Michael Burham

Michael Burham has been extradited back to New York State.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt sent out a brief notice that Burham appeared Wednesday in Federal Court after being extradited from South Carolina following a two week manhunt.

Schmidt is expected to provide a full update on the status of the case this morning.

Burham allegedly kidnapped an elderly couple in Pennsylvania, who he appeared to have drive him to the southern state.

He was previously charged by Jamestown Police with 1st Degree Rape, which resulted in a warrant being issued for his arrest on April 27. Jamestown Police then charged Burham with 3rd Degree Arson following an incident on Fulton Street on May 11. He is also a suspect in an ongoing homicide investigation arising from the death of Kala Hodgkin which occurred on May 11 as well.

Richard Philbrick

A Jamestown man has pled guilty to drug charges that could carry a sentence of life in prison and $10 million fine.

U.S. Attorney Trini Ross announced 37-year old Richard Philbrick made the plea before U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 400 grams or more fentanyl.

The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison with a maximum of life and $10,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Violanti stated that Philbrick bought and sold heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine for profit and his own use, and utilized Facebook for his drug trafficking activities. Philbrick used and maintained residences on Newland Avenue in Jamestown for drug trafficking.

He will be sentenced October 2, 2023.

Michael Burham

The suspect in the death of a Jamestown woman will be extradited back to New York State.

WIVB reports 34-year old Michael Burham made an initial appearance Thursday in federal court in South Carolina. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina says Burham waived extradition and a preliminary hearing and will be heading back to New York to face a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Burham was arrested in South Carolina near the Berkeley-Charleston county line Wednesday afternoon. Authorities credit an observant Berkeley County resident who spotted Burham near his home and immediately called 911. Responding law enforcement agencies used K-9s to track Burham, which aided in his arrest. No one was injured when Burham was taken into custody.

A federal arrest warrant from the United States District Court, for the Western District of New York, was issued for Burham on May 22, 2023, after he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Burham was also wanted for state warrants out of New York and Pennsylvania.

Burham was on the run after a spree of alleged crimes, which include rape and unlawful imprisonment. He was also wanted for kidnapping an elderly couple in Pennsylvania. The couple alleges,

Burham kidnapped them from their home, drove them to North Charleston, South Carolina and released them. The couple was not harmed.

Jamestown Police have also been searching for Burham as a suspect in the death of 34-year old Kala Hodgkin on May 11.

The discussion is a celebration of trailblazing women in Western New York’s legal community, historical and current.

It takes place from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Jackson Center. The program is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged.

The panel discussion will feature three leading women in New York’s legal field: Hon. Elizabeth Wolford, the first female Chief Judge of the Western District of New York; Maryann Saccomando Freedman, the first female president of the New York State Bar Association; and Trini Ross, the first black female to serve as US Attorney for the Western District of New York.

The discussion, moderated by Jamestown Bar Association President Kristin Lee Yaw, will highlight milestones and challenges overcome in their careers and other women in the legal community.

For more information, visit https://www.roberthjackson.org/events.

Dustin Post

A Silver Creek man has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing children.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said 27-year old Dustin Post was sentenced Monday by County Court Judge David Foley to a state prison sentence amounting to 125 years to life to run consecutive to the Federal sentence Post is currently serving.

This follows Post’s conviction of six counts of Predatory Sexual Assault Against a Child.

He is already serving a 50 year sentence for producing and possessing child pornography after pleading guilty to the crimes in U.S. District Court in 2022.

Schmidt acknowledged the work of the Child Advocacy Program, saying in a statement, “Without this group of dedicated counselors, forensic interviewers and professionals who work hand-in-hand with law enforcement, we could have never developed the evidence here and maintained the integrity of the case despite numerous hurdles, including the pandemic and shutdown.”

Section of New York State Thruway on the Cattaraugus Reservation (Google Maps)

The Seneca Nation of Indians have won a significant victory over New York State in federal Court.

Native News Online reports the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in favor of Seneca Nation when it rejected the state’s attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Tribe in 2018. The lawsuit alleged ongoing violations of federal law related to the continued occupation of the New York State Thruway on the Nation’s Cattaraugus Territory.

