FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: DECEMBER 5, 2018
RE: PRESS RELEASE – BRUCE CHARGOIS PLEA
On December 5, 2018, Bruce Chargois pleaded guilty in Ulster County Court to one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E felony. Chargois was arrested by members of the Town of Saugerties Police Department in February of this year after an investigation into Instagram posts made by Bruce Chargois’ son Connor. Connor’s posts expressed his envy for Columbine School shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Connor was a student at Saugerties High School at the time he made the posts.
During the investigation, police seized from Bruce Chargois’ place of business several rifles, including an Uzi machine gun and an AR-15 assault rifle. Members of the Saugerties Police Department determined that Connor Chargois had manufactured the guns in the basement of the family house where his father, Bruce, also resided.
Bruce Chargois admitted during his plea allocution to removing the guns from his home and driving them to his place of business in an effort to prevent their discovery by law enforcement during their investigation.
Bruce Chargois is scheduled to be sentenced by Ulster County Court Judge Donald A. Williams on February 14, 2018.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney Michael Kavanagh. The defendant was represented by Tom Melanson of Kingston, New York.