CAZENOVIA — Following a report from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office stating that Bradley Moses, a candidate for Madison County judge, had fentanyl, Delta-9 Carboxy THC (marijuana), and alcohol in his system the night deputies responded to an emergency at his residence, Moses issued the following statement:

“I am not a perfect person and I accept responsibility for the events that occurred on the weekend of July 30th. This situation has opened my eyes to the fact that I had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. From the moment I was released from the hospital I have taken, and continue to take, steps to address my issue with alcohol. I immediately, and voluntarily, signed up for outpatient treatment. I also voluntarily joined a twelve step program which I regularly attend. The positive impact that has had on my health and my relationships has been extraordinary.

“I want to recognize and thank the EMTs and other first responders that came to my home that evening. Without them this incident could have ended much more tragically for all involved. These are people that take time out of their own lives to help others in need. I am eternally grateful for them, all they did that evening and all they continue to do every day.

“As it relates to the Judicial race, I am the most qualified candidate. When the Republican and Conservative parties made their choice based on legal experience, qualifications and temperament, they chose me. All of those reasons still exist today. Unfortunately, there are those that have sought to use this incident to try to destroy me and my family for their own personal gain or their own agenda. I recognize I gave them that opportunity. This incident does not define me and it does not erase my life’s work. Good people make mistakes and I have been strengthened by the outpouring of support and compassion from so many across Madison County and beyond.

“Judges bring their life experiences with them to the bench. This is now a part of my story and will be for the remainder of my life. Regardless of the outcome of the political contest, this entire ordeal has made me a stronger person and I will continue to work to be a better father, husband and a better member of our community.”

As previously reported, deputies and the Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps were dispatched to Moses’ lake house in the Town of Nelson on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at approximately 8:55 p.m. regarding a possible overdose incident.

The sheriff’s deputies said that upon arrival at the scene, they found two subjects — one who was identified as Moses — unconscious and gasping for air. Both individuals were administered multiple doses of Narcan and transported to Syracuse area hospitals for treatment.

According to the sheriff’s office, witnesses advised the responders that the two victims had ingested a substance believed to be cocaine prior to becoming unconscious and unresponsive.

The sheriff’s office also said deputies recovered a sample of the substance believed to be cocaine during the execution of a search warrant. The sample field tested positive for fentanyl.

As part of the sheriff’s office’s investigation into the incident, a search warrant for Moses’ blood toxicology was executed.

The toxicology report was received on Sept. 7 and the results were announced in a press release that day.

Because of New York State’s “Good Samaritan Law,” no one involved in the incident is likely to face criminal charges.

“It is standard practice to pursue toxicology warrants for victim blood in serious overdose cases,” said Lieutenant Jon Morticelli of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division on Sept. 8. “The goal of the police investigation into these cases is to identify, arrest and prosecute the individual responsible for supplying the drug that led to the overdose incident. There are a number of applicable charges in both the state and federal legal systems that can be used to prosecute an individual who supplies drugs that lead to an overdose that causes injury or death to the end user of said drugs.”

The only way to prove that a drug led to injury/death, Morticelli added, is to obtain a toxicology report on the person who experienced the overdose.

The lieutenant also said that the sheriff’s office’s investigation into the source of the narcotics involved in Moses’ alleged overdose is ongoing. Anyone who has knowledge of the incident should contact the criminal investigations division at (315) 366-2311.

In a now-deleted statement on his campaign website, bradmoses.com, Moses told a different version of the events of July 30.

He recounted that after returning home from a golf tournament that evening, he lost consciousness and was taken to a Syracuse emergency room, where, after several tests, it was determined that he had acute kidney failure caused by severe dehydration due to high alcohol consumption coupled with the hot weather.

Since the incident, Moses has repeatedly acknowledged his “unhealthy relationship with alcohol” and, according to investigators, admitted to using marijuana on July 30, but he has steadfastly asserted that he had no illegal drugs in his system.

“In a clear rush to judgment, it is evident party leaders and those seeking their own political advantage are comfortable with ignoring the facts,” Moses said in an Aug. 30 statement. “After threatening to harm me and my family, politicians and party leaders have embarked on a campaign of misinformation, mistruths and are defaming me in the public and media. The fact is a toxicology screen performed at the hospital showed no illegal drugs in my system. Judges need to be fair and impartial. Willingness to disregard facts, making rash judgments for political gain, and being controlled by political leaders is not what we need from our Judges. I am on the ballot because of my qualifications and experience. None of that has changed and I still remain the most qualified to serve as County Judge.”

Moses is the only candidate whose name will appear on the ballot for the judgeship. However, in the wake of the allegation against him, the Madison County Republican and Conservative Parties rescinded their endorsements of his campaign and announced their support for a write-in effort to elect local attorney and Cazenovia Associate Village Justice Rhonda Youngs.

Because the deadlines have passed for another candidate’s name to be placed on the ballot, a vote for anyone but Moses must be cast by write-in.

In a Sept. 8 press release, Youngs responded to the news of the toxicology results.

In her statement, she said that having lived her life and spent her career serving the people of Central New York with honesty and good character, she is running a write-in campaign to ensure that the integrity of the court is upheld and that the people who appear there “get a fair shake from a judge with the right experience, qualifications and temperament.”

The judgeship is up for election following the elevation of former Madison County Judge Patrick J. O’Sullivan to the New York State Supreme Court. Madison County Judges preside over cases in county court (criminal matters), family court, and surrogate’s court.