Massena Man Sentenced To 1-4 For Violating Probation

By PAUL MITCHELL

CANTON - A Massena man was sentenced to 1 to 4 years in prison Tuesday in St. Lawrence County Court for violating his probationary sentence.

Gerald J. Castle Jr., 21, of 23 Talcott St., was placed on interim probation on July 13 but was in violation Jan. 28 after testing positive for marijuana and cocaine.

"You have been under probation supervision since 2001. You don't want to make changes," said County Court Judge Jerome J. Richards.

The judge also imposed fees and surcharges totaling $375.

Mr. Castle pleaded guilty in April to attempted third-degree burglary. He admitted to breaking into the Fashion Bug store at the Harte Haven Shopping Center in Massena on Dec. 6, 2008.

Mr. Castle is represented by attorney Nicholas Pignone.

In other county court action Tuesday:

* Kimberly I. Schwartfigure, 33, Massena, was ordered to serve two consecutive one-year sentences in the county jail for her conviction of fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance conviction and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. She admitted to selling drugs in 2007 in the city of Ogdensburg. She is represented by attorney Stephen Button of the county's Public Defender Office.

* Raymond C. Miller Sr., 37, Massena, pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to register as a sex offender after an alleged probation violation claiming he cut off his home monitoring bracelet and fled the area.

Miller, a Level 3 registered sex offender, was recently located in Albany and picked up by the Albany Police Department, who held him to transport back to St. Lawrence County. Judge Richards remanded Miller without bail.

Deputies said they had conducted an on-going search for Miller since January after he cut his bracelet and fled while they were attempting to arrest him on a county court bench warrant for violation of probation.

He is represented by attorney Brian D. Pilatzke.