KINDERHOOK–A man, who allegedly was involved in an illegal drug lab, hit a motorcyclist, then shot at a Columbia County Sheriff’s deputy and another lawman, died July 22 at the Albany Medical Center after being shot in the head.
The man, later identified as Agostino “A.J.” Jubrey, 21, of Colonie, first came to the attention of law enforcement officials at about 4 p.m. July 20, when Deputy Toby Van Alstyne went to investigate a motorcycle accident on State Route 9 at the Keegan Road intersection in front of the Ichabod Crane High School, according to a press release from Columbia County Sheriff David Harrison, Jr.
Alfred P. Austin, 60, of Kinderhook was operating the motorcycle northbound on State Route 9 when a maroon southbound vehicle struck Mr. Austin and his motorcycle, then fled the scene.
The Valatie Rescue Squad took Mr. Austin to the Albany Medical Center for evaluation. The Niverville Fire Company also responded to the scene.
A description of the vehicle that fled was broadcast to police patrols in the area. Deputy VanAlstyne processed the accident scene and interviewed witnesses. He then began a search of the area for the maroon vehicle.
At about 5:47 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office received a call about an erratic driver on Route 9 in the Valatie/Niverville area, operating a vehicle that fit the description of the vehicle from the hit-and-run motorcycle accident.
A computer check on the license plate number given by a witness came back with an address in the Town of Colonie.
To follow-up on the crash and erratic driver complaint, Deputy VanAlstyne traveled to Colonie and met with Colonie Police Officer Dan Belles. Both lawmen went in separate patrol vehicles to the address–2 Leach Avenue in Colonie.
When they arrived, they saw Mr. Jubrey next to the suspect vehicle, who began firing at them.
Neither Officer Belles nor Deputy VanAlstyne was injured during the exchange of gun fire, but the sheriff’s patrol vehicle was struck by bullets fired by Mr. Jubrey, who was shot in the head by Officer Belles.
Sheriff Harrison, Captain David Bartlett, Senior Investigator Kevin Skype, Sergeant Michael Merante and Deputy Louis Bray traveled to the scene in Colonie.
Meanwhile, back in Columbia County, State Police at Livingston had begun a related investigation into what they termed, “a clandestine lab” in Austerlitz. The investigation was initiated by a traffic stop for no seatbelts on Konig Road in Ghent by Trooper James Lydon. When the trooper approached the car, he noted a strong chemical smell and saw chemicals and paraphernalia in the car associated with making illegal drugs.
The State Police Contaminated Crime Scene Emergency Response Team (CCSERT) unit was called in and Konig Road was closed to all traffic for 12 hours while CCSERT members safely collected the chemicals. Further investigation revealed one of the vehicle occupants and Mr. Jubrey had been staying in tents at an Austerlitz campground since Monday, July 18, and that the lab had been set up there.
Police say the lab and camp were rapidly dismantled after one of the campers–Mr. Jubrey–was involved in the hit and run accident in Kinderhook.
Mr. Jubrey and his fellow camper, who police did not identify, then disposed of the lab items in dumpsters at the campground and behind an apartment building in Ghent. The landlord saw them and told them he was calling the police because they had no permission to use the dumpster.
Mr. Jubrey then drove to Colonie, while the one remaining camper and three friends loaded the lab’s contents into a friend’s car, a white Saturn, which was the car stopped on Konig Road.
The camper and his three friends, all from the Albany area, were taken to the Livingston Barracks to be interviewed and were released pending further investigation and laboratory results.
State Police were assisted at the Konig Road scene by the Ghent Fire Department and Columbia County Fire Coordinators’ Office. State Police Captain Scott Brown credited the intuition and investigative abilities of Trooper Lydon and Investigator Marcus Walthour with uncovering a dangerous situation. Captain Brown and Senior Investigator Gary Mazzacano supervised the scene throughout the evening and early morning hours.
Pine Plains
Christa Hieronymi, 45, of Red Hook was charged with second degree grand larceny, a class C felony, and first degree falsifying business records, a class E felony, by State Police in Rhinebeck, July 25.
Ms. Hieronymi was the head teller at the Bank of Millbrook, formerly Stissing Bank, on Church Street. Over the last two or more years, Ms. Hieronymi allegedly falsified bank documents to cover up the theft of about $460,000 in cash. She was arraigned and sent to the Dutchess County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail or $25,000 bond to reappear in Pine Plains Court at a later date.
