Plea Deal Grants Scott Man 4 Years for 19 Charges

Casey A. Brown. (Photo from the Cortland County Sheriff's Office/2018).

County Court sentenced a man Tuesday to up to four years in prison as part of a plea deal that covered 19 charges — charges that included selling meth, arson, reckless endangerment and bail jumping to Tennessee.

Casey A. Brown, 33, formerly of Scott, pled guilty to fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and second-degree bail jumping in exchange for two sentences that will run concurrently. The first sentence, for the drug sale charge, was three years in prison and one year of post-release supervision. The second sentence, for bail jumping, was two to four years in prison.

If Brown had been convicted of all 15 felonies, two misdemeanors and two violations, he could have been sentenced to up to 89 years in prison, according to state penal law. 

Brown is set to be serving his state prison sentence when his wife, Bobbie Jo Brown, is released from her federal prison sentence for selling methamphetamine, according to US Court documents. Bobbie Jo Brown is scheduled for release on July 6, 2021, according to federal prison documents.

Casey A. Brown was also sentenced to repay the Cortland County Drug Task Force for $500 used to purchase drugs from him and to repay the County $2,556.90 for the cost of extraditing him from Tennessee.

The 19 charges included in Tuesday’s sentencing stemmed from four separate cases, according to the plea agreement.

“The defendant is charged with multiple different crimes across Cortland County,” wrote Assistant District Attorney Christine M. R. Ferraro in the agreement, “ranging from domestic violence to the sale of crystal methamphetamine to fleeing the jurisdiction in order to avoid the aforementioned charges.”

The most serious charge included in the plea agreement is second-degree arson, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. A misdemeanor charge of second-degree reckless endangerment stemming from the same incident is also included in the plea bargain.

However, there are no case records filed for the charges in either County or City courts.

A letter to Judge David Alexander from the district attorney’s office notes the charges are no longer pending, but they are still included in the plea agreement.

“There are charges for Arson 2nd and Reckless endangerment 2nd listed on the plea offer,” writes Assistant District Attorney Jessica M. Weyant on July 31. “However, my office has confirmed with Cortland City Court that those charges are not pending.”

District Attorney Patrick Perfetti could not be reached this morning for clarification.

While the plea deal states the charges stemmed from the City of Cortland Court, it does not state which police agency made the arrest.

A person is charged with second-degree arson when he or she intentionally starts a building fire and he or she knows another person is inside, according to state penal law. Reckless endangerment charges are levied against an individual who “recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury to another person,” the law states.

The list of 19 charges included in the plea deal is lengthy, but Brown’s previous record of previous convictions is also long.

“The defendant’s record consists of two prior felony convictions and eleven misdemeanor convictions,” wrote Ferraro in the plea agreement. “A term of incarceration is the only way to protect this community.”