffickers. Those charged in the indictment include: Pamela Backus, 46 years old, Greenfield Center, Jordan Blount, 29 years old, Ballston Spa, Angel Bracero-Ortiz, 47 years old, Saratoga Springs, Omar Childress, 46 years old, Schenectady, Unikia Cross, 37 years old, Saratoga Springs, James Daggett, 63 years old, Fort Edward, Shawn Delmore, 49 years old, Waterbury, Connecticut, Erica Dubray, 27 years old, Troy, Nancy Dukes, 64 years old, Troy, James Eggleston, 52 years old, Hudson Falls, Lacy Enous, 44 years old, Troy, Noelia Fuentes, 51 years old, Saratoga Springs, David Garcia, 46 years old, Queensbury, Dorothy Gethers, 60 years old, Bronx, Kimberly Goodson, 51 years old, Queensbury, Dean Harlan, 38 years old, Albany, Richard Henderson, 31 years old, Bronx, Carlos Hernandez, 58 years old, Bronx, Clarence Jackson, 43 years old, Albany.
