Randall Rolison

The Jamestown man charged in two fatal crashes has pleaded guilty in Chautauqua County Court.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt announced that 60-year old Randall Rolison pled guilty to Second Degree Manslaughter for the vehicular fatality that took the life of 15-year old Lexy Hughan on December 31, 2021 in Jamestown. He also pled guilty to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide for the vehicular fatality in Arkwright that resulted in the death of 71-year old Linda Kraemer of South Dayton.

Rolison will be sentenced on August 28 and faces a total of 13 1/3 to 40 years in prison.

Schmidt said the pending weapons possesion charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal.

He said the plea came following consultation with the Hughan and Kraemer families.

Lexy Hughan’s mother, Sara Rafaloski, expressed her relief that the court case is over, “And I’m really glad that it’s over. I’m glad that I don’t have to sit through any grueling details of any case stuff that nobody needs to hear. No fighting over something that obviously happened that’s obviously his fault. It’s all done and over. I’m much happier about that.”

A bench and picnic table dedication was held Saturday morning at Dow Park in Jamestown that memorializes Lexy Hughan.

Melissa Paterniti, who fundraised the money for the bench and table, said a roadside memorial had initially gone up near the site where Lexy had died, “And things on the side of the road had kind of started to get dusty and dirty. And people were saying stuff about it and I thought, ‘How can I help? How can I help this little girl have a beautiful memorial somewhere in the city of Jamestown to come and visit and celebrate her life?'”

Friends and Family cut the ribbon on a bench installed in memory of Lexy Hughan in Dow Park (June 10, 2023)

Rafaloski said it was amazing to have the community to come together to create the memorial. The dedication coincided with the start of the Jamestown Pride Festival, something she said Lexy would have been really happy about.

Randall Rolison

The Jamestown Post-Journal reports the Jamestown man accused of killing a Jamestown teenager in a hit and run accident rejected a plea deal in County Court.

60-year old Randall Rolison rejected a deal that would have had him pleading guilty to 2nd Degree manslaughter for striking 15-year old Lexy Hughan with his truck and also pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated vehicular manslaughter for driving an SUV which killed 71-year old Linda Kraemer. The deal included him admitting he was under the influence of narcotics in both accidents with resulting sentence of 13 1/3 to 25 years in state prison.

Rolison was out on bail following the hit and run fatality when State Police say he ran a stop sign on State Route 83 in the town of Arkwright, hitting a truck driven by 71-year old Gary Kraemer of South Dayton. The collision caused serious injuries to Gary Kraemer and resulted in the death of his wife, Linda.

Rolison also was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon after police found three illegal weapons in his possession.

The Jamestown Post-Journal reports the weapons court case will take place June 12. The other two trials will be held after that one is complete.

Randall Rolison

The Jamestown man involved in two separate fatal incidents has been indicted for the crash that happened in December 2022.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt announced that 59-year old Randall Rolison was indicted by a Chautauqua County Grand Jury on charges of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide and 2nd Degree Manslaughter in connection with the fatal crash that took the life of Linda Kraemer on December 3, 2022.

Rolison was arraigned in County Court on February 28th and is in the County Jail without bail.

He has previously been indicted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run that occurred in Jamestown in December 2021. 15-year old Lexy Hughan died in that incident. Rolison faces manslaughter, driving while ability impaired by drugs, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving a death in that case. He also faces a weapons charge.

Randall Rolison

A Jamestown man who was involved in two separate fatal crashes has had his bail revoked and is in jail.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said 59-year old Randall Rolison is in the County Jail without bail following his release from UPMC Hamot Medical Center where he had been receiving treatment for injuries he sustained in a fatal crash on December 5, 2022. That crash in the town of Arkwright resulted in the death of 71-year Linda Kraemer and seriously injured 71-year old Gary Kraemer, both of South Dayton.

Schmidt said charges are still pending against Rolison in that incident.

Rolison had previously been indicted by a Chautauqua County Grand Jury on manslaughter charges after striking and killing 15-year old Lexy Hughan on December 31, 2021 with a commercial vehicle. He also is charged with three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.

Randall Rolison

The Jamestown man involved in a fatal hit and run accident in Jamestown last December has been involved in another fatal car accident in the town of Arkwright.

State Police said 59-year old Randall Rolison was the driver of the car that went through a stop sign at the intersection of State Route 83 and Center Road, hitting the car driven by 71-year old Gary Kraemer of South Dayton on Saturday night. The collision caused his passenger, 71-year old Linda Kraemer, to be ejected from the car. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kraemer, Rolison, and passengers in his vehicle were taken to area hospitals for non-life threatening injuries.

