Holley man admits to burglary and could get state prison
ALBION – A Holley man admitted in court today that he broke into a Holley residence on Nov. 12, 2014, and stole items with the intention of selling them to a pawn store so he could buy heroin.
Christopher D. Helsdon, 25, pleaded guilty to third degree burglary, a charge that could carry a maximum 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison.
Helsdon said he was on heroin when he entered an unlocked Holley house in November. Although under the influence of the drug, Helsdon said he was aware of what he was doing.
“My intent was to get something to take to buy my heroin,” Helsdon said in court today.
Helsdon will be sentenced on July 20. He is in Orleans County Jail on $30,000 bail.
In other cases in County Court today:
A Rochester woman, Lakusha McMorris, 35, admitted her involvement into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine from the City of Rochester to Medina.
McMorris was arrested on Jan. 27. She admitted in court on May 4 that she delivered drugs on three occasions for Keith Toney, who arranged the deals by phone from Rochester.
Toney last week pleaded guilty to third-degree attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty specifically to arranging for a cocaine sale at the Wal-Mart parking lot in Brockport on Aug. 27, 2014. Toney, 36, of Rochester faces up to 5 years in state prison as a second felony offender.
He made the deal with an informant from Orleans County, which is why the case is being handled in Orleans County. Brockport is located in neighboring Monroe County.
However, there were questions about jurisdiction for McMorris because she didn’t initiate the sales with the Brockport delivery.
After reviewing case law, Orleans County Court Judge James Punch said McMorris can be tried in Orleans County, where the informant originated from.
McMorris pleaded guilty to attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. She will be sentenced on Aug. 17.
Mark Gregori, formerly of Elba but now of Orleans County, was sentenced to a year in state prison for violating probation.
Gregori, 52, admitted he has struggled to overcome drinking and drug problems. He asked that he be sentenced to a halfway house.
“He has a demon he cannot overcome by himself,” his attorney Matt Becker told Judge Punch.
Punch said Gregori has been on probation three times without success.
A Lockport woman also pleaded guilty to drug charges today. Katrina Drake has been accepted into the Drug Court program. If she completes the program, the felony charges of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance will be dismissed and she will instead face a misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of controlled substance in the seventh degree.
Drake, 24, was arrested in December after selling and distributing prescription narcotics in Albion. She admitted in court today she was selling hydrocodone pills.
If Drake is unsuccessful in Drug Court, she could be sentenced to up to 2 ½ years in state prison.
