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Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say
Child Porn Charges: Capital Region Man Busted With Illicit Photos, Videos, Feds Say Federal prosecutors are pursuing child pornography charges against a man from the region after he allegedly sent and received numerous illicit images of children.  Taykwun Smoaks, age 32, of Albany, was arraigned on charges that he distributed, received, and possessed child pornography in Albany federal court on Friday, April 12. According to investigators, Smoaks sent and received images and videos of child pornography over the internet between February and March 2023. The illicit images were reportedly found on both his computer and an external hard drive. If convicted, he face…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Shooting Victim Takes Self To Hospital After Early-Morning Robbery In Capital Region Shooting Victim Takes Self To Hospital After Early-Morning Robbery In Capital Region
Shooting Victim Takes Self To Hospital After Early-Morning Robbery In Capital Region Police in the region are asking for help following an early-morning shooting that sent a man to the hospital. The Albany County incident happened shortly before 4 a.m. Saturday, April 13, in Albany’s West Hill neighborhood. Police said a 41-year-old man walked into the emergency room at Albany Medical Center Hospital with a gunshot wound to the knee. The wound was not considered life-threatening. The victim told investigators that he was shot during a robbery on First Street between Henry Johnson Boulevard and Lexington Avenue. No suspects had been arrested as of Monday afternoon, April 1…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lifestyle
Double The Fun: Pair Of $500K Winning Lottery Tickets Sold At Capital Region Convenience Store Double The Fun: Pair Of $500K Winning Lottery Tickets Sold At Capital Region Convenience Store
Double The Fun: Pair Of $500K Winning Lottery Tickets Sold At Capital Region Convenience Store You could say lottery lightning struck twice at a convenience store in the region. A pair of PICK 10 tickets – worth $500,000 each – was sold in Albany, at the Mobil station located at 247 New Scotland Avenue, New York Lottery announced. The lucky tickets were purchased for the drawing held on Sunday, April 14. PICK 10 numbers are drawn from a field of one to 80. To hit the jackpot a player must match their 10 numbers to 10 of the 20 winning numbers drawn. Players can check their ticket’s status on the New York Lottery website.

