WILSON — Lawyers for the coaches charged in the alleged assault on a Wilson school bus asked for time to submit motions in the case during an appearance Thursday night in Wilson Town Court.
Meanwhile, the cases against three baseball players were adjourned until next month.
William Atlas, the junior varsity baseball coach, and Thomas J. Baia, the varsity baseball coach, have each been charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
Baia’s attorney, Robert Viola, asked Justice George R. Berger to grant an adjournment of the case so he and Atlas’ attorney, Kelly Connors, can submit motions in the case.
Berger said the motions are due from the defense by Aug. 12, and the defendants will be back in court Aug. 28.
Neither coach had any comment for reporters after Thursday’s hearing.
Baia’s father-in-law, Charles Stojak, of Lewiston, said he does not believe Atlas and Baia are guilty of anything.
“This is a big waste of time,” Stojak said. “All because a couple of punks did something stupid ... they’re wasting a lot of time, money and effort.”
The students charged in the case — 16-year-olds Colton J. Sherman, Christopher A. Sidote, 16, and Geoffrey A. Seefeldt, 18, — had their cases adjourned until July 24.
Sherman, Sidote and Seefeldt are accused of assaulting at least two junior varsity players during an April 17 bus trip back to Wilson from Niagara Falls.
They were arrested April 25 after an investigation by state police.
According to court documents, the teens are accused of “(inserting) a foreign object into the rectum of a male while he was being held down on the floor of the school bus.”
Seefeldt is charged with three counts of third-degree aggravated sexual abuse and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
Sherman and Sidote are charged with one count each of third-degree aggravated sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.
State police have said Baia and Atlas were on the bus at the time.
Stojak said the coaches were at the front of the bus and could not see what was happening in the back.
“(The players) were probably hiding so the coaches couldn’t see what was going on,” he said.
Baia and Atlas pleaded not guilty to the charges May 13.
Atlas, 35, is a physical education teacher at Thomas Marks Elementary School in Wilson, and Baia, 40, also of Wilson, is a math teacher at Wilson Middle School.
Both have been suspended from coaching and teaching.
Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.
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WILSON: Coaches’ cases move forward
COURTS: Attorneys to submit motions; cases against players adjourned until July.
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Rohde sentenced, job uncertain
It’s unknown if a suspended Niagara County Sheriff’s deputy will return to work, following his sentencing Wednesday in Lockport City Court.
Kevin J. Rohde, 31, was granted a one year conditional discharge for endangering the welfare of a child. Rohde pleaded guilty to the charge in Feburary, a charge which stems from an incident that took place with a 15-year-old girl in March 1999. Rohde was given youthful offender status, as he was 18-years-old at the time.
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Mongielo sentenced to 15 days
David J. Mongielo faces a 15-day jail sentence for violating the town’s sign ordinance a second time, which was a violation of the first offense’s conditional discharge.
Mongielo received a pair of sentences Tuesday night in town court, the first for his 2011 violation of the ordinance. The Robinson Road auto shop owner will pay a $250 fine and receive a one-year conditional discharge. That means Mongielo will serve 15 days in jail if he violates the ordinance again over the next 12 months.
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Diefenbach sentenced to 10 years
Not only couldn’t Hans S. Diefenbach believe he was so delusional last spring that he thought Norma Confer was trying to kill him, Diefenbach said he would have married the woman he stabbed to death if circumstances were different.
Diefenbach made that statement Thursday, just minutes before Niagara County Judge Matthew J. Murphy sentenced him to 10 years in state prison, five years of post release supervision and a $5,000 fine. -
Bartz could get probation
A Town of Lockport burglar will attempt to avoid jail time by participating in Niagara County Court’s judicial diversion program for court supervised drug treatment.
Matthew E. Bartz, 30, of Bartz Road pleaded guilty to three counts of third-degree burglary at an appearance Wednesday in State Supreme Court before Justice Richard C. Kloch, Sr. However, Bartz was also approved for the diversion program Wednesday. All three counts are nonviolent class D felonies. -
Rohde given youthful offender status
A Niagara County Sheriff’s deputy has received youthful offender status in a rape case stemming from an incident that allegedly took place 13 years ago.
Kevin J. Rohde, 30, has taken a plea without admission and will be sentenced April 25 in Lockport City Court. He had been facing first-degree rape following an incident that took place March 1, 1999, at a Remick Parkway residence, when Rohde was 18 years old. -
Former NFTA cop sentenced
A former Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority police officer will spend six years on probation for sending a sexually explicit photo to a teenage girl, a girl he later had a sexual encounter with.
In addition, John W. Ingham will spend 25 weekends in the service of the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Work Program. Ingham was sentenced Thursday by State Supreme Court Justice Richard C. Kloch, Sr. Ingham will also register as a sex offender. -
Rapist gets 15 years
A Middleport man will serve 15 years behind bars for raping a Lockport woman at knifepoint in March.
Harold G. Case, 50, 3470 Carmen Road, was sentenced Thursday in Niagara County Court for first-degree attempted rape, a class C violent felony. Upon completion of the sentence, Case will have 15 years of post release supervision. -
Plea reached in stabbing case
Hans S. Diefenbach could be looking at 10 years in state prison, after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter Thursday in Niagara County Court.
Diefenbach 47, 70 Genesee St., admitted to stabbing 66-year-old Norma Confer several times with a pair of knives on April 21, leaving one of them in her back. She died in May after being in a coma for
five weeks. Diefenbach was originally charged with first-degree murder. -
Court actions published Sept. 7, 2011
Schumacher DWI case adjourned to October
A Gasport woman accused of hitting two teens on Dysinger Road on May 26 will return in the beginning of October to Lockport Town Court, after having her case adjourned Tuesday night.
Amy J. Schumacher, 36, 8472 Chestnut Ridge Road, has been charged with Class E felony aggravated vehicular assault and driving while intoxicated.
On May 26, Schumacher was driving on Dysinger Road when she swerved off the road and struck two boys who were walking on the shoulder, according to the report from the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office. According to sheriff’s deputies, Schumacher registered a 0.12 percent blood alcohol content. - More Courts Headlines
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