Schenectady man steals from Kiosks
ALBANY – 28-year-old Pashton Rifiqie of Schenectady pleaded guilty to criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree, a felony, before Judge William Little in Albany County Court Monday, May 15.
This plea fully satisfies the initial indictment, which included three counts of grand larceny in the third degree, and one count of criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree.
The indictment alleged that on or about June 2, 2022, while at the Colonie Center Mall, the defendant stole over $3,000 worth of property from the Perfume Corner Kiosk.
The defendant was also accused of stealing over $3,000 worth of property from the “Banter by Piercing Pagoda” Kiosk at the same mall, on or about June 8. He’s also accused of returning to the same kiosk on June 14, and stealing over $3,000 worth of property again.
Rifiqie is also accused of possessing over $50,000 worth of stolen property on February 16.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 20.
Rifiqie faces a range between 1 to 3 years, and 5 to 15 years indeterminate in State Prison. Additionally, full restitution must be paid, and No-Contact orders of protection will be issued on behalf of all victims.
Insurance fraud
COLONIE – On May 2, State Police received information that an Albany resident had committed insurance fraud.
The investigation determined that Michael R. Hatfield, 35, allegedly reinstated an insurance policy that had lapsed for approximately two months in March 2022.
During reinstatement, Hatfield completed a document indicating he was not involved in any crashes during the lapse. Further investigation revealed that Hatfield’s uninsured vehicle was involved in a collision in Colonie during the insurance lapse.
Hatfield was charged with insurance fraud, a felony, and processed on May 11, then issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Colonie Town Court on May 24 and released.
DWI on the Northway
COLONIE – On Saturday, May 13, at about 8:05 p.m., State Police stopped a vehicle on I-87 in Colonie for Vehicle and Traffic Law violations.
The driver was identified as a 54-year-old
Troy woman. She was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and other Vehicle and Traffic Law violations. The woman was transported to SP Latham for processing, where she provided a breath sample that returned a 0.08 percent BAC.
The woman was issued tickets returnable to the Colonie Town Court on May 29 and released to a sober third party.
DWI on Route 7
COLONIE – On Sunday, May 14 at about 8:11 a.m. State Police stopped a vehicle on Route 7 in Colonie for a Vehicle and Traffic Law violation.
The driver was identified as a 58-year-old Rensselaer woman. She was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and other Vehicle and Traffic Law violations.
She was transported to SP Latham for processing, where she provided a breath sample that returned a 0.12 percent BAC. The woman was issued tickets returnable to the Colonie Town Court on June 5 and released.
Twice in two days
COLONIE – A 50-year-old Malta man was arrested twice in two days beginning on Sunday, May 7.
It began with an domestic incident in Latham where the man, who had a full-stay away order for another person, went to the residence of that person. Saratoga County Sheriff’s office deputies located the man at his residence and transported him to meet Colonie police. He was processed and arraigned on that charge.
Then on Tuesday, May 9 at approximately 5:43 p.m., Colonie police responded to a call for a reckless driver near Balsam Way.
Officers performed a traffic stop and observed the same man driving the vehicle and he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath and an open container in his vehicle. The man had watery, slurred speech and poor motor coordination. He was given and failed field sobriety tests and tested positive for breath alcohol on a pre-screening device.
The man was charged with reckless driving and DWI, both misdemeanors, and ticketed for failure to keep right, improper passing on the right and drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle.
He was released with an appearance ticket for those charges. The man is scheduled back in Colonie Town Court on Monday, May 22.
One day, two times violating mandate
COLONIE – A local doctor was arrested twice on Sunday. May 7 for violating an order of protection and damaging the victim’s property.
Matthew Ben, 56, of Colonie, has a full-away order of protection from the victim from Albany County Family Court.
The first incident was at 2:49 a.m. when Ben climbed through a kitchen window in the residence and damaged property. Colonie police located Ben inside the residence.
He was charged with Burglary, a felony, and criminal mischief and disobeying a mandate, both misdemeanors.
Ben was processed and arraigned in Colonie Town Court.
Later in the day, Ben was arrested again at the residence and allegedly damaged the victims car door. He was charged with criminal contempt and criminal mischief, both felonies.
He was transported and arraigned by Colonie Town Judge David Green.
Outside felony warrant
COLONIE – Colonie police responded to a domestic incident on Central Avenue on Sunday, May 7 and found that one of the involved parties had an outstanding warrant.
Kiheem Chestnut, 33, of Albany was wanted in Troy on a felony offense and was taken into custody. Chestnut was processed and turned over to Troy police.
Warrant
SCHENECTADY – A Schenectady man was apprehended by Schenectady police on Monday, May 8 and turned over to Colonie police for an active warrant.
Lyle Larose, 46, had a warrant because he did not show up for court in April. He was processed and arraigned by Colonie Judge Norman Massry.
Bench warrant
COLONIE – A 23-year-old homeless man was brought to Colonie to face an outstanding warrant from the Rensselaer County jail on Monday, May 8. Daniel Williams, who had a listed occupation of “Thief,” was processed and arraigned by Colonie Town Judge Norman Massry for not showing up for court in April.
Bench warrant
COLONIE – Albany County jail employees brought Myaire Leigh, 25, of Cohoes, to Colonie Town Court on Monday, May 8 to face a warrant for not showing up to court in June 2022.
Leigh was processed and arraigned by Judge Norman Massry.
Bench warrant
COLONIE – An Albany woman was brought to Colonie Town Court from the Albany County jail on Monday, May 8 for an outstanding warrant. Abigail Henderson, 33, did not appear in court in October. She was processed and arraigned by Judge Norman Massry.
Robbery on Albany Shaker Road
LOUDONVILLE – Colonie police responded to the Sunoco station on the corner of Albany Shaker and Wolf Roads on Tuesday, May 9 for a robbery with a firearm and later in the day, arrested a homeless man at the Red Roof Inn on Wolf Road.
Maki Dingle, 44, allegedly was shoplifting in the store when an employee confronted him. Dingle brandished a gun and left the store with the items. At 1:40 p.m., officers located Dingle at the hotel and took him into custody.
Dingle was charged with robbery – with a firearm, a felony, and petit larceny, menacing with a weapon and criminal possession of a controlled substance, all misdemeanors.
He was arraigned by Colonie Town Judge Norman Massry.