Evening News Brief
Written by Dan Fischer on November 10, 2021
Michael Tomaszewski
For the fourth time, the sentencing of former Batavia Funeral Director Michael Tomaszewski has been delayed.
Tomaszewski has already plead guilty in the case involving the theft of nearly a half-million dollars in prepaid funeral arrangements.
Tomaszewski had a private lawyer but now says he wants the public defender to represent him at sentencing. The family of Al Kurek, one of Tomaszewski’s victimized families, said the postponement of sentencing was a “delay tactic by someone who doesn’t want to go to jail.”
Sentencing for Tomaszewski has now been set for December 7th. The delay today was ordered by Genesee County Court Judge Charles Zambito who told Tomaszewski at his last sentencing that it was the last delay he would allow.
Michael Ficarella
A promotion at Batavia City Hall.
Batavia native Michael Ficarella has been named the new Superintendent of Water and Waste Water.
Ficarella has worked in the department for nine years. He will earn $75,978 a year.
The investigation continues into what caused a fatal house fire in Livingston County. Crews were called to the scene on Pond Road in Lima yesterday. They arrived to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the residence.
A neighbor used a tractor to tear through a wall of the home and pull 67-year-old Cynthia Chambery out of the fire.
She was rushed to a nearby hospital but was later pronounced dead.
The long-awaited transcript from former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment interview is now public. Attorney General Letitia James released the 515 page document which also includes exhibits from Cuomo’s July interview. Included in the transcript is the deposition of Brittany Commisso whose allegations are thought to be those which led to the current misdemeanor complaint against the Democrat filed by the Albany County Sheriff’s office. This interview preceded the bombshell August 3rd Attorney General’s report concluding Cuomo had sexually harassed multiple women. That led to his eventual resignation.
