Last Sunday, October 16th around 4:30pm, the Cortland County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call again at Walmart in the Town of Cortlandville for a reported larceny.
Upon arrival officers learned from store employees that the suspect had already left the store in a vehicle before their arrival. After store employees gave a description of the vehicle, officers conducted a traffic stop on Route 281 in Cortlandville.
Officers spoke with the occupants of the vehicle and determined that the passenger in the vehicle, 32 year old John J. Travers of Syracuse, who attempted to conceal his identity by providing officer’s with a false name, was the one who stole merchandise from the store.
Travers was then detained and found to be in possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia on his person. He was arrested and then transported to the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office for processing.
Once officer’s arrived at the sheriff’s office, they found Travers had attempted to conceal or destroy other drugs that were on his person while in the patrol vehicle.
He was charged with 2 counts of Tampering with Evidence, a felony, Petit Larceny, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th, Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia 2nd, and False Personation, all misdemeanors.
He was processed and released on his own recognizance with appearance tickets.