Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Two men have been sentenced in Cattaraugus County Court on burglary charges. Todd Borden of Olean has been sentenced to a year in jail for breaking into an Olean building last December and intimidating a witness in January. He was also sentenced on a theft charged from November of last year. Jeremy Foster of Salamanca will spend 5 years on probation for breaking into a Town of Portville building in December of 2013. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Texas man convicted of conspiring with several other people to sell drugs in Cattaraugus County has been sentenced to 12 1/5 years in federal prison. Starting in January of 2010 52-year-old Richard Garza of Houston conspired with James Leon, Richard Himbury, Daniel Garza and others. On November 15, 2011, Special Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and members of the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at James Leon's home the Town of Coldspring, where they found a grocery bag full of marijuana in the living room and a canister containing about four ounces of cocaine in the bathroom. James Leon, Himbury, and Daniel Garza have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A friendly gathering turned ugly early Monday morning. State police say 22-year-old Jared Wrazen had been in a physical fight and then, got into his vehicle to leave the gathering when he hit two people, and kept going. Both of them were taken to ECMC in Buffalo. One was admitted. The other was treated and released. When police found Wrazen, they charged him with assault and reckless endangerment. He’s in Cattaraugus County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man who admitted to distributing indecent material to minors in two counties last year will spend the next year-and-a-half to three years in a New York state prison. 24-year-old Shawn Washington gave the material to a minor in Olean on August 23, according to previous WESB reports. The Cattaraugus County sentence will run at the same as the sentenced he’s currently serving for handing out materials in September in Belmont. In December in Allegany County Court he was sentenced to 2 ½ to 7 years for that. Washington was on probation for a string of burglaries in Allegany County in 2012 when he committed the other crimes. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford man has pleaded guilty to a drug charge in Cattaraugus County. Prosecutors say 42-year-old William Cabisca attempted to possess a controlled substance on June 11 in the Town of Cold Spring. He is scheduled for sentencing on May 11. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford man who lunged at another man’s throat with a knife has been sentenced in Cattaraugus County Court to time served and five years’ probation. 37-year-old Dana Jimerson attacked the man on Thanksgiving Day in Great Valley. He was convicted of attempted assault. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man accused of driving drunk in a motorcycle crash that killed his wife has pleaded not guilty in Cattaraugus County Court. 51-year-old Michael Baker of Machias, who was critically injured in the crash, is charged with vehicle manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and related offenses in connection to the accident that killed 43-year-old Dianne Baker on August 11, 2013. Police say Michael Baker failed to negotiate a curve on McKinstry Road in Machias and lost control of the motorcycle. Both of the Bakers were thrown from the bike. Dianne was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr. Baker was taken by Mercy Flight to ECMC in Buffalo. His case has been adjourned for motions. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Four people appeared in Cattaraugus County Court on burglary charges in separate cases. 25-year-old Caitlyn Sarber of Allegany attempted to break into a Town of Allegany building on September 27. 42-year-old Jonathan Perrington of Olean attempted to break into an Olean building on October 6. 24-year-old Jay Miller of Olean attempted to break into an Olean building on September 16, 22-year-old Ally Wanatee broke into a Town of Salamanca house on May 4, 2014, and did $1,500 worth of damage. All four are scheduled for sentencing on April 20. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 68-year-old Salamanca man has admitted to child pornography charges. Prosecutors say Wayne Gilman had child porn in Salamanca between January 23, 2010, and August 24, 2012. Gilman is scheduled for sentencing April 20 in Cattaraugus County Court. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Limestone man has pleaded guilty to promoting a sexual performance by a child and unlawful surveillance. Prosecutors say the first case against 36-year-old Billy Dixon is from March 3, 2013, and involved a child younger than 17. The second was on February 14, 2014, and involved a child younger than 16. The third incident was on August 17, when Dixon recorded a person privately dressing or undressing. All three incidents happened in the Town of Carrollton. Dixon is scheduled for sentencing on April 20 in Cattaraugus County Court. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A person died in a house fire in Cattaraugus County Thursday morning. The county fire investigation team and state police say the person was found on the ground by the door of the house on Potter Road in Machias. They have not identified the person yet. Firefighters got the call at just before noon and say the house was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived. Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire yet, but say there is nothing to indicate foul play was involved. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford woman who drove her car into a lake Tuesday afternoon is facing charges. Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s deputies say 55-year-old Kathleen Poland was traveling south on Route 353 when her car went out of control, traveled onto a guard rail and then into Linlyco Lake in the Town of New Albion. She was charged with improperly using a lane. They did not say if Poland was injured. Image from Google Earth © The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Duke Center man has pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender. Prosecutors say on December 12 38-year-old Walter Randall changed his address and did not notify the state sex offender registry within 10 days. Back in 1995, in Olean, he sexually abused a 12-year-old girl. He is scheduled for sentencing on April 13. ~~~ A Bradford woman has pleaded guilty to a theft charge. 19-year-old Karlie Ryan stole property in Olean on September 13. She is scheduled for sentencing on May 11. ~~~ A 53-year-old man has pleaded guilty to trying to have sexual contact with a child. Prosecutors say Larry Tadder of Olean tried to have inappropriate contact with a child younger than 11 on November 1 in Olean. He’s scheduled for sentencing on April 13. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two men have been cited fighting at the old Limestone School on Saturday. Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s deputies cited 46-year-old George Osborne, of Limestone, and 38-year-old Donald Dixon of Bradford for disorderly conduct. Both men are scheduled to appear in Town of Carrollton Court next month. The building is currently the Town of Carrollton Municipal Building. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 29-year-old repeat felon will spend six years in prison for selling heroin. Franklin Chase of Olean sold the drug in Olean last march. He was sentenced Monday in Cattaraugus County Court. He’ll be on parole for three years after he’s released from prison. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A driver who lost control of his vehicle and ended up in a front yard is accused of texting while driving. Sheriff’s deputies say 35-year-old Carl Simons Jr. of Kill Buck was texting Tuesday night when his vehicle went off North Authority Road in Kill Buck, crossed a ditch and ended up in a front yard. They say Simons also had two controlled substances with him. He was sent to Cattaraugus County Jail in lieu of $1,500 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Freedom, New York, man who used marijuana to buy three stolen guns will spend some time in state prison. 27-year-old Christopher Lund has been sentenced to 2 to 4 years each for criminal possession of stolen property and criminal purchase or disposal of a weapon. The sentenced will be served at the same time. Lund made the transactions – which also included some cash – in December of 2013 and January of 2014 in the Town of Freedom. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man will spend the next two years in state prison for raping a child. 33-year-old Chad Springstead of Allegany had sex with a person younger than 15 in April of last year in the Town of Allegany. Springstead will be on probation for five years when he’s released from prison. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A woman accused of selling heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone and Fentanyl to agents with the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force is facing a number of charges. 38-year-old Nealie Lindsler-Crowley of Buffalo was arrested over the weekend in Salamanca in connection to incidents from January to August of last year. Lindsler-Crowley is in Cattaraugus County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man who stole two flat screen TVs and then took them to a pawn shop will spend the next five years on probation. 21-year-old Thomas Jones III of Irving was sentenced in Cattaraugus County Court for breaking into a home on the afternoon of April 4, stealing the TVs and taking them to a pawn shop in Derby. That’s where police saw surveillance video of him and identified him as the burglary suspect. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947