WCDO Radio News

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 6-11-26

A Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Resulted in Convictions for 11 Drug Traffickers from across the Southern Tier, around the state and in Michigan. The 11 defendants involved in an organization distributing large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and other drugs primarily from 2019 to 2021 through Broome, Tioga and Chemung Counties, they also unlawfully possessed firearms as felons or in furtherance of their drug trafficking. Law enforcement seized methamphetamine, & other drugs, over 65 firearms, cash and ATVs. Among those convicted 55 year old David Wemmer, 37 year old David Cobb & 50 year old Brandon Vanorman, all from Spencer, 38 year old Shawn McCabe of Windsor, 39 year old Philip Acciarito of Owego, , 44 year old Jennifer Patton of Spencer & 39 year old Eini Raupers of Candor.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Corrections Investigation Unit recovered Fentanyl, Heroin and Marijuana from 29 year old Jean Benitez-Melendez of Syracuse at the Broome County Correctional Facility. Benitez-Melendez was charged with several Counts of Promoting Prison Contraband, Tampering with Physical Evidence, 2 Counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & Obstruction of Governmental Administration, he was processed and arraigned & returned to the Broome County Jail.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 4-17-26

39 year old Taylor Church of Bainbridge, admitted to violating the terms and conditions of her probation sentence, and was expelled from the Delaware County Adult Treatment Court Program. Church was re-sentenced in Delaware County Court to 2.5 years in state prison to be followed by 1 year of post release supervision. Church pleaded guilty last October to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, State Police arrested Church in January of 2025, a search uncovered heroin, cocaine a scale & ammunition.

The 14th Annual Holiday Craft Fair will be held by the Bainbridge Guilford Teacher's Association on Saturday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the BG High School Gym. Over 40 local crafter & artisans will participate, there will be raffle & door prizes, people are asked to bring a non-perishable food item, pet food or a hygiene product as a donation & to get a ticket for a door prize.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 12-4-25

33 year old Corey Green of Vestal was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 19 years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy spanning the United States. Green admitted that he possessed, distributed, and conspired to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, heroin & Methamphetamine in and around Broome County, he also admitted to possessing 3 handguns and 2 AK-47 style weapons to further his drug-trafficking activities, while being prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous convictions, & conspiring to launder his drug-trafficking proceeds. Green was sentenced to a 19 year prison term, concurrent 3 and 5-year terms of post-release supervision, and a money judgment of over $185,000 of unrecovered proceeds from his drug trafficking. Co-conspirator Michael Jacobs of Endicott, was previously sentenced to 10 years and 10 months term of imprisonment & 5 years of post-release supervision.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 10-7-25

38 year old Taylor Church of Bainbridge appeared in Delaware County Court and pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, On January 3rd, State Police conducted a traffic stop on Church's vehicle, the license plates did not belong on the vehicle, a search uncovered heroin, cocaine a scale & ammunition, Church faces sentencing on October 28th.

The Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force executed a search warrant at 117 Walnut St in Binghamton Tuesday, they seized cocaine, heroin, A digital scale, A loaded handgun which was stolen in Georgia, they arrested Joel Ramos, Luis Masso-Deleon and Tyeheem Crawley, all of Binghamton on drug & weapons charges, they were being processed by the Binghamton Police Department.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 9-4-25

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the start of the fall foliage travel season throughout New York State & the ‘I LOVE NY’ Fall Foliage Reports will be available online Every Wednesday Beginning September 10. For more than 40 years, I LOVE NY has issued weekly fall foliage reports and, this year, Reports are available online at iloveny.com/foliage or toll-free at 800-CALL-NYS.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 8-5-25

48 year old Nicholas Cartelli of Otego was sentenced in Delaware County Court Monday for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. Cartelli was sentenced to 4 years in state prison and two years of post-release supervision. On January 3rd, State Police conducted a routine traffic stop after noticing a vehicle with no license plate lamps, and illegal license plates that weren’t registered to that vehicle. A search of Cartelli's vehicle was conducted and Police seized heroin, cocaine, a scale, and ammunition from the vehicle.

