Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean C. Eldridge, who is handling
the case, stated that the criminal complaint alleges that in March 2019, the
defendant was a resident at the Bath, NY Veterans Affairs Medical Center. On
March 2, 2019, Rogers returned to the facility after a trip home to
Connecticut, when VA Police received information that the defendant was in
possession of a prohibited item. VA Police responded and after speaking with Rogers,
officers removed approximately 20 small baggies from his pocket that were
rubber-banded together. Also recovered were four knives with blades over three
inches long, an unspent round of ammunition, three used hypodermic needles, and
a bag of unused needles.
Subsequent laboratory testing performed by the Drug
Enforcement Administration confirmed that the substance contained in the 20
seized baggies was fentanyl.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S.
Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson, and further proceedings are scheduled on
August 26, 2019, at 9:00 a.m.
The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by
the Bath Veterans Affairs Police Department, under the direction of Chief
Joseph Day, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector
General, Criminal Investigations Division, Northeast Field Office, under the
direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Sean J. Smith. Assistance was also
provided by the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff
James L. Allard, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction
of Special Agent-in-Charge Ray Donovan, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is
merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless
proven guilty.