Rolison had previously been indicted by a Chautauqua County Grand Jury on a manslaughter charges after striking and killing 15-year old Lexy Hughan on December 31, 2021 with a commercial vehicle. He also is charged with three counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt issued a statement saying his office is “pursuing a number of options available under the law for addressing the current situation, including seeking the revocation of Mr. Rolison’s bail so that he can be jailed pending trial on the indicted cases. We are also actively working to develop information and evidence arising from Saturday’s accident which may lead us to file new charges against Mr. Rolison.

Schmidt criticized County Court Judge David Foley in his statement for reducing the amount of requested bail for Rolison on all charges from $500,000 cash or $1 million property bond to a total of $85,000 cash or $170,000 property bond. Rolison was able to make bail and was released at that time.

New York State Police said the accident happened on State Route 83 and Center Road in the town of Arkwright the evening of Saturday, December 3.

Police say the car driven by 59-year old Randall Rolison failed to stop at a stop sign and struck a car driven by by 71-year old Gary Kraemer of South Dayton. His passenger, 71-year old Linda Kraemer, was ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene.

New York State Collision Reconstruction and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation assisted with the investigation, which is ongoing.

Rolison is already facing charges of three counts of 2nd degree criminal possession of a weapon and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving a death charges for the December 31, 2021 hit and run accident that resulted in the death of 15-year old Lexy Hughan.

Randall Rolison

The Jamestown man charged in the hit and run death of a Jamestown teenager on New Year’s Eve has now been indicted on illegal weapons charges.

Jamestown Police report 58-year old Randall Rolison has been indicted by a Grand Jury with three counts of 2nd degree criminal possession of a weapon.

The charges comes following the discovery of three unregistered handguns in a storage unit in the town of Busti. Jamestown investigators obtained a search warrant from the District Attorney’s office on January 7 to search the unit.

Rolison is currently in jail on leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving a death charges. Further charges pending toxicology reports are possible.

Police say the investigation is continuing.

Randall Rolison

The truck driver charged in the vehicle-pedestrian accident that killed 15-year old Alexis Hughan is in jail on more charges.

Jamestown Police report 58-year old Randall Rolison was sent to the County Jail without bail after an investigation found new information led to the upgraded charge of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving a death, which is a felony.

A preliminary hearing was held in Jamestown City Court Wednesday with Judge John LaMancuso ruling there was reasonable cause to believe a crime was committed. The case goes to a Grand Jury now.

Police say the investigation is continuing and additional charges are possible pending the results of toxicology submitted to the State Police Crime Lab in Albany.

A memorial service will be held for Lexy Hughan this Saturday, January 8, at First Covenant Church. Friends will be received beginning at 11 a.m. with the service starting at 1:00 p.m.

A celebration of Lexi’s life will follow at The Spire Theater’s Odyssey Hall.

Randall Rolison

A Jamestown man has been charged in the car-pedestrian accident that killed a 15-year old Jamestown girl.

Jamestown Police report 58-year old Randall Rolison was charged with driving while impaired by drugs and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.

A tractor-trailer driven by Rolison struck 15-year old Alexis “Lexi” Hughan as she was crossing West Sixth Street by Washington Street Friday afternoon.

Rolison left the scene and was stopped on Fairmount Avenue by Lakewood-Busti Police after a police bulletin was released. Hughan died at the scene.

Police said Rollison was released on an appearance ticket per bail reform.

As part of a multi-agency investigation code-named Operation Horseback, state, federal and local law enforcement agents led by Attorney General Schneiderman’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF), New York State Police’s CNET and the Jamestown Police Department conducted a year-long investigation that included undercover operations, hundreds of hours of covert surveillance, and wiretaps. The investigation led to the seizure of more than 3,000 baggies of heroin with an estimated street value of $60,000, all for distribution in Jamestown.

According to the indictment, members of the narcotics distribution organization would transport the heroin to Jamestown from New York City in a canister located underneath a 1999 Chevy Astro Van. Wiretaps caught the defendants discussing their drug transactions in a cryptic and coded manner in the hope of avoiding detection by law enforcement. Neftali Cintron, known as “Pucho”, and his son-in-law Luis DeJesus, known as “Papito”, would allegedly travel to Philadelphia to obtain heroin, which their minions distributed for them in Jamestown. When they did not like the quality of the narcotics from that source, they would obtain drugs from other dealers in the area.

