Tompkins sheriff’s deputy indicted

Tompkins County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Vann was indicted by a Tompkins County grand jury, according to the county District Attorney’s office.

The indictment charges five felonies and 11 misdemeanors. Charges range from endangering a person by firing a weapon, to choking, and attempted witness coercion and tampering.

Vann, 30, no hometown provided, will be arraigned 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Tompkins County Court, according to a news release from the office of Tompkins County District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson.

“In order to protect the privacy of the victims, the District Attorney’s office is not making further comment on this case at this time,” the news release stated.

The indictment was handed up Friday morning to county court Judge John C. Rowley. Court documents list John Grant, of Newburgh, New York, as Vann’s lawyer and Assistant District Attorney Wendy Franklin as the prosecutor.

Vann was arrested in March by state police in Ithaca. He was allegedly involved in late-night domestic disputes involving a 22-year-old woman on March 29-30 in the Town of Enfield.

Vann is accused of other crimes before and after the March incidents, according to court documents.

Vann allegedly twice attempted coercion in April by “instilling fear that, if a demand was not complied with,” he, or another person, would cause criminal charges to be instituted against a subject and expose a secret or asserted fact —tending the subject to contempt or ridicule.

He also allegedly fired a weapon endangering a nearby person in December 2014, tampered with property in January, tampered with a witness in April, and stole a purse that contained a debit or credit card on Feb. 28.

Tompkins County Sheriff Ken Lansing confirmed Friday that Vann remains on paid administrative leave. The deputy is involved with an arbitration proceeding between the sheriff’s office and union, Lansing added.

“I don’t know if the indictment is going to make any difference in that, at this point in time,” Lansing said.

The state police were assisted by the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.

Vann faces the following charges: Second-degree attempted coercion, two counts; second-degree unlawful imprisonment; criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation; tampering with physical evidence; prohibited use of weapons; prohibitions on the use of firearms and possession of firearms; third-degree robbery, two counts; third-degree criminal mischief for allegedly destroying property worth more than $250; third-degree criminal tampering; third-degree assault; fourth-degree criminal mischief for preventing a person from communicating with emergency personnel; fourth-degree grand larceny; fourth-degree tampering with a witness, and fourth degree criminal mischief.

Ithaca Journal staff reporter Kelsey O’Connor contributed to this report.

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