A man was convicted in Oneida County Court on July 23 on charges stemming from an incident in which he wielded a kitchen knife and kidnapped a woman in the Kennedy Plaza apartment complex on the afternoon of Dec. 26, the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office announced.
A jury convicted Earnest Wallace, 55, of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree burglary, first-degree criminal contempt and second-degree menacing after a three-day trial.
Prosecutors had alleged that Harris, who was armed with a large knife, kidnapped the woman and took her into an apartment where he held her hostage for 21 hours, despite an order of protection against him.
Nearly 30 officers from various departments within the Utica Police Department and METRO SWAT, which is comprised of the UPD, Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and New Hartford Police, continued crisis negotiations with Wallace that entire time.
Wallace released the woman shortly before noon on Dec. 27 and came out himself shortly after noon. No one was hurt in the standoff.
Wallace will appear before Judge Robert Bauer on Aug. 19 for sentencing. He faces up to 50 years to life in prison.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney William Barry III and Assistant District Attorney Kurt Schultz.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Jury finds Earnest Wallace guilty in Kennedy Plaza in Utica kidnapping