47 year old Nicholas Cartelli of Otego pleaded guilty in Delaware County Court to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance last week. On January 3rd, Cartelli & a co-defendant possessed 1 or more preparations, compounds, mixtures, or substances containing a narcotic, Cartelli admitted that he possessed Heroin in the Village of Sidney, he was remanded to the Delaware County Jail to await his sentencing, which is set for August 5th, he will be sentenced to 4 years in state prison and 2 years of post-release supervision.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 3-20-25

45 year old Thomas Stanley of South New Berlin was sentenced in Delaware County Court to 4 years in prison for Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & Possession with the Intent to Sell. On April 30th , 2023, Sidney Police conducted a traffic stop with 4 passengers inside, including Thomas Stanley, it was discovered that the driver, Thomas Wright, was the subject of an Order of Protection granted to a separate passenger of the vehicle. The car was impounded and heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine packaged for sale were located. Stanley and Wright were indicted by a Grand Jury for 6 counts of drug- related felonies.

28 year old Erin Hubbell of Margaretville pleaded guilty to violating the terms and conditions of her conditional discharge, she was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 364 days in the Delaware County Jail. On March 17, 2024, Erin Hubbell, & 3 other individuals, were arrested after a traffic stop of their vehicle and a search uncovered fentanyl, she pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, as part of her plea bargain she agreed to seek help for drug addiction and refrain from further violations, however, Hubbell was stopped by State Police On January 8th, a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of Cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin & other narcotics, she was arrested & still faces unrelated felony drug charges. The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office filed a request to declare her delinquent on the terms of her conditional discharge, leading to the latest sentence.

45 year old Thomas Stanley of South New Berlin, pleaded guilty Delaware County Court last week to Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. On April 30, 2023, Sidney Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with 4 individuals, including Stanley. Officers discovered that the driver, Thomas Wright, was the subject of an Order of Protection granted to a passenger of the vehicle, Wright's car was impounded, Officers found heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine packaged for sale. Stanley and Wright were indicted by the Delaware County Grand Jury and charged with 6 counts of drug- related felonies. Over the course of Stanley’s case, numerous bench warrants were issued for his arrest due to his continual failure to appear in Court, On January 10th, Stanley was apprehended and remanded without bail, he will likely be sentenced to 4 years in prison & 2 years of post-release supervision.

Chenango Arts Council announced today a grant totaling $40,000 has be awarded from the State Council on the Arts to support the nonprofit arts and culture sector, the state council has awarded $82 million this year to 509 artists and 1,497 organizations across the state.

A.M. NEWS Thursday 1-9-25

A Delaware County Grand Jury returned a 12 count indictment against 47 year old Nicholas Cartelli of Otego and 38 year old Taylor Church of Bainbridge on a variety of drug & weapons charges on Tuesday. The pair are accused of possessing Heroin, Methamphetamines, cocaine, packaging materials, a loaded handgun & rifles in the Town of Sidney, where they are accused of possessing the drugs with intent to sell.

State Police initiated a traffic stop on I-81 north in Cortlandville Sunday Night after observing a vehicle that did not have its rear taillights illuminated. After an investigation and a search of the vehicle, the Trooper located 110 bricks of heroin, Two containers of cannabis wax, cannabis & drug paraphernalia. Troopers arrested 25 year old Kenneth Williams of Syracuse, NY and 22 year old Kyrell Robinson of Syracuse, Both were charged with: Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia, both were processed and transported to the Cortland County Correctional Facility for Centralized Arraignment.

State Police arrested 67 year old Eric Halstead of Candor, for Corrupting the Government & 3rd degree Grand Larceny, following an investigation by State Police with the Office of the State Comptroller. An investigation revealed that over several years while Halstead was Mayor of the Village of Candor, he withdrew over $23,000 dollars in cash from a Village account for personal use, Halstead replaced approximately $19-thousand dollars but still owes money to the Village of Candor. Halstead was arrested and Arraigned & he was released on his own recognizance and scheduled to appear in the Candor Town Court on August 5th.

