CATTARAUGUS COUNTY
Man admits he swindled property owners
An Olean contractor accused of stealing money from unwitting property owners in a home-improvement scheme has pleaded guilty in Cattaraugus County Court, the district attorney’s office reported.
Jeffrey S. Wachwitz, 43, pleaded guilty to third-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheme to defraud to satisfy a pending indictment that accused him of defrauding one Salamanca homeowner of more than $3,000.
Prosecutors say that between November 2005 and January 2008, Wachwitz took money from a number of individuals while promising to do home construction work that he never performed.
Wachwitz also pleaded guilty to a burglary charge from an incident in January 2008 when he was caught trying to steal cash from a home. He will be sentenced in October.
Also, Bradley W. Murphy, 29, of Olean, was sentenced to five years’ probation and 200 hours of community service for his conviction on felony driving while intoxicated.
Bradley was arrested on Sept. 24, 2006, after police say he registered a 0.23 percent blood-alcohol level, nearly three times the legal limit, while driving in the Town of Hinsdale.
Bradley’s license was revoked, and he was fined $3,000. He also will serve a concurrent sentence of probation for an assault conviction.
And Dawn L. Dutton, 39, of Portville pleaded guilty to third-degree rape for having sex with someone who is younger than 17. The crime took place between July and August 2008 in Hinsdale.
District Attorney Edward M. Sharkey confirmed Dutton knew the victim but would not provide any further information about their relationship.
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