Drugs/alcohol
The following face drug and/or alcohol-related charges:
*Michael Brown, Jr., 26, of Elmont and Tyrone Warren, 28, of Springfield Gardens were charged with second degree criminal possession of marijuana, a class D felony, and speeding by State Police at Livingston, June 8. After being stopped for speeding on the Taconic State Parkway in Gallatin, troopers found that the men had more than two pounds of marijuana. They were arraigned in Tagkhanic Court and sent to the Columbia County Jail in lieu of $15,000 cash bail.
*Harrison Meeske, 69, of Stockport was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs by State Police at Kinderhook, June 9. A trooper saw Mr. Meeske drive off the side of State Route 9H in Kinderhook, then strike and knock down a road sign. He was released with tickets returnable in Kinderhook Court.
*David Risch, 19, Chatham was charged with fifth degree criminal sale of marijuana and unlawful possession of marijuana by Chatham Police, June 10 at 11:10 a.m. Mr. Risch allegedly sold marijuana to man in the village. He was arraigned in village court and sent to the county jail in lieu of $500 cash bail, pending a later court appearance.
*Michael Coxon, 32, of Copake was charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance by State Police at Kinderhook during a stop for vehicle and traffic law violations on State Route 9H in Ghent, June 15. Troopers say Mr. Coxon had cocaine. He was released on an appearance ticket returnable in Ghent Court.
*Santos Lopez, 26, of Hudson was charged with driving while intoxicated and unlicensed operation by State Police at Livingston during a traffic stop for vehicle and traffic law violations on Fairview Avenue, Greenport, June 16. He was released on tickets returnable in Greenport Court.
*Desiree Graziano, 31, of Stuyvesant was charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding by State Police at Kinderhook during a traffic stop on Novak Road, Kinderhook, June 17. She was released with tickets returnable in Kinderhook Town Court.
*Thomas Vacca, 32, of Valatie was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs by State Police at Livingston, June 17. He was stopped on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge approach at a DWI checkpoint and was found to be impaired by hydrocodone and marijuana. He was released with tickets returnable in Greenport Court.
*Kevin Maxwell, 18, of Stockport was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, unlawful possession of marijuana and illegal turn signal by Deputies Kris Bauhoff and Brendan Filli during a stop on Fairview Avenue, Greenport, June 17 at 3:15 a.m. He will answer the charges in Greenport Court.
*Jacob L. Mantell, 23, of Chatham was charged with driving while intoxicated, driving with a blood alcohol content greater than .08%, speeding and third degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle by Chatham Police, July 10 at 10:14 p.m. Police stopped Mr. Mantell for allegedly driving at 50 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone on Woodbridge Avenue in the village. After he was stopped, police discovered he had been drinking alcohol. He was released with tickets to appear in court at a later date.
*Nathaniel Almstead, 29, of Hudson was charged with felony driving while intoxicated, felony first degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle misdemeanor failure to use a vehicle interlocking device, speeding and unlawful possession of marijuana by Chatham Police, July 4 at 12:28 a.m. After stopping Mr. Almstead for speeding, they discovered that he was intoxicated. His driver’s license was also revoked at that time for a previous DWI conviction. He was arraigned in Village Court before Justice David Harrison and sent to the county jail without bail pending a later court appearance.
*Jamie McGee, Jr., 21, of Chatham seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana and a vehicle and traffic violation by Chatham Police, July 1 at 9:54 p.m. Police stopped Mr. McGee for skateboarding in the middle of the driving lane on Hudson Avenue. They discovered that he had oxycodone pills without a prescription and marijuana. He was released with appearance tickets returnable in village court.
*David Royce, 39, of New Lebanon was charged with felony driving while intoxicated, felony first degree aggravated unlicensed operation and violation of a conditional use license by Trooper Nicholas Lombardi, July 7.
The trooper pulled Mr. Royce over on Route 20, New Lebanon after seeing him fail to signal a turn. Mr. Royce tested at a .12% blood alcohol concentration. He was arraigned in New Lebanon Town Court and is awaiting the transfer of his case to Columbia County Court.