A.M. News Tuesday 7-2-24

State Police responded to a report of a domestic dispute on County Highway 47 in the town of Oneonta. 37 year old Timothy White of Oneonta was in possession of long guns and a victim was fearful of White’s past actions that could lead to further harm. While issuing an Extreme Risk Protection Order, Troopers observed numerous firearms and narcotics related items which further resulted in a search warrant of White’s residence, where Police seized methamphetamines, heroin, pills, scales, packaging materials & 2 rifles with defaced serial numbers White was charged with multiple counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & Criminal Possession of a Weapon, he was arraigned & was remanded on $50,000 cash or $100,000 property bond.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 6-12-24

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant in the Town of North Norwich Monday that resulted in the arrest of four individuals for drug charges. Members of the Chenango County Sheriff's Office executed a no-knock search warrant at 113 Memory Lane in the Town of North Norwich, Deputies and Detectives entered the residence and located Matthew Mason, Christopher Fuller, Samantha Savianeso, and Thomas Knickerbocker, they located Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, packaging materials, scales, hundreds of dollars in cash, and other materials indicative of the sale and distribution of drugs. Mason, Fuller, Savianeso, and Knickerbocker were transported to the Chenango County Sheriff's Office, Mason was processed and arraigned in Centralized Arraignment where he was held at the Chenango County Correctional Facility with no bail until he can be seen in Chenango County Court, the rest were released in their own recognizance.

US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced the passage of the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence Act, following the rise in Fentanyl overdoses & deaths, the bill increases the ability to go after the drug traffickers and seizing their assets:

(Gillibrand 5-1-24)

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and cannot be detected by taste, smell, or sight when mixed with other drugs.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 5-1-24

The Bainbridge Community Center will hold their Open House & Grand Opening Celebration tonight, at 5 Prospect Street in Bainbridge from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, Spokesman Roger Barnhart comments:

(Roger Barnhart 5-1-24)

More information about renting the facility is available by calling Dolores Nabinger at 607-237-9414.

41 year old Patrick Ladd of Walton, was convicted in Delaware County Court for Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, with intent to sell, Ladd appeared Monday for a conference on his pending indictment, he then pleaded guilty to the charge, he admitted that he possessed 2 grams of methamphetamine and 13 bags of heroin in Walton on December 17, 2023, he also admitted that he planned to sell those drugs. Judge Hubbard ordered Ladd to serve 4 years in state prison and 2 years of post-release supervision. The defendant was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility to begin serving his sentence.

The 2024 edition of The Nate Lull Scholarship is now taking applications at natelull.com and clicking on the scholarship tab, Lull commented about the scholarship:

(Nate Lull 3-26-24)

Lull said that the deadline to apply is May 11th. Also, registration for this year's Nate Lull Golf Tournament is available through his website, the tournament will be held in Franklin on Sunday July 7th.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 3-26-24

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 24 year old Cotty Hubbard of Oneonta for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Sell & Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with an aggregate weight, following an investigation in to reported drug activity in the Town of Oneonta. In November of 2022, Otsego County Deputies and the State Police were dispatched to a location in the Town of Oneonta for suspicious activity, Hubbard was arrested & was released on an appearance ticket, he was accused of possessing a heroin and fentanyl mixture as well as 6 grams of cocaine, plus hypodermic needles, smoking devices and digital scales. Last August, a sealed indictment was granted by an Otsego County Grand Jury, Hubbard was located Monday and he was arraigned in Otsego County Court and released on his own recognizance.

Broome County Sheriff's Office announced that Correctional Facility Searches by K-9 Marley have led to Felony Drug and Contraband Charges. In Case #1 On February 14, 36 year old Heather Aviles of Owego was found to have Heroin, Aviles was charged with Promoting Prison Contraband & Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia. In Case #2, On February 23, 34 year old Marvin Greene of Binghamton was flushing his toilet multiple times, which led to cell search and strip search, Greene became uncooperative, physically struggling with officers, they found synthetic cannabis. Greene was charged with Promoting Prison Contraband, Attempting to Conceal/Alter/Destroy Physical Evidence, & Obstructing Governmental Administration.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 3-5-24

The Chenango County Sheriff's Office arrested 37 year old Joseph Grace of Norwich on 2 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & 1 count of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia. Grace was arrested following a traffic stop, they seized Grace's Backpack & applied for a search warrant on that backpack, which contained 180 wax envelopes containing Fentanyl/Heroin, 14.3 grams of crystal Methamphetamine, a digital scale, and other materials used to sell illegal narcotics. Grace was processed & was released on an appearance ticket for City of Norwich Court at a later date.

