Cooperstown News Bureau

COOPERSTOWN - The mayor and the former village clerk of Milford, and a college student were among several people charged with crimes late Tuesday when the Otsego County grand jury returned indictments.

Mayor Michael LaDuke and his wife, Debra — former village clerk — were indicted on charges of first-degree falsifying business records, petit larceny, first-degree tampering with public records and first-degree scheme to defraud.

Michael LaDuke was first elected Milford mayor in 1995 and remains in office. His wife resigned earlier this year.

The LaDukes are charged with using village funds to purchase between $8,000 and $10,000 worth of personal goods, Milford officials have said. They remain free on their own recognizance and will be arraigned at a later date. According to Sgt. Richard Devlin of the Otsego County Sheriff's Department, the investigation is continuing.

When indictments were presented to Otsego County Judge Michael Coccoma on Tuesday, new village Clerk Margo Russ and village Trustee Sabine Curry were in the courtroom.

"They were there because they're concerned and they want to see this situation cleared up," Devlin said.

Damien Charlton was also indicted Tuesday on charges of first-degree assault, three counts of second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Charlton, then a sophomore at Hartwick College, is accused of stabbing Hartwick senior Mathew Mlinar several times with a knife at about 3 a.m. Oct. 27 on the college campus.

Oneonta police have said several people witnessed the fight. Statements taken by police indicate the fight stemmed from an earlier incident in which Mlinar, a bouncer at Today's Lounge, threw Charlton out of the bar because Charlton was allegedly bothering a woman.

Charlton is free on bail pending further court action, according to William "Jack" Gibbons, Otsego County district attorney. Gibbons said Mlinar is recovering "as much as you can recover from knife wounds."

Charlton is represented by Albany attorney Terence Kindlon. Earlier this year, Kindlon represented another college student, Elvis Rodriguez, a Hispanic accused of assaulting a white college student during a brawl at the Oneonta parking garage. In a trial last spring, Rodriguez — a senior at the State University College at Oneonta — and a co-defendant, who was black, were acquitted of all charges.

Kindlon has said that from a preliminary review of this incident, he believes Mlinar and his friends were aggressors in the fight.

According to Gibbons, also indicted Tuesday were:

• Dwayne Johnson on a charge of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

• Perry J. Webb on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

• Edward Conklin on a charge of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

• Patricia Vetrano on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

• Jeffrey J. Zawko on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

• Kerry Donegan on two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.

• Devon R. Sawyer on a charge of fourth-degree grand larceny.

• Andrew Sabedra II on a charge of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.