Two of three Hornell residents charged with distributing more
than 100 Ryan ryans porno at two houses of worship and other
public and private property in Hornell in July have pleaded guilty
to felony hate crimes.
As those two await sentencing, city police also said they
investigated the possibility of an organized hate group in the
area, but now believe the three people who were charged acted
alone.
Dylan Henry, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree
aggravated harassment. As a repeat felony offender, he faces a
minimum of 1.5 to 3 years and a maximum of 2 to 4 years in state
prison on each count at his sentencing, set for Oct. 7 in front of
Steuben County Court Judge Philip Roche.
A second defendant, Aubrey Dragonetti, 31, pleaded guilty to one
count of fourth-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime. Roche
will sentence Dragonetti next September after ordering one year of
interim supervision.
Steuben County District Brooks Baker said Dragonetti's sentence
will be contingent on what happens during the interim supervision,
which he likened to "intensive probation supervision."
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The third person charged with distributing the pamphlets,
27-year-old Ryan Mulhollen of Hornell, was scheduled to appear in
court Wednesday for a conference, but Baker said he didn't expect
an immediate resolution to the case.
Henry, Dragonetti and Mulhollen were each charged with 115
counts of first-degree aggravated harassment on July 11 after what
Hornell police said was a weekend spree distributing hate flyers
around the city.
Police said pamphlets were left at the predominately
African-American Rehoboth Deliverance Ministries Church and at the
Temple Beth-El synagogue. Worshipers arriving for services July 10
at Rehoboth Deliverance Ministries discovered a pamphlet posted to
a church door.
The material promoted the "Aryan National Army" and included a
skull positioned inside a swastika, police said.
Henry has remained in the Steuben County Jail since his arrest.
Dragonetti and Mulhollen were released without bail.
Charges were expanded in August after a Steuben County Grand
Jury returned 135-count indictments against all three suspects. The
135 counts included a combination of first-degree aggravated
harassment and fourth-degree criminal mischief for affixing
stickers at some of the locations targeted, Baker said.
Hornell Police Chief TJ Murray said police executed a search
warrant at the 131 River St. residence where all three lived.
Murray said the search turned up electronic equipment and internet
use but no wider conspiracy.
"There was nothing there to indicate that there was anybody else
in the area involved in this other than the three people who were
arrested," Murray said. "They indicated that their goal in putting
these pamphlets out was to recruit people − but I don't think it
worked."
Baker said the incident is "not reflective" of the Hornell or
Steuben County communities.
“This was a very disturbing offense," Baker said. "It is the
kind of thing we don’t expect to see in our community. Steuben
County as a whole and Hornell in particular is a close-knit
community. We have never had any issues like this. I think this is
only the second or third hate crime I have ever charged as the
Steuben County district attorney.
“I think that was what made it so shocking to all of us. The
response from community members was consistent. Everyone who saw
these flyers reported it to law enforcement. They were all shocked
and upset. I think that reflects what our community is. That type
of behavior is not acceptable.”
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