Repeated Probation Violations Send Massena Man Back To Jail

MASSENA - A 25-year-old Norfolk area man was returned to jail with bail continued at $500 cash or $1,000 bond following an appearance this week in Massena Village Court.

Village police had picked up Billy G. Goodreau of 2749 County Route 39, Norfolk, on a bench warrant at 10:45 a.m. Jan. 23. He allegedly violated the conditions of his probationary sentence.

Goodreau had been sentenced to probation for three years in April 2010 following his conviction on driving while intoxicated and reckless driving counts.

Probation officials allege Goodreau failed to report as directed to his probation officer, failed to follow through with recommended substance abuse treatment and continued to use Oxycodone.

Probation officials, in a series of uniform court reports and memorandums, indicated Goodreau has struggled since being placed on probation.

The probation department had filed a violation against Goodreau dated June 9 alleging he had missed more than 20 of his weekly probation visits between May 28, 2010 and June 30, 2011. He had also tested positive for morphine use in August 2010 and been discharged with a verdict of unsatisfactory incomplete from an outpatient substance abuse treatment program in March 2011.

Goodreau was previously jailed on a probation violation stemming from those allegations in early August and then released from custody into an in-patient treatment program on Aug. 26.

He successfully completed that program in mid-September and was admitted into an outpatient program, He was discharged from outpatient for failing to attend his scheduled appointments three weeks later, but his counselors reconsidered that decision a week later and allowed him to return to treatment after he signed a behavioral contract on Oct. 24.

He reportedly tested positive for Oxycodone use two days later at the outpatient program, a day after he had indicated he was unable to provide a urine sample during a visit to his probation officer.

Probation officials said had been referred for additional in-patient treatment on Nov. 3 as a result of his continued use of Oxycodone and on Nov. 21 he had been discharged from outpatient services for not appearing for his scheduled appointments preventing his placement in an in-patient treatment facility.

They also pointed out he had last reported to his probation officer on Nov. 3 despite being required to make weekly visits to the probation office.

Massena Village Justice Eric Gustafson had fined Goodreau $600 and a $400 surcharge for a driving while intoxicated conviction and directed him to pay an additional $85 surcharge for a reckless driving conviction in April 2010. He also revoked Goodreau's operating privileges for one year and placed him under probation supervision for three years.

Goodreau had admitted he had driven his vehicle through a guide rail on the Willow Street Extension. His vehicle went down an embankment and came to rest near a bank on the Grasse River. He said he was the sole occupant in the vehicle during the accident at 8:48 p.m. Dec. 3, 2009.

Witnesses told police he was intoxicated at a party at 20 Cornell Ave. when he got into an argument with his girlfriend and drove away from the party that night. Other witnesses had also placed Goodreau in the driver's seat at the time of the accident. He reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.18 percent.

In other recent court action before Judge Gustafson:

• Sarah M. LaBaff, 24, of 104 North Main St., Massena, was warned she could face up to one year in the county jail if she fails to complete the community service component she received in July when she was granted an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal on a pending petit larceny count.

The court had ordered her to complete 40 hours of community service as part of the terms of that plea bargain agreement.

She had been charged with petit larceny on Oct. 24, 2010 after she and a co-defendant shoplifted $68.11 worth of merchandise - primarily make up - from Walmart.

The probation department had filed a report with the court dated Oct. 28, 2011 noting LaBaff had only completed 3.2 hours of her community service work. She was back in village court on Nov. 1, and the village justice had returned the petit larceny back to the court calendar. LaBaff was told during a Nov. 28 court appearance the petit larceny count would be dismissed if she completed her community service work by Dec. 31.

That didn't happen, and LaBaff's repeated excuses for her failure to complete the task drew the judge's ire during her latest court appearance.

"Your community service work is still not completed, and it was suppose to be done in September. Here we are in January, and we are still trying to get you to do something simple like community service. We've given you umpteen changes," Mr. Gustafson pointed out.

He suggested LaBaff should complete her community service work before her next court appearance in February. "The potential sentence for a petit larceny conviction can be up to one year in the county jail, a three-year probationary sentence and a fine of up to $1,000. "I would urge you to consider that before I see you again," he stressed.

• Heather R. Deragon, 17, of 103 Maple St., Massena, had her second-degree burglary charge waived up to county court for possible superior court action.

The probation department, in a memorandum to the village court, noted since being placed under probation supervision Deragon had tested positive for marijuana use on Dec. 9 and Jan. 6 and for Oxycodone on Jan. 20. She told her probation officer the latest positive drug test was the result of a Percoset she had reportedly acquired from an acquaintance and taken to treat back pain she was suffering after a car accident,

Village police had charged Micheline M. Cogdill, 22, of 511 Hurley Road, Brasher, and Deragon with felony counts of second-degree burglary and fourth-degree grand larceny following an investigation into an incident Sept. 30 at the Tammy Stark residence, 128 Liberty Ave. Deragon was additionally charged with second-degree criminal trespass.

Police charged the two women stole a jewelry box filled with jewelry valued in excess of $1,000 in the early afternoon hours of Sept. 30. Deragon reportedly entered the house and stole the jewelry box while Cogdill waited in the car for her.

Deragon, in a question and answer format interview written up by Ptl. Adam Love, said they were leaving Jreck Subs, Ms. Stark's workplace, when Cogdill suggested committing the crime.

"Micheline told me there was an open house and said there might be gold in the house. Micheline said she wanted me to check for it. Micheline asked me if I was good enough to do it and told me not to use her name," she recalled in her interview with police.

"I was sent in the house to find gold. I went into the room Micheline told me to go into (upstairs)," Deragon said, noting she then went back outside to the house, got in the vehicle and reported she had seen a jewelry box in the room as the two women went for a short ride before returning to 128 Liberty.

Deragon told police she went back into the house and stole the jewelry box. The two women then reportedly went to Cogdill's home.

Deragon said she forced the jewelry box open, and Cogdill then opened the door and dumped the contents - described as rings and necklaces - into a container.

"Micheline grabbed a couple of rings and had me take the rings into Paquette's because she did not have her id. I did get money, but I don't remember how much," she told police.

Deragon said she then went to her house, grabbed some of her own jewelry and tried to trade it for cash at Peets Jewelers. She said a store clerk weighed the jewelry and said it had no value.

The Massena teenager said she went back to Peets Jewelers the next day and traded in approximately six stolen rings for $63. She told police she cashed the check from the jewelry store at On A Roll deli and turned the proceeds over to Cogdill, and the two women went back to Cogdill's residence.

Ms. Stark said she discovered her jewelry box was missing on Sunday and located some of her missing jewelry the next day when she went to Paquette's and Peets Jewelers to see if anyone had turned them in for cash.

She told police she had recovered several of her rings, but Ms. Stark said she was missing watches, necklaces, earrings, charms and rings.