A Penn Yan man is facing multiple charges stemming from two separate arrests following drug and domestic violence investigations, according to the Penn Yan Police Department.
Police said Jason M. Stephens, 42, of Penn Yan was arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree after an incident on Feb. 21, 2025.
Officers responded to a local residence after receiving a report that Stephens was knocking on a door and refusing to leave. Witnesses told police Stephens fled before officers arrived. He was later located walking on Brown Street, where officers made contact. During an interview, police observed Stephens placing his hand inside his jacket pocket.
When instructed to remove his hand, he produced a small plastic baggie containing an unknown white crystalline substance. Stephens claimed the substance belonged to one of the callers, which police said was denied. The bag was seized and later tested positive for methamphetamine. Stephens was issued an appearance ticket to return to Penn Yan Village Court at a later date.
Stephens was also arrested in connection with a separate domestic violence investigation that began on Sept. 23, 2025. Police said officers located an injured woman lying in the roadway on East Elm Street with a bloody nose, an abrasion to her hand and swelling on the back of her head. The victim reported that Stephens punched her in the face during a physical domestic incident and then fled the scene, leaving her on the ground. Police were unable to locate Stephens at the time, and the victim declined to cooperate further.
Police said Stephens was eventually located on Jan. 28, 2026. During an interview, he admitted to being involved in a physical domestic incident with the victim and acknowledged shoving her, but denied punching her. He was taken into custody and transported to the Yates County Jail to await arraignment and the issuance of an order of protection. He was charged with assault in the third degree and harassment in the second degree.
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