NORWICH – Twelve individuals were indicted by the Chenango County Grand Jury when it convened last week.
During the proceeding, the Chenango County District Attorney’s Office presents evidence against those it wishes to prosecute. In each instance, it is up to the Grand Jury to decide if there is reasonable cause to charge that person with a felony level offense.
Those indicted by the Grand Jury are arraigned before the County or Supreme Court Judge at a later date.
On Aug. 10, a total of 22 felonies and a handful of lesser charges were filed against the 12 defendants, all of which were either theft or alcohol related.
• Carolan L. Henninge, 23, Norwich, was indicted for aggravated driving while intoxicated and driving while intoxicated, both class E felonies. Henninge was arrested on May 31 following a traffic stop on County Road 3 in the Town of Smithville. According to the indictment, she had a blood alcohol content of .19 of 1 percent at the time of her arrest. Henninge has a previous DWI conviction out of Norwich City Court.
• Richard G Riesel, 42, Preston, and Scott M. Brazee, 36, Oxford were each indicted for third degree burglary, a class D felony, and petit larceny, a class A misdemeanor. The charges stem from an incident which took place in May where Riesel and Brazee allegedly entered a garage in the Town of Preston illegally and stole a Husky push lawn mower, an air compressor, a stove range and assorted tools.
• Lance L. Beckwith and Nicholas J. Wright, both of Norwich, were indicted on two counts of third degree burglary, class D felonies, and two counts of petit larceny, class A misdemeanors, in connection with two break-ins which occurred on or about June 14. On that date, Beckwith and Wright allegedly broke into an unoccupied residence on Whaupaunaucau Road in the Town of North Norwich and a shed on Bates-Wilson Road in the Town of Plymouth. They allegedly stole two metal milk cans and metals from the North Norwich property; and allegedly stole chain link wire fencing and electric fence wire from the Plymouth property.
• Sean R. Leonard was indicted for second degree criminal mischief, a class D felony, and third degree criminal mischief, a class E felony, in connection with an incident which occurred on the night of May 27 in the Village of New Berlin. Leonard and at least one other individual allegedly slashed the tires of cars parked in the parking lot of Preferred Mutual Insurance Company, causing an estimated $6,000 worth of damage. They also allegedly caused $300 worth of damage to a flood light on the sign outside of NBT Bank’s New Berlin branch.
