Two men have pleaded guilty to felony drug charges in Cayuga County Court, with both facing multi-year prison sentences following separate investigations by local law enforcement agencies.
On December 16, 2024, Paul Bovee, 37, of Syracuse, pleaded guilty before Judge Thomas G. Leone to Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class C felony. As a second felony offender, Bovee faces a five-year determinate prison sentence, followed by one and a half years of post-release supervision. The sentence will run consecutively to a current prison term he is already serving.
The charge stems from an incident on May 9, 2024, when police stopped a vehicle in Auburn for a traffic violation. Bovee, a passenger in the vehicle, was found with a backpack containing over an ounce of cocaine. He is scheduled for sentencing on February 13, 2025.
In a separate case, Seraphin Moniz, 30, of Auburn, pleaded guilty on December 19, 2024, also before Judge Leone, to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B felony, and Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, a Class E felony. As a second felony offender, Moniz faces a combined seven-year determinate prison sentence, followed by three years of post-release supervision.
Moniz’s charges stem from a May 6, 2024 search warrant executed by the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force at his residence, where police discovered approximately six ounces of cocaine. A Cayuga County Grand Jury later issued a sealed indictment against him in September 2024.
On October 12, 2024, Moniz was arrested on the sealed indictment by Auburn Police. During the arrest, Moniz attempted to flee, causing an officer to suffer lacerations to his arm and knee. Moniz is scheduled for sentencing on February 27, 2025.
Both cases were prosecuted by Mark Moody, Counsel to the District Attorney.
Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci praised the efforts of local law enforcement agencies in bringing the cases to a resolution. “Thanks to the quick and instinctive actions of the Auburn Police Department and the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force, these individuals were apprehended and brought to justice,” she said.
Both defendants remain in custody pending sentencing.
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