Riverhead school teacher arraigned on felony weapons, DWI charges

The Phillips Avenue Elementary School teacher arrested on driving while intoxicated and weapon possession charges after a traffic stop in Southampton Village April 21 was arraigned on an 11-count indictment in Suffolk County Criminal Court this morning.

Joe Johnson, 38, of Southampton, is facing two felony weapons possession charges, as well as charges of driving while intoxicated, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stay in lane, use of a mobile phone while driving and other vehicle and traffic law infractions.

Johnson was indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury on May 8. He was arraigned today before Judge James F.X. Doyle where he entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.

According to Assistant District Attorney Stacy Skorupa, Southampton Village police officer Kimberly McMahon observed Johnson failing to maintain his lane and speaking on a mobile phone while he was driving on Hill Street at about 3:35 a.m. on Saturday, April 21. Johnson had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, the police officer said. He told the officer he was on his way home from the Southampton Publick House and that he had “had a few” drinks, Skorupa said. Johnson consented to a field sobriety breathalyzer test, which indicated that he had a blood-alcohol content of .14 percent, Skorupa said. Johnson later refused a chemical test at the precinct, according to the prosecutor.

Johnson’s driver’s license was suspended and had been suspended five times in the past, Skorupa told the court.

The arresting officer also found a .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition in the glove box of Johnson’s car, according to the prosecutor.

Skorupa told the court of Johnson’s past involvement with the law, which includes a 2006 out-of-state driving under the influence of alcohol conviction.

A decade earlier, Johnson had been charged with possession of a stolen gun and criminal trespass in Thomas County, Kan., Skorupa said. He pleaded guilty to the 1996 trespass charge, while the gun charge was dismissed in satisfaction of the plea, the prosecutor said. He was also convicted of five counts of passing a worthless check in the same jurisdiction that year, she said.

Johnson’s defense attorney John Ciarelli of Riverhead, submitted written testimonials to his client’s character provided by the defendant’s friends and family.

Johnson was a college student at the time of the prior convictions in Kansas, Ciarelli said.

“Life has changed a lot for him since he was a college student,” his lawyer said.

Johnson has been employed as a teacher by the Riverhead Central School District since 2000. He was administratively reassigned to his home immediately after the district got word of his arrest, Riverhead School Superintendent Nancy Carney said today.

“This district is committed to hiring individuals who are professionally and ethically fit to work with our children,” Carney said. Johnson was fingerprinted and cleared by New York State prior to being hired as a teacher, Carney said.

Johnson was released on $15,000 cash bail. He is next due back in court on June 13.

The indictment returned by the grand jury charges him with: one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a class C felony; one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, a class D felony; one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, a class A misdemeanor; one count of driving while intoxicated, a misdemeanor; one count of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree, a misdemeanor; and six traffic infractions.

Photo caption: Riverhead elementary school teacher Joe Johnson of Southampton, left, leaves the Suffolk County Criminal courtroom where he was arraigned today before Judge James F.X. Doyle, accompanied by his attorney John Ciarelli. RiverheadLOCAL photo by Emil Breitenbach Jr.

2012 0518 Johnson Indictment