MASSENA - A Massena man charged with writing approximately $5,000 worth of bad checks in recent months has been sentenced to serve 10 days in the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility after he admitted he wrote three checks on an account to pay for an apartment he was renting at Regency Apartments, Westwood Drive.

Robert E. Kizziah, 51, of 71 Westwood Drive, Apt. 4, Massena, pleaded guilty to three counts of issuing a bad check. Massena Village Justice Eric J. Gustafson waived the fine and surcharge and ordered Kizziah to make restitution of $1,412 in addition to the jail time.

Kizziah alleged allegedly wrote checks for $1,052 on Dec. 17, $1,400 on Feb. 8 and $500 on Feb. 8 to pay for an apartment at Regency Apartments in the village of Massena.

Dennis A. Dumas, the apartment complex manager, told police Kizziah had paid for his rent with a check on Dec. 17 that later was returned for insufficient funds. He said he met with Kizziah on Feb. 4 to discuss the bad check and February’s rental payment. He said Kizziah wrote two checks and asked him to wait to cash those checks until Feb. 8. Those checks also bounced after they were cashed on Feb. 8.

He said the complex’s owner, Solomon Hamburger, called him a few days later to inform him the check had been returned and that in a conversation he had with Kizziah the Massena man indicated he was not going to pay the bill and he was not going to move out of his apartment.

Village police had charged Kizziah with three counts of issuing a bad check counts and then turned him over to sheriff’s department deputies, who held a fugitive from justice warrant. Village police said Kizziah was also wanted in the state of Tennessee for issuing more than $60,000 worth of bad checks.

Deputies have also charged Kizziah with a felony count of fourth-degree grand larceny and misdemeanor charges of issuing a bad check and theft of services for writing a check for $2,520 to pay for six weeks of lodging at Lakeview Motel and Apartment, Louisville. That check was reportedly written on an account with insufficient funds.

Following his plea in Massena Village Court, Kizziah was returned to the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility, where he is being held on the other charges.

In other recent court action before Judge Gustafson:

■ Torrey R. Jackson, 26, of 62 Fayette Road, Massena, was fined $500 and a $400 surcharge for driving while intoxicated. The fine and surcharge were reduced to civil judgment. His operating privileges were revoked for six months, and he was placed under a one-year conditional discharge. He was returned to the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility, where he is being held on a parole violation stemming from a December 2009 conviction for second-degree burglary.

Village police had charged Jackson with driving while intoxicated and a felony count of first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle following a traffic stop at 2:12 a.m. Jan. 5 on Highland Park. Jackson reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.14 percent.

He was also ticketed for failure to stop at a stop sign, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and false impersonation. Police said he identified himself as Rocky Jackson in an effort to prevent them from learning he was on parole and had several suspensions on three separate dates on his operating privileges. He had also been charged with an open container violation at 1:30 a.m. that morning stemming from an incident that took place on Church Street.

■ Brian J. Snyder, 27, of 250 Center St., Massena, formerly of County Route 53, Brasher Falls, was released from custody and placed under the supervision of the probation department. He had been sent to the county jail on $1,500 Sunday following an arraignment in village court.

Police had charged Snyder with petit larceny and three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument on Sunday. He reportedly stole checks that had been sent to another person as Christmas presents and were inadvertently addressed to the wrong post office box in Winthrop. Snyder then allegedly had a female accomplice cash two of the checks - each written for $25 - at the Twin Rivers Credit Union.

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