3 are sentenced by county judge to incarceration
ALBION – Three people were sentenced to incarceration in Orleans County Court this morning by Judge Sanford Church.
Joseph Newton, 33, of Medina will spend 4 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, grand larceny in the fourth degree and attempted promoting prison contraband in the first degree.
Newton admitted in a previous court appearance to having cocaine in Orleans County on Feb. 13 with the intent to sell it. He also admitted to stealing an outboard Mercury motor on Aug. 5, 2018, which was valued at about $1,200. Newton sold it for $1,000.
Newton, as part of his sentence, needs to pay $1,260 in restitution, with $1,200 for the stolen motor and another $60 to the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force.
While he was an inmate, he was planning to attend a family funeral on May 21 and arranged to receive tobacco and a controlled substance.
Those items were allegedly placed under the body of a family member in her coffin. An investigator with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office overheard Newton arranging for the items during a phone call from the jail. The day of the funeral an investigator checked to see if the tobacco and two pills were under the grandmother’s body, and they were under her shoulder, according to investigator Ken Strickland.
Newton’s visit to the funeral was canceled and he was charged with attempted promoting prison contraband in the first and second degree.
Judge Church told Newton the incident at the funeral home “cries out for help and I hope you get the help you need.”
Newton started a drug treatment program while in jail through GCASA. He intends to keep working on his drug addiction issues in prison, said his attorney, Michael O’Keefe.
“My client is looking forward to a clean life away from drugs,” O’Keefe told the judge during sentencing today.
In two other sentencings this morning:
• Linda Meise, 37, formerly Oak Orchard Estates in Albion was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 5 years of probation for having precursors for making methamphetamine.
She is a first-time felony offender. She was charged along with her husband, Richard Meise on June 20.
Mr. Meise, 36, pleaded guilty in court today to attempted unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine in the third degree. He faces 1 ½ years in prison and up 1 to 2 years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced on Jan. 9.
• Joshua Cuadrado, 22, of Brockport was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 5 years probation for attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.
He was allegedly selling marijuana products in Medina community when he was arrested in February.
Cuadrado said he is working hard to break his addiction to smoking marijuana.
