Batavia man gets prison sentence for Walmart burglary

ALBION – A Batavia man with a heroin addiction was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison today.

Jason Lang, 33, of Liberty Street in Batavia pleaded guilty to attempted burglary in the third degree during an August court appearance. He faced a maximum of 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison. Orleans County Court Judge James Punch gave Lang 1 to 3 years.

Lang admitted to stealing two coffee machines and a blender from the Albion store on Nov. 20, 2013. Because he was banned from Wal-Mart, he was charged with burglary.

His attorney, Nathan Pace, said Lang was a law-abiding citizen with only a misdemeanor until he became addicted to heroin in 2012. Since then he has been arrested 19 times.

“Obviously for the future of his life he has to get this dealt with,” Pace said about the heroin addiction.

Lang faces additional charges in Genesee County. Judge Punch didn’t give him the maximum sentence because he said Lang is not a second felony offender.

The judge urged Lang to battle the drug addiction.

“You have to get a backbone and fight this or else you’ll spend the rest of your life in jail,” Punch said.

In other cases:

Freddie Taylor, 45, of Mount Read Boulevard in Rochester was sentenced to 1 ½ years in state prison, with a chance for attending the Willard Drug Treatment Center in Romulus. That center is a specialized state prison in Seneca County that treats drug-addicted convicts.

Taylor pleaded guilty to criminal possession of controlled substance in the fifth degree. He was arrested on April 1 on several drug charges. He admitted he had cocaine in Albion on Feb. 3.

Taylor has been receiving mental health and drug addiction services.

“You’ve been in a lot of programs but nothing has really worked to keep you from this stuff,” Punch said. “I hope you can get this straightened out because I think you have some potential.”

An Albion man pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated and could be sentenced to up to a year in the county jail on March 2.

James J. Bartosik, 46, of Albion was charged with felony DWI on Sept. 12 in the village. He has a prior DWI.