LOWVILLE — A former employee at a Lyons Falls hardware store admitted Friday in Lewis County Court to skimming nearly $20,000 from the business last year.
Ben C. Fuller,19, of 3531 Fowlerville Road, Port Leyden, pleaded guilty to third-degree grand larceny, also satisfying a charge of first-degree falsifying business records. He was then committed to Lewis County jail to begin serving a six-month term, with formal sentencing set for June 2009 and his next court appearance slated for Nov. 7.
Mr. Fuller was charged with stealing $19,355.13 from Dolhof True Value Hardware between August and December by creating false return invoices on the store's computer system and taking the corresponding cash.
Also in Lewis County Court Friday:
Taki S. Johnson,26, Utica, was arraigned on charges of false personation, tampering with physical evidence and unlawful possession of marijuana and pleaded guilty to the false personation charge, satisfying the others. He was subsequently sentenced to jail time served, a one-year conditional discharge and forfeiture of $5,052 in assets seized during his arrest.
Mr. Johnson was charged March 25 with giving police a false name and date of birth, then trying to conceal a bag of marijuana by eating it after he drove into the ditch on Route 12 in the town of Lowville.
Justin E. Pate,23, Long Pond Road, Croghan, pleaded guilty to felony driving while intoxication, also satisfying a charge of having an inadequate exhaust. Sentencing was set for July 25. He was stopped March 23 on Swiss Road in the town of Croghan.
Travis A. Henry,19, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was sentenced to jail time served and $160 in court fees on a charge of criminal possession of an imitation controlled substance, to which he pleaded guilty May 30. He is to be sentenced July 18 on third-degree bail jumping.
Mr. Henry, who was recently extradited from his home state, was charged Aug. 31 with possessing chocolate laced with imitation hallucinogenic mushrooms at the moe.down music festival in Turin.
David A. Leach,38, Constableville, had sentencing on a charge of first-degree criminal possession of marijuana adjourned to July 18. Mr. Leach was charged Oct. 9 with possessing more than 10 pounds of marijuana in the town of West Turin.
Robert L. Western,32, of 5487 Water St., Lowville, had sentencing on a charge of third-degree criminal sexual act adjourned to July 25. He was charged in December with having inappropriate contact with an 8-year-old girl in the village of Lowville.
Western is also scheduled to be sentenced July 11 in Jefferson County Court for first-degree sexual abuse. He was accused of having sexual contact with a 6-year-old girl between June 22, 2006, and Aug. 12, 2006, in Carthage.
James E. Flanagan,37, of Fort Hood, Texas, was re-arraigned with his attorney present on two counts apiece of first-degree rape and first-degree criminal sexual act and a single count of endangering the welfare of a child and pleaded innocent. His case was adjourned to Aug. 8, with a trial date set for Dec. 8. Flanagan was charged with having sexual intercourse with a girl less than 11 years of age between Nov. 1 and Dec. 6, 2004, in the town of Greig.
Ryan J. Clement,23, Ossont Road, New Bremen, had his case — including two counts apiece of first-degree criminal sex act and endangering the welfare of a child and a single count of first-degree sexual abuse — adjourned to July 25, with a trial date set for Sept. 29. He was charged with having sexual contact with a child less than 11 years of age.
Steven E. Beach,44, of 592 Meriline Ave., had his case of third-degree attempted burglary adjourned to July 25. He was charged with breaking into the garage of Lynn R. Wallace on Whitesville Road in the town of Pinckney on March 19, 1998, and pleaded guilty in June 1999 to but failed to show up for his sentencing hearing.