Fredonia man jailed on crack charges
A Fredonia man has been jailed for allegedly selling crack cocaine to members of the police.
On June 13, village police served a local court arrest warrant on Frank C. Battaglia, 56, of Gardner Street, Fredonia, when he appeared in the village of Fredonia Court on unrelated charges.
The arrest warrant had been issued by Village of Fredonia Court Justice David Prince charging Battaglia with one count each of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third degree criminal sale of a controlled substance.
The warrant was obtained based on information from the Fredonia Police Department and the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force (STRDTF). It is alleged by the police Battaglia sold crack cocaine to undercover agents of the STRDTF within the village of Fredonia.
Battaglia was arraigned in the village court before Judge Prince then committed to Chautauqua County Jail pending further action of the court. As a result of investigation, additional charges are pending and the investigation is continuing.
Authorities continue to ask members of the community to report any suspected drug activity to the STRDTF or local police.
Gowanda Police Department
Nathan F. Croft, 19, of North Chapel Street was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana on June 6. While on routine patrol at 1:03 a.m. police observed four subjects walking down the middle of Commercial Street. When patrol questioned these individuals, he noticed a strong smell of marijuana and found Croft to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was released on an appearance ticket for the Town of Persia Court.
Dustin Longboat, 16, of Beech Street was charged with third-degree assault on June 8. Patrol responded to the report of a mother-son domestic incident at 8:05 p.m. Patrol arrived to discover that Longboat had been in an argument with this victim and it escalated and turned physical. Longboat violently punched the victim numerous times in the face and head causing visible physical facial injuries. He was issued an appearance ticket for the Town of Persia Court and released to a third party relative.
Harley F. Tong, 30, of Perry Street was charged with second-degree strangulation on June 10. At 3:50 a.m. police responded to the report of a domestic incident on Perry Street where police were notified that Tong had been involved in an argument with a female subject. This argument escalated and became physical with Tong allegedly grabbing the female victim by the hair, pulling her to the ground and then choking her with both of his hands. Tong was released on an appearance ticket to appear in the Town of Collins Court.
Jeremiah A. Bednarek, 30, of Beech Street was charged with second-degree menacing and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon on June 10. At 5:05 p.m. police responded to the report of a disturbance where Bednarek had become embroiled in an argument with a neighborhood female. Bednarek, who appeared intoxicated, had allegedly threatened the victim, advancing towards her swinging a sledgehammer. Bednarek was arraigned in the Town of Persia Court and then remanded to Cattaraugus County Jail in lieu of $1,500 bail.
Jordan A. Lasalle-Brant, 30, of Union Street was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation and having an expired inspection on June 12. At 8:40 p.m. police stopped Lasalle-Brant for operating a vehicle with an inspection sticker that had expired four months prior. During this traffic stop, a DMV computer check revealed that his driver's license on been expired on June 8 for failure to answer a traffic summons. He was released on an appearance ticket for the Town of Collins Court.
Vicki L. Abbey, 56, of Route 39, Perrysburg was charged with obstructed vision, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and operating without insurance on June 15. At 10:25 a.m. police stopped Abbey for operating a vehicle with an article obstructing her windshield vision. During this traffic stop, a DMV computer check revealed that Abbey's driver's license was suspended on March 28 for her insurance not being in effect and also revealed that there was no insurance currently on her vehicle. Abbey was released on an appearance ticket for the Town of Persia Court.
Edwin Ruiz, 47, of Buffalo was charged with second-degree harassment on June 17. At 5:10 p.m. patrol responded to the report of a disturbance at a Commercial Street residence. Patrol was informed that Ruiz was at this residence and had been involved in an argument with a female which escalated into a physical confrontation with Ruiz allegedly punching the female victim in the face. She was released on an appearance ticket for the Town of Persia Court.
