Massena Town Supervisor Wants Three Utica Residents Banned

The Town of Massena Supervisor has announced he wants three individuals from the City of Utica banned from the town for life.

The Utica residents were arrested in the Town of Massena and plead guilty in late June on drug charges. According to the Watertown Daily Times,

In a letter sent to Judge Derek P. Champagne last week, Mr. Gray asked him to issue orders banning Daquon J. Holmes, Jamar L. Carter and Janera D. Carter, all from Utica, from returning to Massena.

The guilty pleas stemmed from a seven person arrest following a traffic stop on March 30th, 2017. As a result of the arrest police seized $34,000 worth of narcotics. Among the drugs discovered were 129 grams of crack, 21 grams of heroin, 86 grams of powder cocaine, a revolver and a “large amount of currency.”

The reason for Gray requesting the ban is not because he's against Utica. His main concern is the amount of drug activity that goes on there. Drug trafficking comes into the Town of Messena from all over the state. Syracuse, Buffalo, New York City and Utica are among the major cities that are a source of the drug activity in the area.

Gray tells WIBX, "It is important that Massena stands up and says to those in our community who want to spread death, violence and drug abuse that your actions are not welcome in our community. And if you persist in this behavior, you as a person are not welcome in our community."

Gray is all for people moving to and visiting Messena to enjoy all it has to offer, but for those who want to "deal dope and create chaos" he has a strong message. Gray said that the drug addiction problem is significant in Messena and as a board member for a drug rehab center for 30 years Gray says, "I don't hate the addicts, I hate the drugs." That is why Gray says anyone who wishes to terrorize the community by prolonging the epidemic "Can get the hell out."

Gray made the request for the ban in a letter to Franklin County Judge Derek P. Champagne, who is handling matters in St. Lawrence County. Gray says there is no reason for the three individuals to return to Massena if they're from Utica. He asked Judge Champagne to include the ban as part of their sentencing on August 21st, 2017.

According to the same Watertown Daily Times article, this is not the first time the Massena Town Supervisor has made such a request. Several people arrested in a separate sting in mid-June, despite having Messena addresses, have no business being there, according to Gray. The article states,

Mr. Gray had shared similar sentiments in mid-June when he noted that eight of 106 defendants who had been arrested as part of Operation Gravy Train in Massena, Ogdensburg and Gouverneur had Massena addresses.

Town Supervisor Joseph Gray will join us Friday morning at 7:35 a.m. on 'First News' with Keeler in the Morning on WIBX 950 AM and online at WIBX950.com.