WSSV News

The Saratoga Springs Police Department is warning the public of an uptick in fraud reports during this holiday season. Among the tips they offer; legitimate businesses will never demand crypto, gift cards or cash via transfer apps to settle a debt, police said. They also will never threaten arrest or deportation if they are not paid. Neither will the government. Also, they will not ask people to download harmful materials to their devices.

Eight people have been indicted in connection with a scheme that targeted credit unions including some in Albany, Clinton, Rensselaer, and Saratoga counties. WNYT reports the suspects created fake identifications in the names of real credit union customers but used photographs of other people to conduct fraudulent transactions at credit unions all over the country, to the tune of $900,000.

Lola Saratoga on Broadway, which had $100,000 worth of merchandise stolen early Tuesday morning, has reopened
Two people ransacked Lola Saratoga on Broadway, smashing the front door and taking expensive high-end handbags at about 5 a.m. The search for suspects continues.

The New York State Police will participate in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, which runs now through Monday, Jan. 1. In addition to the DWI checkpoints and patrols, Troopers will be watching for distracted drivers, vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up, and drivers violating the “Move Over Law,” which requires motorists to exercise extreme caution when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped in or on the side of the road.

Saratoga city, county and tourism officials are discussing ways to ensure people visiting Saratoga Springs in June 2024 for the Belmont Stakes will have various festivities they can participate in leading up to the four-day event. The Daily Gazette reports
Discover Saratoga, the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation, the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, the city and the county are partnering to plan events for the entire week of the Belmont to maximize the economic value of the opportunity.

An inmate at the Saratoga County Jail is accused of assaulting a corrections officer. According to WNYT, 44 year old
Godfrey A. Waldron of Saratoga Springs injured the officer’s face on Dec. 4, and was charged this week with second-degree assault. The officer was treated at the scene.

More than $100,000 in merchandise was stolen from a Saratoga Springs store. WNYT reports police were called to Lola Saratoga on Broadway, around 5 a.m. Tuesday. The front door was smashed, the building was ransacked and now police are looking for two suspects who left in a dark-colored sedan. They were headed north on Broadway towards Route 9 and Route 50.

The Saratoga Economic Development Corporation has long claimed it’s a private entity, and not subject to the public disclosure protocols that all authorities are required to follow in New York State. WRGB reports now a unanimous ruling from the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court said the Corporation is indeed subject to disclosure and reporting as outlined in the Public Authorities Law.

A Clifton Park man has admitted to sending sexually explicit texts to someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl. WNYT reports 30 year old Michael Kirkland pleaded guilty Monday to attempted online enticement of a minor. Kirkland sent the text messages on Aug. 11, 2022, in an effort get the child to participate in sex acts with him. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on April 11.

The Schenectady man accused of firing a shotgun outside Temple Israel on Thursday is now charged with allegedly getting a friend to buy the weapon because he knew he wasn’t allowed to own a firearm. WNYT reports 28 year old Mufid Fawaz Alkhader is accusing of firing a 12-gauge shotgun twice into the air at about 2 p.m. No one was injured and the building was not damaged.