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Pacherilles arrested on harassment chargesNov 23, 2012 (The Daily Star - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Otsego County deputies have arrested the father and uncle of a former Cooperstown High School student convicted of attempted murder. Tony Pacherille, 45, of Herkimer, and Angelo David Pacherille, 55, of Maryland, were arraigned Wednesday on charges of second-degree aggravated harassment, a misdemeanor, in Otsego County Supreme Court, deputies said in a media release said. The brothers were released pending re-appearance on a later date. Tony Pacherille's son, Anthony Pacherille, is serving an 11-year prison sentence for attempted murder in the racially charged shooting of Wesley Lippitt in 2010. In September this year, Tony Pacherille paid a $500 fine after a conviction on two counts of second-degree harassment involving Lippitt. Deputies didn't release the identity of the Otsego County resident filing complaints leading to the most recent charges against the Pacherille brothers. In the release, deputies reported the following developments of the case: In late May 2011, a resident reported to deputies that a website was harassing to her and her family. A search warrant was obtained July 11 from Otsego Town Court for computers and media storage at Tony Pacherille's former residence at 43 Walnut St. in Cooperstown. On July 13, 2011, investigators from the sheriff's office and Otsego County District Attorney's Office executed the warrant and seized three laptop computers. The Utica Police Department Digital Forensics Laboratory determined that one of the computers was used to set up parts of the website. Deputies and the district attorney's staff determined that the Pacherille brothers were involved in "the creation and publication of the alarming, annoying and harassing post on the website in May 2011.'' In October 2012, Otsego County Acting Supreme Court Justice Martin E. Smith signed criminal summonses for second-degree aggravated harassment for the Pacherille brothers. The Pacherilles surrendered at the sheriff's office Oct. 24 and were served criminal summons, and Wednesday, they were arraigned. The case is being prosecuted by special prosecutors Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride and First Assistant District Attorney Steven Dunshee. The maximum sentence for a conviction on the misdemeanor charge is up to a year in jail, deputies said. ___ (c)2012 The Daily Star (Oneonta, N.Y.) Visit The Daily Star (Oneonta, N.Y.) at www.thedailystar.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |