North Country Briefs

Pair accused of stealing

from department store

Two women face prosecution in town of Watertown Court on allegations that they shoplifted clothing and other items priced at a total of $234 Monday afternoon at Kohl's, 21850 Towne Center Drive, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.

Jodi L. Baughman, 27634 Route 283, Lot 48, Black River, and Jessica L. Baughman, 18, of 518 Stone St., charged with petit larceny, are both 18, with the same date of birth. Documents did not indicate if they are sisters.

They both are accused of placing items in large handbags that were empty when they entered the store, and of leaving without paying, according to the sheriff's office.

Winthrop man accused

of causing a disturbance

WINTHROP — A 23-year-old man was jailed Saturday after allegedly causing a disturbance at a neighbor's house.

Dustin R. Staires, of 415A Route 11C, was charged with third-degree trespass and disorderly conduct, state police in Massena said. Troopers said they were called at 3:34 a.m. to 513 Route 11C, where Mr. Staires allegedly had been banging loudly on the door of the residence before passing out on the porch. Troopers said he also became belligerent and yelled obscenities as he was being arrested.

He was arraigned in Stockholm Town Court and sent to St. Lawrence County jail, Canton, on $1,000 bail or $1,500 bond.

Agents find 35 pounds

of pot in vehicle in Rossie

ROSSIE — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and state police found 35 pounds of marijuana in a car at a checkpoint Thursday night on Route 11 at the border of St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties.

Richard G. Shores, 31, Myrtle Beach, S.C, was charged with first-degree criminal possession of marijuana, a felony, state police said.

He was arraigned in Morristown Town Court and sent to St. Lawrence County jail, Canton, on $40,000 bail or $80,000 bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday in Morristown Town Court.

Town of Turin house lost

in blaze termed suspicious

TURIN — An unoccupied town of Turin home was destroyed by a reportedly suspicious fire Friday evening.

Turin firefighters were called at 7:41 p.m. to an abandoned residence at 5213 Gomer Hill Road and requested mutual aid from Constableville and Lyons Falls fire departments.

The building, owned by Robert Mattylewick, was listed as a total loss by Lewis County Fire Coordinator James M. Martin. The fire was reported by a neighbor.

The cause of the fire has been listed as undetermined, although it appears to be suspicious, according to Mr. Martin.

There was no insurance on the structure.

Police: Oswego man used

another's credit card info

An Oswego man was accused Friday by state police of using another person's credit card number to purchase a snowblower Sunday at Sears, Salmon Run Mall.

Francis J. Ehman, 36, is ordered to appear in town of Watertown Court for arraignment on charges of fourth-degree grand larceny and third-degree unlawful possession of personal identification information.

The snowblower has been recovered, police said. The card information belongs to Franklin D. Cean, Henderson, former owner of Knowlton Technologies, according to police.

Man is accused of taking

canister from business

A man is summoned to town of Pamelia Court to answer allegations that he stole a donations canister at A Doggie Doo Pet Care Center, 22252 Route 11, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department.

David L. Woodroth, 23, of 656-A Hycliff Drive, is charged with two counts of petit larceny. Deputies said the canister theft, with an undetermined amount of money, occurred between Nov. 7 and Monday. On another recent occasion, he also is alleged to have removed cash from a drop box at the same location, deputies said.

Three women are accused

of shoplifting at Walmart

Three women have been charged with petit larceny in connection with an alleged shoplifting incident Nov. 2 at Walmart Supercenter, outer Arsenal Street, according to state police.

Clothing items priced at a total of $200 were stolen, police said.

On the day of the incident, Jessika A. McKinnie, 23, of 119 Stuart St., was cited. In the continuing investigation, troopers on Wednesday and Thursday charged Crystal A. Pierce, 18, of 207 E. Lynde St., and Tiffanie F. Merrifield, 25, of 235 N. Rutland St.

Evans Mills woman cited

with hitting man in face

An Evans Mills woman was charged with disorderly conduct shortly before 2 a.m. Friday after she punched a man in the face in front of bystanders in the 1300 block of State Street, according to Watertown police.

Xiomara Valle, 28, of 26628 Boyer Circle, Apt. 1002, is summoned to appear in City Court.

Watertown man is cited

with shoplifting at store

Zachary R. Laisdell, 19, of 114 S. Pleasant St., was accused Thursday afternoon in an $80.69 shoplifting incident at Walmart Supercenter, outer Arsenal Street, according to state police.

He is summoned to town of Watertown Court to answer to a charge of petit larceny.

Sex offender is accused

of stealing books from jail

CANTON — A high-risk sex offender is accused of stealing books from St. Lawrence County jail when he was released.

Raymond C. Miller, 37, Massena, was charged Sunday with petit larceny, St. Lawrence County sheriff's deputies said. He was issued an appearance ticket for Village Court.

Mr. Miller was charged last month with failure to register as a sex offender and first-degree offering a false instrument for filing for allegedly failing to register his proper address.

He registered an address of 498 S. Main St. in the village of Massena, but a woman living there didn't want him around, deputies said. He previously was told he wasn't welcome there, they said. He later was found living at Bob's Motel, 228 Trippany Road, Massena.

St. Lawrence County Judge Jerome J. Richards dismissed a second-degree stalking charge against him last month for a lack of prosecution, court records show. Mr. Miller was accused of sending several threatening letters from August 2007 to July 2008 to Patricia Miller in the town of Madrid.

Mr. Miller is a Level 3 sex offender, owing to a 1996 conviction for the attempted first-degree rape of a 32-year-old woman in Schenectady. He moved to Potsdam following his release from state prison in 2001.

Quebec teenager admits

having marijuana in car

CANTON — A Quebec teenager admitted having 20 pounds of marijuana in a car when it was stopped last September by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.

Kelly M. Tarbell, 18, Syne, pleaded guilty Thursday in St. Lawrence County Court before Judge Jerome J. Richards to a reduced charge of fourth-degree criminal possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor. She originally was charged with felony first-degree criminal possession of marijuana.

Ms. Tarbell was in a car that was stopped Sept. 24, 2008 in the town of Hammond. A Customs and Border Protection officer stopped the car, and a K-9 unit dog alerted officers to 20 pounds of marijuana inside the car.

She could be placed on probation and receive youthful offender status when sentenced Dec. 21. Ms. Tarbell accepted a plea deal made by prosecutors before a suppression hearing.

Police say Fowler resident

fractured woman's skull

FOWLER — A man was jailed Friday for allegedly fracturing his girlfriend's skull two weeks ago.

David C. Butler, 47, of 130 York Road, was charged with second-degree assault, according to state police in Gouverneur.

Troopers allege Mr. Butler grabbed his girlfriend by the throat during an argument and slammed her head against the spoiler of a vehicle. Troopers said his girlfriend, who was not identified, did not initially seek treatment, but on Friday went to E.J. Noble Hospital, Gouverneur, because she was still in pain. She was transferred from there to Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, to be treated for a fractured skull.

Mr. Butler was arraigned in Town Court and sent to St. Lawrence County jail, Canton, on $5,000 bail.