With two winter storms on the books, snowblowers were the perfect gift this week.
But Richard Burton and Darwyn Dery may have taken the wrong approach.
Police charged the two men with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property for taking two snowblowers––in broad daylight––from the Sears store in Cobleskill.
Mr. Dery is also charged with second-degree reckless endangerment.
Sears manager Barbara Coons said the two men apparently parked a pick-up truck at the side of the building, then wheeled two snowblowers that were on display in front of the store around to the truck and loaded them on.
“A woman came in and told us they did it,” Ms. Coons said, adding that the snowblowers were worth about $2,100 together.
Schoharie County Sheriff John Bates said the theft occurred about 12:30 Saturday.
Sears workers called the Cobleskill Police Department, which put out an alarm, describing the truck as a red Ford pick-up.
Patrolling the Schoharie area, Sergeant Steve Sturm of the Sheriff’s Office spotted a truck meeting the description on Route 30 near I-88.
“The minute he activated his lights, they took off,” Sheriff Bates said.
The two men led police north on Route 30, across Route 20 into Schenectady County and into Montgomery County, Sheriff Bates said.
“By this time, State Police, Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies and EnCon Police, who happened to be in the area, were involved,” Sheriff Bates said.
In Montgomery County, the two men began taking side roads but couldn’t shake police.
They parked the truck at a residence in the Town of Amsterdam “and started running,” Sheriff Bates said.
Police caught the two men shortly afterward.
“I’m very thankful. It was great police work,” Ms. Coons said.
The stolen property charges are felonies.
Mr. Burton, 38, of Amsterdam, and Mr. Devy, 35, of Albany were arraigned on those charges Monday in Cobleskill Village Court. They were ordered held in lieu of $25,000 cash bail, $50,000 bond.
The two men are to return to court Friday.
They may face additional charges of speeding, escape, failure to comply “and a lot of vehicle and traffic violations,” Sheriff Bates said.