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Capital Region Man Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images Capital Region Man Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images
Capital Region Man Admits Blackmailing Underage Girls Into Sending Sexually Explicit Images Years in federal prison await a man from the region who confessed to blackmailing underage girls into sending him sexually explicit images. Richard Nejame, age 29, of Schenectady, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of receiving and attempting to receive child pornography in Albany federal court on Thursday, April 11. Prosecutors said Nejame messaged several underage girls on social media apps, including Snapchat, while pretending to be a teenage boy between October 2022 and May 2023. As part of his guilty plea, he admitted that he then convinced the girls to take nude pictures and videos of…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Update: Missing Capital Region 10-Year-Old Located Update: Missing Capital Region 10-Year-Old Located
Update: Missing Capital Region 10-Year-Old Located This story has been updated. A 10-year-old boy from the region who was reported missing has been located. Jaiyden Abear, of Albany, had last been seen at around 1 p.m. Monday, April 8, in the area of Academy Road and Helderberg Avenue, according to Albany Police. On Tuesday evening, April 9, police announced that Jaiyden was located and is safe. No other details were given.  Original story: Police are asking for help in locating a 10-year-old boy from the region who was reported missing. Jaiyden Abear, of Albany, was last seen at around 1 p.m. Monday, April 8, in the area of Acade…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Parolee Who Sold Fentanyl-Laced Pills In Capital Region Heading Back To Slammer Parolee Who Sold Fentanyl-Laced Pills In Capital Region Heading Back To Slammer
Parolee Who Sold Fentanyl-Laced Pills In Capital Region Heading Back To Slammer One time behind bars apparently wasn’t enough for a convicted drug dealer from the region. Hason Harres, age 47, of Schenectady, was sentenced to just shy of six years in prison in Albany federal court on Wednesday, April 3. It followed his guilty plea to possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with intent to distribute. Prosecutors said Harres admitted to possessing and/or selling more than 1,400 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, as well as 92 grams of methamphetamine. Fentanyl is a powerful, synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Often ingested u…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
New Update: Northeast Earthquake Felt In Capital Region; State Conducting Damage Assessment New Update: Northeast Earthquake Felt In Capital Region; State Conducting Damage Assessment
New Update: Northeast Earthquake Felt In Capital Region; State Conducting Damage Assessment An earthquake that rattled several states along the East Coast late Friday morning, April 5, was felt throughout the Capital Region. Original report - 4.8 Magnitude Earthquake Hits New York, Northeast The 4.8 magnitude quake, centered about 60 miles west of Manhattan in Hunterdon County, New Jersey at a depth of nearly three miles, struck at 10:23 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). There have not been any reports of injuries or significant damage to buildings. Wow! A M4.8 struck in New Jersey this morning around 10:30 am local time. Shaking was widely felt from …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Impaired Teen Who Killed Honors Student In High-Speed Capital Region Crash Sentenced Impaired Teen Who Killed Honors Student In High-Speed Capital Region Crash Sentenced
Impaired Teen Who Killed Honors Student In High-Speed Capital Region Crash Sentenced An unlicensed teen who was drunk and high when he crashed a stolen car at more than 100 miles per hour, killing a beloved honors student in the region, is heading to prison. Caleb Maya, age 17, of Albany, was sentenced to three to nine years in prison in Albany County Court on Friday, March 29.  It followed his guilty plea to second-degree manslaughter in the death of 14-year-old A’Mon Willis, of Albany. Earlier Report: Support Rises For 14-Year-Old 'Beautiful Soul' Killed In Alleged Drunk Driving Crash In Colonie The wreck happened just after 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, in Albany…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Seen Her? Alert Issued For Capital Region Woman Missing 3 Days Seen Her? Alert Issued For Capital Region Woman Missing 3 Days
Seen Her? Alert Issued For Capital Region Woman Missing 3 Days Police in the region are asking for help in locating a missing, vulnerable adult. Albany County resident Tabitha King, age 41, of Colonie, was last seen in Albany on Friday, March 29, after being dropped off for an appointment, according to Colonie Police. King is 5-foot-1 and 170 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Colonie Police Department at 518-783-2754. Share this story by clicking the Facebook icon below. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

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by Michael Mashburn
Business
Popular Discount Bakery Chain Shutters All NY Stores Popular Discount Bakery Chain Shutters All NY Stores
Popular Discount Bakery Chain Shutters All NY Stores It’s the end of an era for bakery bargain shoppers as longtime staple Freihofer’s Bakery Outlet has permanently closed. The discount bakery chain has shuttered dozens of stores across the Northeast, including all of its New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts locations. “After careful analysis and consideration, we made the difficult decision to permanently close 28 of our outlet stores…” a representative for Bimbo Bakeries, Freihofer's parent company, told Daily Voice. Any leftover products were expected to be donated to local food banks. “We appreciate all of our associates who worked …

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by Michael Mashburn
News
Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison
Posing As Teen To Get Underage Nudes Nets Capital Region Man Decades In Prison After confessing that he posed as a teenager in order to trick underage girls into sending naked pictures, a man from the region will spend decades in prison. Schenectady resident Thomas Ullman, age 47, was sentenced to 25 years behind bars in Albany federal court on Thursday, March 28. It followed his guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child. Federal prosecutors said Ullman posed as a teenage boy on a dating website for teens and convinced multiple underage girls to text and video chat with him between March 2020 and June 2021. He then instructed the girls, some as young as 13, to en…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
NY AG Releases Body-Cam Video Of State Police Deadly Shooting In Hudson Valley NY AG Releases Body-Cam Video Of State Police Deadly Shooting In Hudson Valley
NY AG Releases Body-Cam Video Of State Police Deadly Shooting In Hudson Valley New York Attorney General Letitia James has released police body-worn camera footage of the shooting death of a motorist by New York State Police in the Hudson Valley in January.  The incident occurred in Rockland County on the afternoon of Wednesday, Jan. 3 in Ramapo. According to the AG's Office, troopers Steven Missale and Ronald Raymond pulled over a car on the New York State Thruway based on a report about an incident that had taken place earlier the same day in Albany.  Rakim Tillery, age 35, address unknown, was the driver of the car. Tillery fired a gun at the troopers, …

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by Kathy Reakes