Norwich Police Department concluded an investigation into the Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the City of Norwich, they arrested 29 year old Austin Hutchins of Norwich for Criminal Possession of a Narcotic with Intent to Sell & Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. On February 9th, Norwich Police Officers and Detectives took Hutchins into custody for an active Bench Warrant out of Oneida County, during this arrest, Norwich Officers located 7 bricks of heroin mixed with fentanyl, quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, over one thousand dollars in cash, and drug paraphernalia. Hutchins was released on an Appearance ticket to appear at Norwich Court at a later date, and was turned back over to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office on his warrant.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 1-31-24

The Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 37 year old Michael Ide of Oneonta following a narcotics investigation. Ide was charged with several counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, plus 2 counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia. On December 11th 2023, members of the State Division of Parole, Oneonta Police Department and the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of a residence in the Town of Oneonta, Officers seized methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, suboxone, plus $669 in US currency, digital scales, packaging materials, drug paraphernalia and a notebook containing drug sales records were also seized, Ide faces court action shortly.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested 28 year old Frank Mazepa of Morris on 2 counts of Criminal Possession of a controlled substance. On January 8, Deputies assisted the SUNY Delhi Police Department on a traffic stop in the Village of Delhi, it was determined that the passenger in the vehicle was in possession of a quantity of crack cocaine and heroin. Mazepa was released on appearance tickets for the Town of Delhi court at a later date.

Broome County’s Special Investigation Unit Task Force raided 435 Chenango Street, in Binghamton, Police arrested 44-year-old Luis Ruiz and 42-year-old Rasheda Crowder. Police seized 2 loaded handguns, an AK47 style handgun, thousands of rounds of ammunition, three high-capacity magazines, as well as heroin & fentanyl. Ruiz and Crowder were charged with multiple counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a weapon & face court action shortly.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-12-23

Chenango County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant in the Town of Smithville on December 8, that resulted in the arrest of 37 year old Troy Dibble of Smithville. Dibble was taken in custody, he was wanted on a felony arrest warrant for Reckless Endangerment, for allegedly firing numerous rounds from a handgun into a vehicle that was occupied. The investigation also uncovered Dibble's drug sales from within the residence, Office members recovered Heroin, Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and numerous handguns. Dibble was charged with Criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of stolen property, criminal possession of a weapon, Criminally using drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest & several other charges, he was arraigned & was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on cash bail pending future court action.

Attorney General Letitia James today announced the takedown of a major drug trafficking ring that was distributing heroin and fentanyl, as well as powder and crack cocaine in Rensselaer, Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Dutchess counties. The takedown resulted in the indictment of 25 individuals charged with 164 crimes and recovered cocaine, heroin laced with fentanyl, which have a street value of approximately $350,000 plus 4 handguns, 2 large capacity ammunition feeding devices, and the seizure of over $50,000 in cash.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 8-17-23

Norwich City Police arrested 2 men on drug charges, after they pulled over suspects accused of possessing illegal drugs. Police seized methamphetamines and heroin, they arrested 40 year old Anthony Torres of Utica & 39 year old Matthew Lamb of Norwich, they were charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, both are facing court action shortly.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 8-8-23

37 year old Thomas Wright of Sidney, appeared in Delaware County Court Monday and was arraigned on a sealed indictment. The 6 Count Indictment accuses Wright with intending to sell the heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine that was discovered in the trunk of a car on April 30th in the Village of Sidney. Wright Pleaded not guilty to the indictment, if convicted, each of the felonies carry a maximum 9-year sentence.

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited the Southern Tier Crime Analysis Center to announce Senate passage of her FEND Off Fentanyl Act. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin, the majority of illegal fentanyl entering the United States is made with Chinese precursor chemicals and manufactured in Mexico. This bill will empower the U.S. government to go after the cartels bringing Fentanyl into the US and those producing and shipping the precursor materials. The law also enhances sanctions enforcement and gives the Treasury Department tools to combat fentanyl-related money laundering.

43 year old Nicholas Marte of Mount Upton  was sentenced to 1 year of Drug Treatment Court, along with 5 years of felony probation supervision in Delaware County Court. On April 7, 2022, Hancock Police discovered Marte passed out in his vehicle at the Valero Parking lot, police confiscated needles and heroin. Marte pleaded guilty to Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, on Monday he was sentenced on his conviction, he must enroll in and successfully complete Adult Treatment Court.