Press Release, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, Western District of New York

Stephen Nicot

ROCHESTER – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stephen Nicot, 61, of Rochester, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Rossi and Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that between 2012 and 2014, Nicot hid a camera in the bathroom of a church located in the Western District of New York. (Editor’s Note: Previous news reports and a press release from the U.S. Attorney stated the church was in Orleans County.)

Nicot positioned the camera so that it would capture video and images of naked individuals using the shower in the church bathroom. He did this knowing some of the individuals would be under the age of 18 and he planned to display the video of the minors.

On July 21, 2022, law enforcement executed a warrant at the Nicot’s residence and recovered a memory card and USB drive, which contained videos and images of at least five minor victims using the church bathroom and shower. Two cell phones were also seized, which contained naked images of a minor victim that were recorded by a camera hidden in a bathroom of Nicot’s residence.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

ALBION – A former Albion resident pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary in Orleans County Court today and could face 2 to 4 years in state prison when he is sentenced on July 31.

Michael R. Bauer, 38, admitted in court to entering the Plaza Liquor Store at 127A South Main St. on Aug. 20, 2023 without permission and with the intent to commit a crime.

Bauer, who now lives in Middleport, was charged after breaking into the Plaza Liquor Store, damaging the building and taking some of the merchandise.

Albion police said there was approximately $2,000 damage to the building, and $336 in damage to alcohol bottles. About $90 worth of alcohol and cash also were stolen.

Bauer is a second-felony offender with a previous conviction of attempted burglary in the second degree for breaking into a convenience store in medina in June 2014.

In another case in court today, Kevin McEwen, 41, of Kendall was scheduled to be sentenced but the sentencing was pushed back a week when McEwen said he is getting a new attorney.

He pleaded guilty on Feb. 28 to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. McEwen was charged after firing two rounds from a Glock near people on Sept. 18 in Kendall in a dispute over car repairs.

McEwen admitted in court on Feb. 28 to having a loaded firearm, and shooting it at a zucchini to scare people. He faces up to two years in state prison when he is sentenced.

One admits to trying to bring contraband into prison, while an inmate admits to throwing urine at CO

ALBION – Two people today pleaded guilty in Orleans County Court to committing crimes at Orleans Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison.

Adeosun Hughes, 24, of Rochester admitted he tried to bring a ceramic razor blade into Orleans Correctional on April 15, 2023. He was there visiting.

He pleaded guilty to attempted promoting prison contraband and faces 1 to 3 years in state prison when he is sentenced on July 3.

Hughes is currently at Wyoming Correctional Facility for a 2-year sentence for attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.

Isaiah Yarborough, 26, from New York City admitted he threw urine at a corrections officer while Yarborough was incarcerated at Orleans Correctional on May 16, 2023.

Judge Sanford Church asked Yarborough if the urine was thrown at the CO with an intention to harass, annoy or alarm.

“Yes,” Yarborough responded.

He pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment of an employee by an inmate and faces a 1 ½ to 3-year maximum sentence on July 3.

Yarborough is now at the Wallkill Correctional Facility, serving an 8-year sentence for attempted robbery in the 1st, criminal possession of a weapon in the 2nd, and attempted robbery in the second degree.

Darrin Brown, 34, formerly of Orleans County and now of Lockport, was congratulated by the judge for completing a treatment program. Because Brown was successful in the program, a felony charge of fourth-degree grand larceny has been vacated. He instead faces a misdemeanor petit larceny charge and doesn’t have to go to jail.

“I want to formally congratulate you for completing the program,” Church told Brown. “Thank you for hanging on and actually doing it.”

ALBION – An Albion man pleaded guilty to five crimes today in Orleans County Court and faces a maximum of five years in prison, plus five years of post-release supervision when he is sentenced on May 29.

Alexander Gelo

Alexander C. Gelo, 32, was wanted on a warrant when he charged following a traffic stop on Feb. 28, 2023 on Ridge Road in the Town of Gaines. The warrant stemmed from an incident that occurred on Feb. 14, 2023 when Gelo allegedly made threats to physically harm a witness in a criminal proceeding against Gelo.

Today in court Gelo pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a charge that carries 3 ½ to 15 years in prison. Gelo admitted in court today to having a loaded 9 mm handgun.

He also pleaded guilty to the following charges:

• Menacing in the second degree for displaying a semiautomatic handgun to a person on Sept. 19, 2022 with the intent to scare the person, causing a reasonable fear for safety.
• Criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree for having someone else’s Bank of America credit card on Sept. 21, 2022 with the intent of using to benefit himself.
• Aggravated harassment in the second degree for using Facebook messenger on Feb. 11, 2023 to send threatening messages to a woman.
• Assault in the third degree for hitting a woman in the head with a hammer on April 23, 2023.

Gelo will be held in the Orleans County Jail without bail until sentencing.

In another case in county court today, Garrett Strickland, 31, was sentenced to six months in the county jail for violating his probation.

Strickland, 31, of Medina admitted he didn’t notify probation of a change in his address to Holley, missed several probation appointments and consumed alcohol. He was on probation for bail jumping in Genesee County.

ALBION – Three people were sentenced to incarceration in Orleans County today by Judge Sanford Church.

Cody Scharlau, 34, of Medina was sentenced to six months in the county jail, plus five years of probation for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree.

Public defender Joanne Best asked that Scharlau just be given probation. She said he has struggled with drug addiction, and will benefit from programs required to be on probation.

Judge Church said jail was needed due to the crime.

“Possessing cocaine and drug paraphernalia is not acceptable in our community,” Church said during sentencing.

In other cases:

•  Angel Marrero, 46, of Rochester was sentenced to two years in state prison and three years of post-release supervision for three burglaries in Orleans County. He also has to pay $7,253 in restitution to State Farm.

Marrero didn’t have any criminal conviction since 2009, but a recent relapse into drug addiction led to the crimes in Orleans County, Best told Judge Church.

“He admits he has severely fallen off the wagon,” Best said. “He has a pretty serious drug addiction problem.”

Marrero in June 2023 stole tools and electronics from a Ridge Road site in Murray, and then in July burglarized two sites on South Holley Road in Clarendon, stealing a generator, shotgun, jewelry and copper piping.

• Alexander Blount, 34, of Medina was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison for violating his probation.

Blount was on probation for reckless endangerment in the first degree. He started a fire inside an apartment on Telegraph Road in Ridgeway that put people in danger who lived in other apartments in the building.

• Jayah Osby, 24, of Albion pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree. He faces six months in the county jail and five years of probation when he is sentenced on May 22.

Osby was charged on Aug. 21 after being searched by Albion police officers who located cocaine, marijuana and distribution bags for sale as well as $600 in cash. There was an active arrest warrant for Osby at the time.

In court today, Osby admitted he had 29 grams of cocaine.

• Jonathan Dodson, 38, ofHolley was arraigned for felony driving while intxciated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the 1^st degree. He was charged in Barre on Dec. 29.

• Lawrence Miller, 31, of Medina was arraigned for DWI, AUO in the 1^st degree and resisting arrest for a rollover accident on June 25, 2023 on Maple Ridge Road.

Miller allegedly walked away from the scene of the accident, and didn’t comply with law enforcement officers near the scene.