Faces federal charges for aggravated sexual abuse of a child
SLINGERLANDS – A 73-year-old Slingerlands man was arrested by FBI agents on Wednesday, May 17 and arraigned in Federal Court in Albany for abusing a six-year old girl in his care.
Federal prosecutors charged Daniel Fuino with one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old and arraigned by United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart and was ordered detained after reserving his right to seek a detention hearing at a later date.
According to the criminal complaint and statements made by prosecutors in court Thursday, Fuino repeatedly molested a child.
Fuino babysat the child at his home and brought her with him to Atlantic City, New Jersey, on weekends while the child’s mother worked.
The complaint alleges that during those stays, Fuino photographed the child’s genitals, digitally penetrated her, and forced the girl to perform oral sex on him.
The conduct is alleged to have occurred over the past 11 months, beginning when the child was 6 years old.
Law enforcement has recovered images of the victim depicting some of the abuse from Fuino’s electronic devices. The victim reported the abuse to her school last week after an elementary school presentation on inappropriate touching and sexual contact.
The charge filed against Fuino carries a sentence of at least 30 years and up to life in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, and the State Police.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Aggravated DWI on Route 85
SLINGERLANDS – A 32-year-old Slingerlands man is facing DWI charges after an incident on Route 85 on Monday, May 22 at 12:06 a.m.
Bethlehem police responded to a call for a disabled vehicle in traffic near the Albany City line on the highway. When they arrived they found a gray 2022 Volkswagen on the shoulder of the road with two flat front tires that were partially shredded and its four-way flashers on.
Upon interviewing the driver, the officer observed a man still in the driver’s seat and confirmed that he called police. The man said he got the flat tires a few miles back, but did not know where.
The officer also observed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. When the man exited the vehicle, he was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech and had bloodshot and watery eyes.
He was given and failed most of the field sobriety tests, tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device and was taken into custody.
At the police station he provided a breath sample that returned a .20 percent BAC.
The man was charged with aggravated DWI, a misdemeanor, given an appearance ticket and released.
He is scheduled to return to Bethlehem Town Court on Tuesday, June 6.
Grand larceny at Kohl’s, but much more
BALLSTON SPA – A man who is not a stranger to Bethlehem police was picked up by Colonie police at the Saratoga County jail on Monday, May 15 to face charges from a May 2022 incident at Kohl’s on Central Avenue.
Guillermo Santiago, 50, whose address is listed at the jail but originally from Albany was charged with grand larceny, a felony. He was processed and arraigned.
Santiago was arrested in October after leaving the Albany County jail by Bethlehem police on a warrant after they were called to Tractor Supply in Glenmont on September 10. At that time, Santiago placed seven Carhartt jackets into a cart, left the store and drove away. Four days later, he returned to the same store and put six more Carhartt jackets into a bag and left the store.
He was arraigned by Town Justice Andrew Kirby, that time, and turned over to State Police for another outstanding warrant out of Clifton Park.
In November, Santiago was arrested by Colonie police in connection with a June incident at Colonie Center. That time he was transported from the Albany County Jail to face charges of robbery, burglary and conspiracy, all felonies. He was at the jail on other charges for other agencies. The June 10 incident at Colonie Center included five offenders and had two victims. He was processed and arraigned on those charges in Colonie.
It is unclear what happened after arraignment on May 15 in Colonie Town Court.
Two men, no licenses, but had heroin
SELKIRK – Bethlehem police observed a 2003 Ford Expedition traveling on River Road without an inspection sticker on Thursday, May 25 and stopped the vehicle.
Upon interviewing the driver, Nicholas Wager, 41, of Mechanicville, officers found through a DMV check that his license was suspended. He had 14 suspensions on it.
The passenger Scott Domine, 47, of Troy also had a suspended ID.
Because the registered owner of the vehicle was not present at the time, the vehicle was towed. Before towing, an inventory of the vehicle revealed a pill bottle and red straw in the door. Inside the bottle were seven bundles of a white powder marked “Cartel.”
The substance field tested for heroin. The two men were taken into custody for possessing the drug.
Wager and Domine were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, a felony. Wager was additionally charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, a misdemeanor, and ticketed for not having an inspection sticker.
Both men were processed and arraigned by Bethlehem Town Judge Andrew Kirby. Domine was sent to the Albany County jail until a preliminary hearing on May 26 and Wager was released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled back in court on June 20.