Suspended prison worker denies sex with inmate

CANTON — A suspended Gouverneur Correctional Facility employee denied Monday in St. Lawrence County having sex with an inmate.

Laura E. Douglass,39, of 966 County Route 35, Potsdam, pleaded innocent to charges of third-degree rape, third-degree criminal sexual act, first-degree promoting prison contraband and two counts of official misconduct.

She is accused of having sex with a 31-year-old male inmate in December. She also allegedly provided a knife to an inmate in 2008.

Ms. Douglass worked as a principal account clerk at the medium-security state prison. She was among three women charged in the fall for allegedly having sex with inmates at the prison.

In other court proceedings:

Bernard J. Debien Jr.,63, Raymondville, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree insurance fraud.

Mr. Debien, a retired county corrections officer, admitted to submitting paperwork claiming he was still married to allow his ex-wife to receive medical benefits. He didn't inform the county from Oct. 10, 2003, to Oct. 10, 2006, that he had divorced his wife, Maxine F. The county spent $62,056.98 on her medical expenses during that period. If he had informed the county, the medical expenses would have been covered by the county had he paid $8,642.68 in premiums, which he didn't.

He also submitted an enrollment form March 20, 2006, to St. Lawrence County Health and Life Insurance claiming he was married to Maxine, with the county paying $89,669.46 in medical expenses for her between that time and her death in February 2008.

Judge Jerome J. Richards ordered Mr. Debien to pay $34,694.07 in restitution. He'll be sentenced July 13.

Justin C. Measheaw,25, of 425 North Shore Road, Hammond, was sentenced to six months in St. Lawrence County jail and five years probation on a charge of third-degree robbery.

Mr. Measheaw admitted to robbing two clerks at the Stewart's Shop in the village of Gouverneur on March 17.

"I'd like to apologize for my actions that night," Mr. Measheaw said. "I'm sorry to the clerks I robbed."

Judge Richards ordered him to stay away from the business, to pay $9,227.21 in restitution and placed him on a daily curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. He will also received 180 days of electronic home monitoring when released from jail.

John N. Royce,39, Popple Hill Road, Fowler, was classified as a Level 2 sex offender. He was sentenced in April on a conviction of second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child.

In January, he admitted to having sexual contact with a 6-year-old girl between August and December 2007.