Albion man with lengthy criminal history gets state prison

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 July 2015 at 12:00 am

ALBION – An Albion man with a criminal history going back 40 years was sentenced to 2 ½ years in state prison today, the maximum after he pleaded guilty on May 18 to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

John B. Lang Jr., 56, has been in the Orleans County Jail on $20,000 bail since early December, when he was arrested for selling hydrocodone. Lang was living at 175 North Main St., Apt. 16.

Lang has a lengthy history of misdemeanor crimes, but this is his first felony.

His attorney, Dominic Saraceno, asked that Lang not be sentenced to state prison. Lang may have undiagnosed mental health problems, including a bipolar disorder, as well as physical ailments from when he was hit by an RV, Saraceno told County Court Judge James Punch.

Lang apologized in court.

“I’m sorry, your honor,” Lang said. “It won’t happen again.”

The judge gave Lang the maximum sentence, took away his driver’s license for 6 months and also required him to pay $560 in restitution for the buy money used by the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force.

“You are a long-term criminal, and I’m giving you the maximum,” Punch said.