A Franklin County man is jailed on a federal indictment charging him with the attempted robbery and shooting of Daniel Simonds in Stockholm.
Brian Latulipe, 27, Bombay was arraigned yesterday in federal court in Syracuse. He's being held for a hearing scheduled July 2.
The indictment says that Latulipe and others went to Simonds' home on May 13, planning to rob Simonds of his marijuana and money.
While there, they beat and shot him before fleeing the scene, the indictment alleges.
Simonds died of his gunshot wound seven hours after the attack.
The indictment says others, "known and unknown to the Grand Jury" were also involved in the attack.
Latulipe was indicted under the Hobbs Act, a 1951 federal law governing robbery or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce.
The Hobbs Act is frequently used in cases involving public corruption. Its use in this case is appropriate because the marijuana involved came from Canada, U.S. Attorney John Katko told
NewsWatch50.Katko said his office became involved at the request of St. Lawrence County District Attorney Nicole Duve'. Ms. Duve' has been a special assistant to the U.S. attorney's office for about a year, he said.
"And together we decided that this charge was a good place to begin," Katko said.
Katko said the investigation is continuing but wouldn't comment on whether more indictments are pending. He did say further charges against Latulipe are likely.
Ms. Duve suggested there will be more arrests.
"Mr. Latulipe was charged with a conspiracy which in and of itself means he engaged in an agreement with one or more persons," she said.
"I'm not at liberty to say who they are or how many there might be but yes, the investigation will continue and we'll be looking at other people," Duve' said.
She said that as the investigation was proceeding, she and others realized it made a lot of sense to seek a federal indictment.
