'Guilty': Jury Convicts Joyriding Motel-Dweller On Felony Charges

KINGSTON, NY — A jury has convicted a Saugerties man of felony charges connected to a string of incidents in Ulster County.

On Thursday, Spencer Lane was convicted after a jury trial in Ulster County Court before the Honorable James Farrell, visiting Judge from Sullivan County, for felony criminal possession of a weapon, felony grand larceny, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and menacing. The cases stemmed from three separate incidents in the Town of Saugerties dating back to July of 2022.

On July 22, 2022, a blue Subaru was reported stolen from a muffler shop in Saugerties. Security footage showed that a red Nissan was stolen from the same business just two days earlier. Investigators from the Saugerties Police Department zeroed in on Lane as a suspect.

The 38-year-old, who was residing at the Wenton Motel on Route 9W, admitted to taking both vehicles and took the police to the locations in Kingston where he had left them. Lane was in possession of the keys to both vehicles.

While Lane did not testify at his trial, prosecutors said his defense at trial was that he was merely "joyriding."

Lane was initially released on an appearance ticket, but Saugerties police were called exactly one week later to the Wenton Motel for a complaint that Lane was menacing the owners with a switchblade. This crime was elevated to a felony because Lane had a prior felony conviction.