PENN YAN — A Yates County grand jury has indicted a suspected gang member and his girlfriend following their arrest after a high-speed chase.
District Attorney Todd Casella said Bradley Zadul and Jessica Owen were arraigned Tuesday in county court following the indictments.
Zadul, 39, of Niagara Falls, faces multiple felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon and misdemeanor counts of driving while ability impaired by drugs and fleeing a police officer.
Owen, 31, of Florida, also faces felony weapons charges.
The charges stem from an incident that began during the early-morning hours of Jan. 2, when Penn Yan police allegedly saw Zadul leaving a suspected drug location in the village about 2:30 a.m. Officers tried to stop him for driving an uninspected vehicle, but he allegedly sped away while officers were approaching the vehicle.
Penn Yan Police Chief Tom Dunham said officers pursued Zadul through the village and onto Buckle Road in Benton, where he drove through a farmer’s field and an electric fence. The vehicle hit a barn before going into a ditch.
Dunham said Zadul tried to run away but was Tasered by a Yates County deputy. He was taken into custody as were Owen and another passenger, Charles Buchanan of Penn Yan.
Casella said Buchanan also was indicted but has not been arraigned.
While frisking Zadul, Dunham said police found a loaded handgun in his waistband and a large knife. Police later found a sawed-off shotgun in the vehicle that had the serial number defaced.
Police impounded the vehicle and allegedly found another gun, numerous bags of marijuana seeds, more than $1,100 in cash, a baton, knives, and drug paraphernalia.
Dunham said Zadul appears to be a member of the Kingsmen Motorcycle Club, which federal officials have called a criminal organization engaged in such crimes as distribution of drugs, sale of weapons, and promoting prostitution. The group also has been tied to murders in western New York.
Dunham said local police found a full Kingsmen vest in Zadul’s vehicle, along with numerous Kingsmen patches. Dunham added that Zadul, a convicted felon, cannot legally have weapons.
Casella said Zadul and Owen pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday. Judge Jason Cook remanded Zadul to the county jail in lieu of $30,000 bail or $60,000 bond, and Owen in lieu of $10,000 bail or $20,000 bond.
