Man receives prison term

JOHNSTOWN - A city man who authorities said late last winter turned on a propane tank at his home and threatened to blow it up with others inside was sentenced Thursday in Fulton County Court to 1 1/2 to three years in state prison.

Leroy E. Betor II, 38, of 338 West Main St., Johnstown, was sentenced by Judge Polly A. Hoye.

The defendant was indicted by a county grand jury April 25 on charges of first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree menacing. Police said he turned on a propane tank at his home and threatened to blow it up with a lighter while others were in the room.

Betor was arrested at 11:15 a.m. March 15 and charged with third-degree menacing. Police said he was charged after officers responded to a call at his home.

In other County Court cases Thursday before Hoye:

Louis Robinson, 23, of Schenectady was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in state prison as a second felony offender. He also received 1 1/2 years of post-release supervision.

Sentencing was based on an arrangement he made to plead guilty Sept. 18 to six counts - two counts each of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

He was indicted by a Fulton County grand jury April 23 on counts that included third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Brandon R. Coopey, 28, of Mayfield was sentenced to 1 1/3 years in state prison and he must make $113 in restitution.

Sentencing was based on the defendant's Sept. 4 guilty plea to third-degree attempted burglary.

He was charged by state police along with two co-defendants July 1. Troopers said Coopey, as well as Mindy L. Vezeau, 22, of Shields Road, Edinburg, and Joshua S. Hodgson, 28, of Mayfield were involved in an early morning break-in that day at the Northville Laundromat.

All three were initially charged with felony third-degree burglary and misdemeanor fifth-degree conspiracy.

Coopey forcefully entered the laundry and, along with Vezeau, was stealing from the change machine, police said. Both subjects fled and were picked up by Hodgson a short distance from the scene, state police said.

Fulton County sheriff's Deputy Wayne Peters - along with K-9 Blitz Z- tracked the suspects. They were apprehended in the village, state police said.

Cases against Vezeau and Hodgson are pending.

Matthew J. Johnson, 23, of 8 Lincoln St.. Gloversville - a state-registered sex offender - was sentenced to 1 1/3 to four years in state prison. Sentencing was based on his arrest by Gloversville police July 28 for not formally changing his address and his Sept. 11 guilty plea to that charge.

Police said Johnson was discovered to have been fishing alone with three children at a creek. Police said after an investigation, officers found Johnson had not changed his address with the state sex offender unit. Instead of listing his address as 8 Lincoln St., Johnson had listed it as 5 Lincoln St., police said.

Police said he previously has been convicted four times for not verifying a change in his address.