GENESEO, NY — A woman was arrested on felony drug charges following a traffic stop on Interstate 390.
Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty reports deputies were dispatched to Interstate 390 on Jan. 13, 2026 at approximately 4:37 p.m. for a reported traffic complaint of a vehicle striking a guardrail and being operated erratically.
Deputy Jacob Cicero, who is assigned to the Sheriff’s Office STOP DWI Unit, responded to the area, located the vehicle involved in the complaint and conducted a traffic stop.
The operator of the vehicle was identified as Charitie Thornhill, 43, of Watkins Glen.
During the initial roadside encounter, the deputy suspected that Thornhill was under the influence of drugs.
A DWI investigation was conducted, which included the performance of standardized field sobriety tests.
At the conclusion of the roadside investigation, Thornhill was taken into custody for DWAI Drugs.
Thornhill was also found to be in possession of a quantity of methamphetamine.
Thornhill was transported to the Sheriff’s Office Sandpoint Sub-Station in Lakeville, where she was offered an evaluation by a Drug Recognition Expert.
Deputy Cheyenne Masiello, who is a certified Drug Recognition Expert, completed the evaluation.
At the conclusion of the evaluation it was Deputy Masiello’s expert opinion that Thornhill was under the influence of a CNS Depressant and a Narcotic Analgesic, making her unable to operate a vehicle safely.
Thornhill was charged with felony Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, misdemeanor DWAI (Combination) and violations of the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law.
Thornhill was turned over to Central Booking Deputies at the Livingston County Jail for arrest processing and pre-arraignment detention.
Thornhill was later arraigned at the Livingston County Centralized Arraignment Part at the Livingston County Jail before Town of York Justice Koch.
The judge released Thornhill on her own recognizance as the offenses do not qualify for bail under the NYS Bail Reform Act.
