On Thursday, February 7, 2019, Shannon J. McDonald was before the Honorable Michael M. Mohun. McDonald admitted he violated probation with a sentencing commitment of 1-3 years in New York State Prison.
On October 19, 2018, McDonald was convicted, upon a plea of guilty, of non-support of a child 1st degree, a class E felony, and sentenced to five years probation. On February 7, 2019, he admitted that he failed to abide by his probation requirements to pay his child support as directed.
This is the first time in Wyoming County history that a person has ever been indicted, found guilty/pleaded guilty, and ultimately sentenced to state prison for this crime. This arrest is the culmination of an investigation by the Department of Social Services Child Support Collection Unit, the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyoming County District Attorney.
The Child Support Collection Unit has attempted to get McDonald to pay his child support for years. Prior to the criminal prosecution of this case, he had been held in contempt of court twenty-six times for willfully violating numerous child support orders. In addition, he has been incarcerated through the Family Court on eight different occasions. In 2017, he was arrested and pleaded guilty to non-support of a child 2nd degree, a misdemeanor.
As of today’s date, Shannon J. McDonald currently owes $214, 712.23 in child support.
The case was prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Vincent A. Hemming. Joseph Terranova, Esq. represented the Defendant.
“My Office almost never gets involved in the failure to pay child support. There is a system set up, through the Family Court, to hold people accountable for the willful failure to pay. That system did everything it could to make sure that the Defendant paid his child support but, despite holding him in contempt and incarcerating him numerous times, it could not do so,” says District Attorney Donald O’Geen.
“Many families in our community depend on child support. When a person fails to pay that support, it creates a burden on the family and, in many cases, on the social safety net, which ultimately causes law abiding taxpayers to pick up the tab.”
“Make no mistake – this is not a case of a person who misses a payment (or a few payments) or lacks the ability to pay because of a loss of a job or difficult situation. This is a case of a person who repeatedly willfully refuses to pay his support, despite the fact that he was employed and able to do so. I hope this case sends a clear and unequivocal message to those people that fail to pay to support their children.”
For this person to owe that amount of money ($214,712.23) for child support, is there a REST OF THE STORY needed here?
THERE ARE TOO MANY OF THESE PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT. I HOPE HE ROTS IN JAIL. HE MADE THE KID(S) SO HE SHOULD PAY FOR THEM. HE LOOKS LIKE A SMART ASS.