Jefferson County couple’s alleged crime spree ends in Herkimer County

A man and a woman have been jailed in Watertown following an alleged two-county crime spree that began in Clayton and concluded Thursday in Herkimer County.

Andrea L. Lynch, 29, of 37820 Deferno Road, Clayton, and Hugh J. Broadbent, 27, of 123 Factory St., Watertown, were charged by state police at Alexandria Bay with third-degree unlawfully manufacturing methamphetamine, a felony, but various sources say they may have charges pending in Hamilton County.

One charge Mrs. Lynch faces is an alleged postal embezzlement involving about $50,000, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General.

She was accused in a federal indictment in connection with a money order theft scheme occurring from April to August, the spokesman said. The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed Friday that it is holding a federal warrant for her arrest.

Mrs. Lynch was a part-time relief worker at the Theresa post office, a state police investigator said. The federal spokesman said she resigned some time ago during the course of the postal investigation.

Another charge against the couple is endangering the welfare of a child. They are accused of cooking methamphetamine in her home in the presence of her children, ages 3 and 5, according to documents presented in Clayton Town Court.

Clayton Town Justice Clarence F. Giles Jr. committed both to the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building, setting bail at $20,000 for Mrs. Lynch. Mr. Broadbent is held without bail.

The federal warrant was issued Jan. 30, four days after state police opened the meth investigation on Deferno Road. Police were told that Mrs. Lynch had placed outdoors a bag of trash that included materials for the manufacture of meth, and they say they confirmed that with their investigation.

While she and Mr. Broadbent were being sought, an off-duty police officer came upon the scene of an accident the evening of Feb. 1 at Indian Lake, Hamilton County, in which a Jeep had overturned on Route 28. A man and a woman had walked away from the accident scene, where police found ammunition in the Jeep. The vehicle was found to be registered to Mrs. Lynch’s mother-in-law, Deborah Lynch, Theresa. With that information, state police put out an alert, specifying that the couple should be considered armed and dangerous.

Some camp burglaries were discovered in the Indian Lake region in the days following the accident, and on Monday morning, an Indian Lake resident found his 2001 gray four-door Kia Sephia sedan missing. Police suspected that the car, with license number EBF 4558, might have been stolen by Mrs. Lynch and her companion.

On Thursday, information was developed that they were in Ilion, Herkimer County, and that Mrs. Lynch might go to a Kinney Drugs store to pick up a Western Union money transfer. Police were waiting for her when she arrived at the store about 5 p.m.

About 90 minutes later, an investigator spotted Mr. Broadbent walking on a street near the Ilion fire station. He ran but was caught near the Ilion Police Department.

Neither person was armed, and the missing Kia has not been found, an investigator said.

Justice Giles also arraigned Mrs. Lynch on Thursday night on a bad-check charge. She is accused of bouncing a $160 check at the Victorian store in the village.

Mr. Broadbent is a convicted felon, having served a prison term for second-degree counts of burglary and forgery after being convicted in Herkimer County, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision website. He was released from prison Oct. 5.