BUFFALO

Falls man pleads guilty to storing hazardous waste

A Niagara Falls man pleaded guilty in federal court to a felony charge of knowingly storing hazardous waste without a permit.

John Signore, 51, is the plant manager for the Tulip Corp., 3125 Highland Ave. The business recycles battery casings, which are called chips. Some of the chips that are processed and recycled by Tulip are contaminated with lead and considered hazardous materials, according to the charges.

On July 11, 2007, 80,000 pounds of chips were found outside Tulip. All of the samples were at about the regulatory threshold for lead, reports said. The chips were stored outside at the direction of the defendant, according to officials.

Storing hazardous waste carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $50,000 per day of violation, or both. Signore will be sentenced at a later date in front of U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny.

Niagara Falls

• GRAND LARCENY: A Niagara Street resident told police on Friday that he heard a knock on his door about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday. The victim came to the door and saw a male and female down the hallway knocking at another door. The victim said the male came to his door and asked to use the phone. The victim said no, but the male stuck his foot in the door and the victim consented. After the male left, the victim noticed $170 was missing from his wallet. The male came back at 2:45 a.m. and the victim confronted him about the missing money. The male then took the victim’s entire wallet. A $65 withdrawal was made from the victim’s debit card before the account was canceled.

• HARASSMENT: James Bernard Doll, 19, 549 16th St., Apt. 5, and Michael Joseph Paonessa III, 19, 5698 Lindbergh Ave., were charged with second-degree harassment, second-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree menacing. Officers responded to a call that an SUV was attempting to run over two pedestrians in the 2700 block of Pine Avenue. The victims pointed out the vehicle to police. One of the victims said one of the defendants held a large knife. Police stopped the vehicle and did find a knife inside it, according to the report.

• BURGLARY: Between midnight and 7 a.m. Friday, a 47-inch Vizio television and wooden TV stand were taken from a home in the 600 block of Chasm Avenue. The victim told police he didn’t hear any strange noises during the night. Entry was made through an unlocked door. Police found the $200 TV stand down the street, but the $950 television is still missing.

• CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: Between 11:30 p.m. Thursday and 5 a.m. Friday, another resident in the 600 block of Chasm Avenue reported that someone attempted to enter his garage by prying a padlock. No entry was gained. The lock was valued at $10.

• PETIT LARCENY: Between 7 p.m. Thursday and 9:15 a.m. Friday, someone took a $500 gas grill from the backyard of a home in the 600 block of Chestnut Avenue.

• BURGLARY: Between midnight and 6:30 a.m. Friday, a victim in the 2800 block of Whirlpool, reported that several items worth $1,300 were taken from the garage. A generator, five fishing poles, a mountain bike, dolly, tool bag containing numerous tools and a cordless drill were missing. Before the burglary was reported, an officer found a generator, tool bag and dolly in the 600 block of Chestnut Avenue.

North Tonawanda

• DWI-DRUGS: Brandon D. Meyer, 20, 6245 Ward Road, Sanborn, was charged with driving while intoxicated by drugs at 12:35 a.m. Thursday. Officers observed a vehicle fail to yield the right of way at the intersection of Twin Cities Memorial Highway and Christiana Street, and a traffic stop was initiated. Meyer was also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and criminal possession of a controlled substance. He is being held in lieu of $250 bail.