CATSKILL — A Greene County man was sentenced to prison Tuesday following his conviction for a break-in that took place in the village of Coxsackie, Greene County District Attorney Joseph Stanzione said.
Michael Pernice, 34, of Palenville, was sentenced in Greene County Court by Judge Charles Tailleur to a term of 1 to 3 years in state prison, Stanzione said.
Pernice had previously pleaded guilty to third-degree attempted burglary, Stanzione said.
The sentence for a conviction of third-degree burglary could have ranged from probation, to up to seven years in prison, according to New York State Penal Law.
Third-degree burglary is a class D felony.
Pernice was arrested May 12, 2020, by Village of Coxsackie Police. He was charged with the burglary of a home in the village, according to authorities.
Tailleur also issued Orders of Protection on Tuesday for the victims of the break-in, Stanzione said.
Inmate sentence extended
Also in Greene County Court on Tuesday, a former inmate at Coxsackie Correctional Facility, had 1 1/2 to 3 years added to his sentence following his conviction for possessing prison contraband while he was incarcerated at Coxsackie, Stanzione said.
Giovanni Vargas, 26, is being held at Five Points Correctional Facility in Romulus, Seneca County, according to records from the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The original charge against Vargas resulted in a conviction on first-degree attempted robbery.
The new sentence is for a conviction on first-degree attempted promoting prison contraband. Vargas possessed a handmade shank consisting of a piece of plexiglass sharpened to a point with cloth on one end serving as a handle. The weapon was 5 inches long, Stanzione said.
Vargas’s sentence handed down Tuesday will run consecutive with a state prison term he is now serving, Stanzione said.
New York Penal Law defines first-degree promoting prison contraband as being a person confined in a detention facility, and knowingly and unlawfully makes, obtains or possesses any dangerous contraband.
The crime is a class D felony.
The sentence could range from 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison.