News

Fugitive nabbed, returned to Catskill

By Claude Haton

CATSKILL — The New York State Police at Catskill, along with the Village of Catskill Police and the Greene County Probation Department, announced Wednesday the arrest and jailing of a local fugitive from justice after more than three years on the lam.

Apprehended is 32-year-old Cleon K. Taylor of Port Charlotte, Fla, who has been wanted by all three local agencies since late 2004. Among the indictments are two active rape charges, including forcible rape 1st, according to a joint statement released by SP Catskill on Wednesday.

Taylor, originally from the island nation of Jamaica, was charged with two counts of rape in September of 2004, according to Lt. Greg Sager, an investigator with the Village of Catskill Police Department. Those charges stemmed from alleged incidents involving a female victim under the age of 17 in the Village of Catskill.

Taylor, who was 29 at the time, apparently made bail and fled the area shortly after the 2004 rape charges were filed.

The Greene County Probation Department warrant stems from an earlier burglary conviction on charges filed in September of 2002. Greene County Probation Director Alan Frisbee recalled Wednesday that after Taylor’s conviction on the burglary count, he was sentenced to probation in January of 2003.

Taylor remained under the supervision of the Greene County Probation Department until just after the rape charges were filed in September of 2004. Frisbee recalled issuing the Probation Department’s warrant for Taylor’s arrest in November of 2004 after it became apparent that he had fled the area.

Frisbee noted that Taylor had been apprehended in Florida on October 30 of 2007. Information provided by SP Catskill states that Taylor had been arrested by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Department after leading authorities on a high speed chase there and attempting to give a false name.

Wanted on active warrants from all three agencies, SP Catskill says Taylor had been placed on NY State’s Most Wanted list during the course of their investigation.

State Police BCI Investigator Scott Youngblood said Wednesday that cooperation with Florida authorities and cross checking with FBI files lead to the revelation of Taylor’s true identity. The State Police rape charges stem from separate incidents in 2004 and 2005. Once they realized Florida had Taylor, Youngblood said State Police in New York put a hold warrant on Taylor until they could fly down and retrieve him.

This past May 22, members of the State Police at Catskill flew to Charlotte County Airport in Punta Gorda, Fla. utilizing State Police Division Aviation, to arrest Taylor who was already in the custody of Florida authorities.

Upon his return to New York, Taylor was remanded to the Greene County Jail without bail on the probation warrant. He will appear for arraignment in Village court on Thursday, Sager said, when Village Police of Catskill will serve their warrants.

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