PLEA AND SENTENCE IN DRUG POSSESSION CASE - 25 January 2024

DELHI - Delaware County District Attorney Shawn J. Smith announced that Zachary A. Rowe, 25, of Harpursville, New York appeared in Delaware County Court on January 16, 2024, and pleaded guilty to Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class C Felony and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A Misdemeanor.  

The defendant appeared in Delaware County Court for a court conference on January 16, 2024. At the conclusion of the conference, Rowe pled guilty to the two charges. Prior to pleading guilty, the defendant admitted that he possessed fentanyl in the Village of Sidney on October 1, 2023, and he further admitted that he intended to sell that fentanyl.  The defendant also admitted that he endangered the welfare of his child by using drugs in close proximity to him.  

After pleading guilty, Honorable John L. Hubbard sentenced the defendant to a 5-year term of felony probation supervision, with a special requirement that the defendant enroll in and successfully complete the Delaware County Adult Treatment Program. The court further ordered that if the defendant does not successfully complete the program, he will be resentenced to 4 years in state prison and two years of post-release supervision. 

District Attorney Shawn Smith commended Sidney Police Officer Royce Terry and his K-9 partner Riggs.  K-9 Riggs’ detection of potential drugs in a bag carried by the defendant formed the basis for Officer Terry to obtain a search warrant. After that search warrant was executed, Officer Terry confirmed, through further testing, that the bag contained fentanyl. “I am grateful that these two officers were able to locate and secure these dangerous drugs before they were sold to anyone in our community. Their thorough investigation permitted my office to secure a conviction in this case without the need of a trial.” 

Shawn J. Smith

District Attorney

Delaware County