One of those distributors, Luis Lozada-Berberena, known as “Wiso”, allegedly operated his heroin business during regular business hours – sometimes telling customers he was “closed for the day” – and had a number of regular customers who would line up to meet and follow him to out-of-the-way locations to make a deal. He allegedly got his heroin from Carlos Encarnacion, who regularly drove to New York City and returned with heroin hidden in the specially outfitted Astro Van. Wiso also purchased suboxone strips from one heroin customer and sold them to another heroin customer, Leslie Rodriguez. She then allegedly smuggled them into Gowanda Correctional Facility in Erie County where her boyfriend was incarcerated there. He then allegedly sold the suboxone, making over $300 per strip.

Defendant Edwin Velasquez allegedly sold to individuals in his drug rehabilitation group. Carlos Echiaverria, known as “Boobie”, was a dealer who obtained heroin from all of the above sources, and sold cocaine and firearms during the course of this investigation as detailed in the indictment. Boobie enlisted his father-in-law to travel to Buffalo on a bus to bring heroin from New York City for sale in Jamestown.

The 159-count indictment unsealed in Chautauqua County Court today charges 47 people with crimes including Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree and Conspiracy (class A and B felonies), and various counts of Criminal Sale and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance (class B felonies).

Charged in the Chautauqua County indictment are:

• Alberto Alicea; age 54, Brooklyn, NY
• Neftali Benitez, a/k/a “Tego”; age 33, Jamestown, NY
• Bryan Bobe; age 25, Jamestown, NY
• Charles Brown, a/k/a “Choco Loco”; age 42, Falconer, NY
• Stephen Bush; age 33, Jamestown, NY
• Hector Cameron, a/k/a “Loco”; age 31, Jamestown, NY
• Javier Carasquillo, a/k/a “Oreja”; age 43, Jamestown, NY
• Neftali Cintron, a/k/a “Pucho”; age 51, Jamestown, NY
• Hector Colon Rodriguez , a/k/a “Chino”; age 40, Jamestown, NY
• Ivan DeJesus Pena; age 45, Jamestown, NY
• Luis DeJesus, a/k/a “Papito”; age 29, Jamestown, NY
• Alfredo Diaz, a/k/a “Ding Dong”; age 51, Jamestown, NY
• Samantha DiLallo; age 26, Randolph, NY
• Carlos Echiaverria, a/k/a “Boobie”; age 31, Jamestown, NY
• Carlos Encarnacion; age 59, Jamestown, NY
• Roberto Figueredo, a/k/a “Bost”; age 25
• Joseph Fontanez; age 24, Jamestown, NY
• Christopher Freeney; age 43, Jamestown, NY
• Luis Garcia, a/k/a “Wichie”; age 42, Jamestown, NY
• Rolando Garcia; age 50, Jamestown, NY
• John Grilla; age 28, Jamestown, NY
• Jose Guevara, a/k/a “Pun”; age 29, Jamestown, NY
• Angelita Guzman, a/k/a “Michelle”; age 28, Jamestown, NY
• Francisco Guzman Gonzalez; age 46, Jamestown, NY
• Michael Lisciandro, a/k/a “Dougie”; age 23, Jamestown, NY
• Moises Lopez-Encarnacion, a/k/a “Junito”; age 22, Mayville, NY
• Luis Lozada Berberena, a/k/a “Wiso”; age 40, Jamestown, NY
• Eric M. Lundsten; age 29, Ellington, NY
• Roberto Morales-Sanchez, a/k/a “Pichulin”; age 45, Jamestown, NY
• Jean Noriega, a/k/a “John”; age 43
• Frank Orazio; age 24, Cassadaga, NY
• LaShawn Paige; age 42, Binghamton, NY
• Doris Ramos; age 25, Jamestown, NY
• Ricardo Ramos; age 27, Jamestown, NY
• Jonathan Ribbing; age 27, Lakewood, NY
• Eddie Robles, a/k/a “Nelson”; age 49, Jamestown, NY
• Leslie Rodriguez; age 28, Jamestown, NY
• Randall Rolison; age 51, Jamestown, NY
• Olga Santiago; age 49, Jamestown, NY
• Jesus Javier Suarez; age 44, Jamestown, NY
• Enrique Torres-Baez, a/k/a “Quique”; age 43, Jamestown, NY
• James Torres, a/k/a “BK”; age 42, Jamestown, NY
• Damaris Urena; age 35, Jamestown, NY
• Francis Vega, a/k/a “Pollo”; age 37
• Edwin Velasquez; age 53, Falconer, NY
• Joshua Van Ord; age 20, Lakewood, NY and
• Walter Westerdahl age 33, Jamestown, NY