Arrest stems from a 2020 traffic stop
INTERSTATE 390 – Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty reports the arrest of a Steuben County resident on drug related charges following a traffic stop.
On November 2nd, 2020 at about 11:00pm Sergeant Matthew Thomas was assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Operation Safe Interstate initiative when he stopped a vehicle on Interstate 390 for a violation of the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law.
The operator of the vehicle was identified as a female, age 27, from Savona, NY. Two passengers in the vehicle were identified as Andrew S. Fisher, age 35 from Hornell, NY and a female age 29 from Bath, NY. During the stop, the Sergeant did suspect the occupants to be involved in drug activity, prompting him to initiate a roadside drug investigation.
The roadside investigation revealed that the occupants inside the vehicle were in possession of suspected 39.7 grams with packaging of methamphetamine in total, as well as MDMA, Suboxone, Oxycodone as well as other substances. All occupants were released on scene, pending the lab results, and the suspected drugs were sent to a forensic lab for testing.
On February 25th, 2022 Deputy Evan Wolfanger and Deputy Matthew Cole arrested and charged Andrew S. Fisher with felony Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and four counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, as the lab results did return positive for Meth, LSD, Oxycodone and Suboxone.
Fisher was transported and turned over to Central Booking Deputies at the Livingston County Jail for processing and pre-arraignment detention. The District Attorney’s Office was contacted in regards to bail due to the felony level charges. It was recommended that Fisher be held in custody of the Sheriff in lieu of no bail due to Fisher being convicted of three prior felony convictions. Per. NYS Criminal Procedure Law, a local criminal court justice cannot set bail on a defendant being charged with a felony, if the defendant has two more previous felony convictions.
Fisher was later arraigned at the Livingston County Centralized Arraignment Part (LC-CAP) at the Livingston County Jail before Village of Geneseo Justice Thomas Bushnell. The Judge did remand Fisher to the custody of the Sheriff in lieu of no bail.
The Livingston County Public Defender’s Office was present and represented Fisher at the court arraignment for his defense. The Livingston County District Attorney’s Office was notified but did not appear to represent the people.
Assisting on scene for the Sheriff’s Office at the time of the initial investigation was Deputy Jerry Pilkenton.
