Deputies arrested a man Thursday night after a traffic stop in the town of Sodus led to a series of charges, including driving while intoxicated and drug possession.
Artem Ponomarenko, 41, of Hillside Avenue in the town of Niskayuna, was pulled over around 8 p.m. on State Route 104. According to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, deputies determined he was driving under the influence and found narcotics inside the vehicle.
Deputies took Ponomarenko to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office for processing, where he refused to take a chemical test. He also refused to hand over his personal property while in custody.
He now faces multiple charges, including driving while intoxicated by alcohol, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, and obstructing governmental administration in the second degree. Deputies also issued him several traffic tickets for refusing a breath test, driving with a suspended license in the third degree, speeding in a 55 mph zone, and having an open alcohol container in the vehicle.
Ponomarenko was held for arraignment and is expected to appear in Sodus Town Court at a later date.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].