In the old days, we used to have garage sales. Or we’d post a notice of an item for sale on a public bulletin board. Or we’d simply use that ancient standby, word of mouth.

Nowadays, we boot up the computer and log onto websites such as Craigslist or Offer Up. But the convenience of the new sales systems may be overshadowed by inherent risks of dealing with strangers.

The private sale of a video game system turned into an armed robbery recently in the town of Salina. The sale had been arranged online.

Three charged with robbery

Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office detectives have charged three people in connection with a robbery that occurred a few days before Christmas outside a town of Salina residence. On Dec. 21, at approximately 4:15 p.m., deputies responded to a house in the 200 block of Avery Drive after receiving a 911 call reporting a robbery at gunpoint. The Salina resident was selling a Microsoft Xbox Series X gaming system.

Criminal Investigations Division detectives learned that the victim advertised the Xbox on the website “Offer Up.” When the suspects, two males and a female, arrived at the victim’s home, they drew a handgun and demanded the gaming system. The threesome was last seen fleeing the scene in a pick-up truck, accord to sheriff’s office spokesman Sgt. Jon Seeber.

Detectives later identified the suspects as James Carter (48), Andre Robinson (20) and a 17- year-old female, all from Syracuse. The three were arrested and charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree criminal use of a firearm, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and petit larceny.

Carter and Robinson were arraigned in Centralized Arraignment Court where Carter’s bail was set at $25,000 cash / $50,000 bond and Robinson’s bail was set at $50,000 cash / $100,000 bond. The 17-year-old female was arraigned in Youth Part Court and released to a guardian.

Advice to avoid rip-offs

The sheriff’s office advises citizens to take practical steps to ensure personal safety as well as the security of their property when engaging in these types of transactions:

• Choose a well-lit public area that you are familiar with to exchange the goods, preferably somewhere closed-circuit television is available.
• Avoid meeting in vulnerable areas, such as dark car parks, playing fields and the other person’s home.
• Where possible, avoid meeting at your own home.
• Take a friend or family member with you.
• Plan an exit strategy ahead of time, in case the meeting doesn’t go as planned — identify an exit route, and ensure you have access to a telephone to contact 911 if necessary.

Deputy accused of egging

A couple weeks ago, we reported a series of arrests made by Onondaga County Sheriff’s deputies in the town of Clay. On Dec. 13, members of the sheriff’s office — including Deputy Kristen Mullen — busted two young men caught in a car carrying a loaded 9mm handgun, cash and a variety of dangerous drugs. Soon after, deputies arrested a 20-year-old man charged with a non-fatal shooting at Madison Village mobile home park.

On Dec. 18, however, the sheriff’s office charged one of its own deputies with a violation after a resident of Plum Hollow Circle reported that his vehicle had been egged.

Plum Hollow Circle is a subdivision off Wetzel Road in the town of Clay.

The vehicle-owner, Jonathan Maxim, presented deputies with video evidence from his doorbell camera that led them to ticket Maxim’s neighbor, Sgt. Kevin Williams, 55, for second-degree harassment, a violation. Williams is a 22-year-veteran of the sheriff’s office where he works as a custody deputy.

Williams tossed the raw egg at approximately 5:30 a.m. because he was upset that Maxim — who owns a fleet of medical transport vehicles — was parking those cars on the street, preventing proper snow removal.

Trombonist’s last chorus

Trombonist George Feltman, who lived in Liverpool, died early last week after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 63 years old.

The Honeysuckle Drive resident was a founder and longtime leader of the popular R&B band, Atlas. A graduate of Hall High School in West Hartford, Connecticut, Feltman went on to study music at Syracuse University before forming the horn band than known as Atlas Linen Co., along with keyboardist Larry Arlotta and vocalist Ronnie Leigh.

Atlas won a Syracuse Area Music Award as Best Soul or R&B Band, in 1999. 

Last word

“Most people don’t even know what a trombone is. It’s not that popular as a front instrument…I picked it up and fell in love with it as a kid. It’s a difficult instrument, but I like doing things that seem impossible.”

–Trombone Shorty

Contact the columnist at [email protected].