City Man Receives Probation For Attempted Burglary

An Ogdensburg man who still faces charges in St. Lawrence County stemming from an alleged armed standoff with police in that city was sentenced to probation Wednesday in Jefferson County Court for trying to steal furniture.

Michael A. Patak, 23, of 1 LaFayette St., was sentenced to five years' probation and an unspecified amount of time served at the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building for a Dec. 9 guilty plea in County Court to third-degree attempted burglary.

He was accused in an indictment handed up in December 2008 of entering a storage building at Lunman's Furniture and Appliance Center, 70 N. Main St., Adams, in June 2008 and stealing a recliner and then repeating the act a week later.

In St. Lawrence County, he awaits grand jury action after being charged Jan. 5 with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and menacing a police officer, both felonies.

It is alleged that he stole a rifle from his father and that when Ogdensburg police found him and ordered him to drop the gun in a field behind a New York Avenue convenience store, he refused. He then allegedly held police at bay for more than two hours before surrendering. It was further alleged that he fired the gun once into the air.

In other court activity Wednesday:

Nicole Camardo, 37, of 240 James St., pleaded guilty to felony aggravated driving while intoxicated and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Sentencing was set for June 14. She had been accused of driving while intoxicated and without a driver's license Jan. 3 on Route 12E in the town of Cape Vincent.

Lee E. Smith, 38, of 513 Olive St., was arraigned on two counts each of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The charges were contained in a grand jury indictment unsealed in court.

It is alleged that he had and sold cocaine twice in early December within the county. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was sent to the PSB on $5,000 bail.

Devonte D. Whiting, 25, Watertown, was charged in an indictment handed up in court with two counts of second-degree harassment and single counts of second-degree attempted assault, second-degree obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest and passing a red light.

It is alleged that after his vehicle was halted for a traffic light violation Sept. 20 on Public Square, he ignored a city patrolman's orders to get back into the vehicle. He then allegedly shoved Officer Charles L. Bickell into a vehicle and then tried to injure the officer by pushing into the street in front of oncoming traffic.