Man Pleads Guilty to Endangering Child
BELMONT, NY -- Defense attorney Mark S. Williams says that on Wednesday, December 7, 2011, in Allegany County Court, his client, Steven Rhodes, 22, of Cuba, entered a guilty plea to one misdemeanor count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, in full satisfaction of two multi-count indictments which alleged that on May 29, 2010, in the Town of Clarksville, Mr. Rhodes gave or sold prescription drugs and marijuana to two 14 year olds and that he also endangered their welfare by doing so.
The case, which had been scheduled for trial today, was resolved by Mr. Rhodes plea and admission that he was present and did not intervene when one of those teenagers consumed a narcotic drug not prescribed to her.
The matter was adjourned for sentencing on February 8, 2012, at 1:00 P.M.
Mr. Williams went on to say that his client “Never sold or gave any drugs to anyone that day. An acquaintance of Steven’s gave hydrocodone to one of the girls and Steven should have stopped him from doing so, but did not. Steven has been up-front from day one about his involvement in this incident and took full responsibility for his actions. He should have stopped the other man from giving those drugs to the 14 year old but didn’t. He is accepting his responsibility for his actions.”
Reports that Mr. Rhodes gave drugs to anyone are untrue and would have been refuted by the evidence had the case proceeded to trial, Williams stated. He was retained by Mr. Rhodes’ family after he was initially jailed. He was ordered released from jail less than a week later upon Williams’ motion to Allegany County Court. Mr. Rhodes will likely be sentenced to 3 years probation at sentencing.
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The case, which had been scheduled for trial today, was resolved by Mr. Rhodes plea and admission that he was present and did not intervene when one of those teenagers consumed a narcotic drug not prescribed to her.
The matter was adjourned for sentencing on February 8, 2012, at 1:00 P.M.
Mr. Williams went on to say that his client “Never sold or gave any drugs to anyone that day. An acquaintance of Steven’s gave hydrocodone to one of the girls and Steven should have stopped him from doing so, but did not. Steven has been up-front from day one about his involvement in this incident and took full responsibility for his actions. He should have stopped the other man from giving those drugs to the 14 year old but didn’t. He is accepting his responsibility for his actions.”
Reports that Mr. Rhodes gave drugs to anyone are untrue and would have been refuted by the evidence had the case proceeded to trial, Williams stated. He was retained by Mr. Rhodes’ family after he was initially jailed. He was ordered released from jail less than a week later upon Williams’ motion to Allegany County Court. Mr. Rhodes will likely be sentenced to 3 years probation at sentencing.
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