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American Airlines Mechanic Who Smuggled $250K Worth Of Cocaine On Flight Sentenced American Airlines Mechanic Who Smuggled $250K Worth Of Cocaine On Flight Sentenced
American Airlines Mechanic Who Smuggled $250K Worth Of Cocaine On Flight Sentenced An airplane mechanic from New York will spend nearly a decade behind bars for smuggling over 25 pounds of cocaine on an American Airlines plane. Long Island resident Paul Belloisi, age 56, of Smithtown, was sentenced to nine years in prison in Brooklyn federal court on Friday, Sept. 6, for possessing and importing cocaine. Belloisi, a former mechanic for American Airlines, was arrested in February 2020 after US Customs and Border Protection discovered 10 bricks of cocaine in an electronics compartment beneath a plane arriving from Jamaica at Kennedy International Airport in Queens . The c…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Sewage Truck Overturns, Spills Contents On I-684 Sewage Truck Overturns, Spills Contents On I-684
Sewage Truck Overturns, Spills Contents On I-684 Traffic on a busy Northern Westchester interstate was backed up for miles following a crash involving a sewage truck that resulted in two people being hospitalized.  The incident happened on Thursday, Sept. 5, just before 2 p.m., when three vehicles collided on Interstate 684 South just south of the Route 138 overpass in Goldens Bridge, according to the Goldens Bridge Fire Department.  As a result of the crash, a septic company truck overturned, spilling some of the contents on the roadway. Additionally, a passenger car jumped the highway's guard rail and veered into a gully next …

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by Ben Crnic
Politics
NYers Urged To Beware, Report AI Election Misinformation NYers Urged To Beware, Report AI Election Misinformation
NYers Urged To Beware, Report AI Election Misinformation State leaders are urging New Yorkers to beware purposely misleading election information generated by artificial intelligence. On Thursday, Sept. 5, New York Attorney General Letitia James released an online guide to help voters identify and report AI-generated “deepfakes” that can create videos depicting politicians saying or doing something they never did. Misinformation can also deceive voters on things like eligibility to vote, and where, when, or how to vote. “New Yorkers deserve to be well-informed, not misinformed, about their choices for the upcoming November elections,” James said…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Suspect Nabbed In Fatal Dutchess County Shooting Suspect Nabbed In Fatal Dutchess County Shooting
Suspect Nabbed In Fatal Dutchess County Shooting Police have made a second arrest in the 2022 murder of a 32-year-old man in a housing complex parking lot. Khyree Pratt, age 23, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 5, in connection with the 2022 murder of Lionel Pittman in Dutchess County at the Forrestal Heights housing complex in Beacon. According to Beacon Police Chief Thomas Figlia, Pratt is currently an inmate in a Federal Correction Institution out of state.  Members of the Beacon Police Department transported him back to Beacon, where he was processed on charges of murder and then tran…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Fatal Crash: 19-Year-Old ID'd As Victim In Dutchess County Fatal Crash: 19-Year-Old ID'd As Victim In Dutchess County
Fatal Crash: 19-Year-Old ID'd As Victim In Dutchess County A 19-year-old was killed in a two-vehicle crash after he allegedly ran a red light in the region, striking another car. The incident occurred in Dutchess County on Monday, Sept. 2, on Route 9 near the Alpine Commons in the town of Wappinger around 10 p.m. According to Trooper AJ Hicks of the New York State Police, an initial investigation determined a 2006 Honda 999, driven by Orange County resident Dante Crespo, age 19, of Monroe, was northbound on Route 9 and ran a red light striking a 2009 Lexus ES250 making a lefthand turn into the Alpine Commons parking lot. Troopers and responding em…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Suspect At Large After Shooting Cat In Hudson Valley Suspect At Large After Shooting Cat In Hudson Valley
Suspect At Large After Shooting Cat In Hudson Valley Authorities in the Hudson Valley are offering a $500 reward for any information that could help lead to the arrest of a suspect who shot an owned cat with a metal projectile.  New, updated report - New Update: Reward Increased For Suspect Who Shot Cat In Patterson The incident happened in Putnam County around the time of Tuesday, Aug. 20, when a 3-year-old neutered male orange tabby cat named Kiwi was shot with what is believed to be an airgun pellet, the Putnam County SPCA announced on Thursday, Sept. 5.  The cat, owned by a resident of Bullet Hole Road in Patterson, was th…

