February 2, 2012

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    

              District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson announced today that a Chemung County man was convicted on Thursday, February 2, 2012, in Tompkins County Court.

              Karseen Atkinson,32, whose last known address was in Elmira, New York, was convicted in Tompkins County Court before the Hon. John C. Rowley.  Mr. Atkinson was convicted of two separate counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree on theories of possession with intent to sell cocaine and possession of cocaine weighing more than one-half ounce, and was also convicted of one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree related to his possession of an unloaded handgun in the City of Ithaca on April 13, 2011.

              The Ithaca Police Department and New York State Parole Department handled the investigation.  Mr. Atkinson was apprehended in the City of Ithaca on a parole warrant on April 13, 2011, and was found to be in possession of more than 14 grams of cocaine and an unlicensed handgun.  Following jury selection, Mr. Atkinson fired his retained attorney and chose to represent himself for the remainder of the trial.  Mr. Atkinson was initially represented by Ithaca attorney N. Jane Murphy.  Mr. Atkinson was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Andrew McElwee.  A jury of 8 men and 4 women deliberated for approximately 4 hours before returning a guilty verdict on all charges.  Mr. Atkinson is scheduled for sentencing March 23, 2012, before Hon. John C. Rowley.