LEICESTER, NY — A Dansville man faces felony charges after deputies found him slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle parked in a driveway on Perry Road.
Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty reports that deputies were dispatched to the residence at approximately 7:26 p.m. March 6 for a report of a vehicle parked in the driveway with a male slumped over the steering wheel.
Arriving deputies made contact with the male in the vehicle, who was identified as Michael Baker, 40, of Dansville.
Baker claimed that he had pulled over due to being tired.
Deputies suspected that Baker was under the influence of drugs and began a DWI investigation which included the performance of standardized field sobriety tests.
At the conclusion of the investigation, Baker was taken into custody for DWAI Drugs.
Baker was offered an evaluation by a Drug Recognition Expert and did ultimately refuse.
A records check showed that Baker had a previous DWAI Drugs conviction in 2022, making this arrest a felony.
Baker was also found to be in possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Deputy Caleb Nellis charged Baker with felony DWAI Drugs/Refusal, two counts of misdemeanor Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the Third Degree.
Baker was transported and turned over to Central Booking Deputies at the Livingston County Jail for arrest processing and pre-arraignment detention.
Baker was later arraigned at the Livingston County Centralized Arraignment Part at the Livingston County Jail before Town of West Sparta Justice Mahany.
The judge remanded Baker to the custody of the Sheriff with no bail due to him having two or more prior felony convictions.
Assisting with the investigation was the New York State Police and the New York State Park Police.