At issue is a three-mile stretch of highway on I-90 that goes through the Seneca Reservation.
The Court’s decision upholds a 2020 United States District Court decision that denied the State’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

Tribal leaders contend the basis for the case originated in 1954 when the Seneca Nation was pressured to grant an easement for a thruway to be constructed over about 300 acres of its Cattaraugus Reservation.

Land easements on Indian Reservations require federal approval to be deemed valid, but New York State did not take action to get approval from the U.S. Department of the Interior to construct the thruway at the time.

The Tribe wants the Thruway Authority to seek a valid easement so that the Tribe can be compensated for motorists who drive on the portion of the freeway that goes through tribal land.

The Thruway Authority currently operates a toll station on tribal land and the Tribe is seeking to have the station closed.

Letitia James

State Attorney General Letitia James has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against ten national gun distributors to demand they stop illegally shipping ghost gun parts into New York.

James is asking a federal court to order these businesses to immediately stop selling, shipping, distributing, or supplying unfinished frames or receivers to any person or entity with a New York address.

Thursday’s action builds on the lawsuit that James filed against these companies in June 2022 and is part of the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) ongoing efforts to stop the flow of illegal and dangerous ghost guns into New York.

James said in a statement that companies that sell ghost gun parts and kits “present a clear danger to all New Yorkers. These deadly weapons are unregistered, untraceable, and do not require any background check to purchase, which means they can easily end up in dangerous hands.”

In the lawsuit filed in June 2022, James said six of the ten defendants were caught shipping one or more unfinished frames or receivers to undercover investigators in New York, and several defendants advertised ghost gun components for sale and shipped their products to individuals who went on to commit crimes involving ghost guns in New York State.

The case is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

U.S. Attorney Trini Ross announced that 28-year old Alisha Centi pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. These charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Violanti stated that between March 2020, and June 2021, Centi and co-defendant Garson Butcher conspired with others to possess and sell heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

On March 29, 2020, Centi and Butcher sold fentanyl which resulted in the death of a person identified as T.R. On September 28, 2020, Centi and Butcher sold heroin to a person identified as K.K., who overdosed but regained consciousness after receiving multiple doses of Narcan.

In addition, Centi and Butcher used residences on Fairview Avenue and Roland Road to manufacture and distribute heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

Butcher was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.

Centi will be sentenced on June 30, 2023.

Douglas Beardsley

A Jamestown man faces 10 years in prison after pleading guilty in Federal Court to drug charges.

U.S. Attorney Trini Ross announced that 38-year old Douglas Beardsley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of firearms. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Violanti stated that between September 2018 and January 2019, Beardsley bought, sold, and distributed heroin and methamphetamine for profit in the Jamestown area, utilizing several co-conspirators, associates, and runners as well as Facebook and various electronic devices to operate his drug trafficking activities. Beardsley also distributed large amounts of methamphetamine to numerous other individuals in the Jamestown area. During the conspiracy, Beardsley utilized residences on Linden and Forest Avenue in Jamestown for his drug trafficking.

Throughout the conspiracy, Beardsley obtained approximately $112,000 in monetary proceeds from drug trafficking.

In March 2005, March 2009, and February 2013, Beardsley was convicted on various charges in Chautauqua County Court, including drug possession, attempted burglary, and DWI, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30, 2023.

Garson Butcher

A Jamestown man has pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl that led to a death.

U.S. Attorney Trini Ross announced that 30-year old Garson Butcher admitted before U.S. District Judge John Sinatra, Jr. that he distributed fentanyl that caused a death, narcotics conspiracy, and using and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between March 2020 and June 2021, Butcher and co-defendant Alisha Centi conspired with others to possess and sell heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

On March 29, 2020, Butcher and Centi sold fentanyl which resulted in the death of an individual. On September 28, 2020, Butcher and Centi sold heroin to an individual who overdosed but regained consciousness after receiving multiple doses of Narcan. In addition, Butcher and Centi used residences on Fairview Avenue and Roland Road to manufacture and distribute heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.

Charges remain pending against Alisha Centi.

Butcher will be sentenced on March 14, 2023.