Penn Yan man guilty in drug sale

PENN YAN--James F. Fenton, 57, of Penn Yan was found guilty by a Yates County criminal court jury Friday, Dec. 15 of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. Both are class B felonies involving the possession and sale by Fenton and his son, Tyler Fenton, of cocaine in Penn Yan. After the verdict was read, Fenton was remanded to the Yates County Jail pending sentencing. Fenton could face up to nine years in state prison when he returns to be sentenced Feb. 15.
James' son, Tyler Fenton, who pled guilty to two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree in October, is currently serving a term of probation and drug treatment court arising out a conviction which included the same incident.
The guilty verdict was announced in open court at approximately 3 p.m. Friday after a week-long trial heard by Judge Jason L. Cook. Yates County District Attorney Valerie Gardner prosecuted the case. The defendant was represented by Tiffany Sorgen, Esq., Yates County conflict defender.
District Attorney Valerie Gardner credited the proactive efforts of Yates County Sheriff's Investigators Arlyn Cunningham and Patrick Breuer who supervised the controlled buy with a community member who acted as a confidential informant. "Attacking the drug problem is a community problem which requires a community solution and this is one such effort toward that goal," stated Gardner.
Gardner's term as Yates County District Attorney ends Dec. 31.