Sheriff Gregory Rudolph reports, David Schmieder, 26, was arrested following an incident at the Wyoming County Jail that occurred on January 3, 2021.
Schmieder is charged with assault 2nd, class D felony, and attempted escape 1st, class E felony.
Schmieder was being held in the Wyoming County Jail on previous felonies, which included an assault 2nd charge (assault on a Deputy Sheriff).
On January 3, Schmieder is accused of attempting to escape the main confinement area at the jail. He was quickly caught in the main corridor and detained after a struggle. Schmieder was unable to breach three secure jail doors to leave the facility.
A correction officer was injured during the altercation. The officer was treated at WCCH and released. He has since returned to work.
“The officers involved did a tremendous job limiting injury and containing the incident in the main corridor,” says Sheriff Gregory Rudolph.
Schmieder was arraigned in Wyoming County Court and committed back to the jail on $100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond on the new charges.
Jamie S. Kraft, 35, of Warsaw, was arrested following a traffic incident That started in the Village of Warsaw and ended in the Town of Attica. The incident began just before 7:00 a.m. on January 6, 2021
A Wyoming County Deputy Sheriff was on patrol and observed a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze traveling westbound on West Buffalo Street near the intersection with Wyoming Street, at a speed of 56MPH in a 30MPH zone.
The deputy turned around to pursue the vehicle, however the vehicle fled westbound at a high rate of speed. A second Wyoming County Deputy Sheriff who was west of the Village of Warsaw then encountered the vehicle on Route 20A in the Town of Warsaw.
The suspect vehicle was observed passing in a no passing zone, at a speed of 80MPH in the 55MPH speed zone, and the suspect vehicle’s lights were turned off while passing in the no passing zone.
The second Wyoming County Deputy Sheriff pursued the vehicle and observed as it fled at speeds exceeding 90MPH, with no lights on, passing in multiple no passing zones, until the Deputy Sheriff was able to catch up to the vehicle on Route 238 near Logan Road in the Town of Attica, where a traffic stop was conducted.
Upon approaching the vehicle, Kraft was observed to be the driver with one other passenger in the front seat. Kraft displayed general indicators of alcohol intoxication along with the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from within the vehicle.
Multiple open alcoholic beverage containers were also located within the vehicle. Kraft was uncooperative with field sobriety testing, and at this time Kraft was advised he was under arrest for DWI.
While attempting to take Kraft into custody, Kraft resisted arrest, wrestled with and grabbed officers, and in the process caused physical injury to an Attica Police Officer.
Kraft was taken into custody following the struggle, and then refused to submit to a chemical test. Kraft was found to have a prior conviction for DWI in 2016 in Grand Island, NY.
Kraft was charged as follows:
Assault in the Second Degree – Police Officer (Violent Class D Felony), Felony Driving While Intoxicated – Second Offense, Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, Unlawfully Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle in the Third Degree, Resisting Arrest, Reckless Driving, and multiple speed, unsafe passing, and unsafe lighting infractions.
Kraft was arraigned virtually in front of The Honorable Wyoming County Court Judge Michael Mohun. He was committed to the Wyoming County Jail in lieu of $15,000.00 cash bail, $30,000.00 bond, or $60,000.00 partially secured bond. Kraft was scheduled for further court appearance on January 20, 2021 in Wyoming County Court.
The injured Attica Police Officer was treated at the Wyoming County Community Hospital Emergency Room and then released. At the time of this press release, the officer was scheduled to miss several days of duty to recover from the sustained injuries.
“I would like to thank the Attica Police Department and the officers that responded to back up our Deputy Sheriffs on this precarious traffic stop and subsequent arrest. True Public Safety is a team effort that often comprises of mutual aid and community involvement and I wish the injured Attica PD officer a speedy and full recovery, “said Sheriff Gregory Rudolph.
Scott Fitzgerald, 50, no address provided, was arrested following an investigation of insurance fraud. Fitzgerald is charged with grand larceny 3rd, a class D felony. He was arraigned by Justice Mohun in Wyoming County Court and released on his own recognizance. He is to re-appear in court at a later date.
Fitzgerald is accused of paying a juvenile to intentionally wreck a snowmobile so that Fitzgerald could collect the insurance money. He is accused of then reporting to the insurance company that he was the operator and collected $8,835 in insurance money that he was not entitled to. The incident occurred in January of 2019.
“Fraud investigations by nature are laborious and complex, I am grateful to the NYS Division of Financial Services for assisting and gathering critical investigative facts to bring this case to a close,” said Sheriff Gregory Rudolph.
“This individual who proceeded to file a false insurance claim will now be held responsible thanks to the joint investigative efforts of NYDFS and the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office,” said Superintendent of Financial Services Linda A. Lacewell.
“Insurance fraud defrauds not only the insurance company responsible for the claim, but policyholders as well. NYDFS will continue to work with our law enforcement counterparts to uncover and resolve fraudulent insurance schemes.”
If anyone else has knowledge of this incident, or of additional suspicious insurance claims involving the defendant, they can contact Investigator McGinnis at the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office.
New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) assisted with the investigation