Jason Murray-Craig, 24, who was arrested in Altamont on Feb. 16 for the Jan. 8 burglary at the village laundry, has been arrested again locally, this time in Berne.

The charges include both felonies and misdemeanors and stem from an April 10 incident in which Murray-Craig, according to an arrest report issued by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, was pursued for speeding, fled from the police on foot, and was found to have a backpack full of drugs and drug paraphernalia in his car.

He has been released on $50,000 bail, according to Berne Town Judge Alan Zuk.

Murray-Craig, a 2008 Berne-Knox-Westerlo graduate who Altamont Police say has a heroin problem, also faces charges for petty larceny in Schenectady and for grand larceny in Oneonta.

Following Jason Murray-Craig’s appearance in Altamont Village Court in March on charges related to the laundry burglary, Christopher Laurenzo of the Altamont Police discovered that there was a warrant out for his arrest in Schenectady, and Murray-Craig was arrested on the Schenectady warrant.

According to Laurenzo, upon learning of this development, Murray-Craig turned to his mother, who back in February had bailed him out in Altamont Court for $20,000, and said, “I knew we should have left right after court.”

Murray-Craig’s attorney, Michael Mansion, then told his client that the charges weren’t going to go away, and that Murray-Craig needed to face them.

Lieutenant Mark McCracken of the Schenectady Police told The Enterprise that the arrests were on two outstanding warrants for petit larceny related to thefts allegedly committed at the Home Depot on Cambridge Road in Schenectady on Dec. 14, 2014 of items totaling $278 and on Jan. 2, 2015 of items totaling $777.

McCracken said that Murray-Craig was charged with two misdemeanors and that he was released on bail that same night. Murray-Craig is due in court on these charges on April 30, according to Schenectady County Assistant District Attorney Michael W. Tiffany.

Murray-Craig was also arrested in Oneonta on March 9, for felony fourth-degree grand larceny for property valued at over $1,000.

The charge, according to Investigator Kyle Oliver of the State Police barracks at Oneonta, stemmed from a shoplifting complaint from Jan. 27 at the Oneonta Walmart. Murray-Craig received an appearance ticket to appear in Oneonta Town Court on March 14, Oliver said. A clerk at the Oneonta Town Court said that Murray-Craig was arraigned on March 14, and is due in court next on April 30, the same day that he is due in Schenectady County Court; his Schenectady appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m., his Oneonta appearance for 4 p.m.

Berne arrest

Events on April 10 unfolded this way, according to the sheriff’s arrest report: Sergeant Thomas Halloran saw a Ford Focus traveling east on Thacher Park Road in Berne at 70 miles per hour in a zone for 55. Halloran then turned around to follow the Focus, at which point Murray-Craig sped up to evade pursuit, turning into the driveway of 418 Saw Mill Road where Halloran saw him flee on foot. Halloran pulled in behind the Focus and was joined by Deputy Vincent Nischo, who had arrived to provide backup.

Together Halloran and Nischo searched without success in the immediate area for the suspect who had fled; they then returned to the Focus, and conducted a search of the car in an effort to learn the identity of the suspect. 

At that point, they found a backpack in the car containing a birth certificate for Jason C. Murray-Craig as well as a fake soda can with a lid that could be unscrewed, revealing a small plastic bag packed with multiple tie-offs of powdered cocaine; syringes; glassine envelopes known to contain heroin; a single dose of Suboxone sublingual film; and a digital scale.

The police saw Murray-Craig running in a nearby wooded area and, after a short chase, he was tackled and arrested; he had glassy and bloodshot eyes, constricted pupils, and slurred speech. He refused “multiple times” to take standardized field sobriety tests to determine his ability to drive, the report says. Murray-Craig’s vehicle was towed from the scene.

As Murray-Craig was being driven to the Clarksville station for processing, he began to complain of chest pain and to have difficulty breathing. He was taken to Albany Medical Center, treated and released, and then transported to Berne Town Court for arraignment.

Murray-Craig was then remanded to the Albany County’s jail in lieu of $50,000 bond. He was ordered to appear in Berne Town Court on April 14 before Zuk. Murray-Craig did post the $50,000 bail and was released, Zuk told The Enterprise.

According to Stacy Loucks, the clerk of the Berne Town Court, Murray-Craig failed to appear in court on April 14. He was next ordered to appear on April 21, which he did. He is due in Berne Town Court next on May 12.

Chief Deputy Michael S. Monteleone of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office told The Enterprise that Suboxone is a film placed under the tongue; Monteleone said that it is used to treat addiction, but that it “also has the potential for abuse.” He did not have any information about why Murray-Craig would have had it.

Murray-Craig, stopped for a speeding violation, was also arrested for two felonies: third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell (narcotic drug) and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (cocaine).

He was also arrested for six misdemeanors: seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two second-degree counts of criminal use of drug paraphernalia, second-degree obstructing governmental administration, first-degree driving while ability impaired by drugs, and third degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.