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
Building To Be Demolished Following Devastating Hudson Valley Fire Building To Be Demolished Following Devastating Hudson Valley Fire
Building To Be Demolished Following Devastating Hudson Valley Fire A Hudson Valley apartment building that was destroyed by a quick-moving fire will be demolished this week. The incident occurred in Rockland County around 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, at The Highlands  (the former Avalon Gardens) in Nanuet. According to Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann, the fire destroyed eight units, leaving all homeless. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Rockland County Fire Coordinator Chris Kear said construction workers installing lighting may have hit a gas line, igniting the fire. He added the official cause of the fire is still pendin…

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by Kathy Reakes
Business
$2M Con Job: NY Contractor Admits Defrauding Victims Of Hurricane Sandy $2M Con Job: NY Contractor Admits Defrauding Victims Of Hurricane Sandy
$2M Con Job: NY Contractor Admits Defrauding Victims Of Hurricane Sandy A former New York contractor confessed to stealing millions of dollars from homeowners who were impacted by Hurricane Sandy to fund his lavish lifestyle. Alexander Almaraz, age 56, who formerly lived on Long Island in Freeport, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in Central Islip federal court on Thursday, Sept. 5. Prosecutors said Almaraz, who owned Design Concepts Group (DCG) in Freeport, targeted homeowners who suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 and later received relief funds from the governor’s office. Earlier Report: Lamborghini, Porsche, Jaguar,…

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Suspect Nabbed Stealing Items From Car In Handicapped Space At Hudson Valley Supermarket Suspect Nabbed Stealing Items From Car In Handicapped Space At Hudson Valley Supermarket
Suspect Nabbed Stealing Items From Car In Handicapped Space At Hudson Valley Supermarket A Hudson Valley man was charged with alleged robbery and menacing after stealing items from a car parked in a handicapped space and then attacking a person who attempted to intervene. The incident occurred in Orange County around noon on Thursday, Aug. 29, in the parking lot of Market 32 at 39 N. Plank Road in Newburgh. According to Lt. Matthew Nadolny of the Town of Newburgh Police, officers responded to the grocery store for a reported fight in progress.  An investigation determined that Nicholaus Mikus, age 40, of Newburgh, was stealing items from a parked vehic…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
Man From Region Nabbed For Commercial Burglary, Police Say Man From Region Nabbed For Commercial Burglary, Police Say
Man From Region Nabbed For Commercial Burglary, Police Say A man from the region has been charged with two counts of burglary for allegedly breaking into the same business twice and stealing property. The incidents occurred in Sullivan County at the Taam Eden Baker at Mountain Square Mall in Monticello on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and Thursday, Aug. 29. According to Monticello Police Lt. Mark Johnstone, Ishmiel Agapito, age 24, of Monticello, was charged on Monday, Sept. 2, following an investigation. Johnstone said Agapito was caught on surveillance forcing his way in through a rear door and stole property from inside the business.  He was cha…

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by Kathy Reakes
Obituaries
'Dawson's Creek' Actor With Ties To Region Dies At 51 'Dawson's Creek' Actor With Ties To Region Dies At 51
'Dawson's Creek' Actor With Ties To Region Dies At 51 An actor with ties to the region who was known for roles on several popular television shows such as "Dawson's Creek" is being remembered for his enduring positivity following a battle against an eating disorder.  Actor Obi Ndefo died on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at the age of 51 after a long illness, his sister Nkem Ndefo announced in a social media post on Monday, Sept. 2.  "Tragically, Obi’s heart gave out in his longstanding battle against the eating disorder orthorexia," Nkem Ndefo wrote in a post on X, adding, "As his family, we share this news to bring attention to …

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by Ben Crnic
Police & Fire
'Despicable': Woman Who Intentionally Set Fire To Home In Region Sentenced 'Despicable': Woman Who Intentionally Set Fire To Home In Region Sentenced
'Despicable': Woman Who Intentionally Set Fire To Home In Region Sentenced A 23-year-old New York woman who admitted to setting fire to a home with several people inside will spend up to seven years behind bars, authorities said.  Allexus Pecoraro, of Erieville in Madison County, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment in the first degree and was sentenced to two-and-a-third years to seven years in prison, the Albany County District Attorney's Office said.  Pecoraro was accused of starting a fire on the porch at 489 Hudson Avenue in Albany on May 8, 2022. The home is near the College of Saint Rose. The blaze gutted the house…

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by Josh Lanier