The trio of twenty-somethings from Washington D.C. — Christopher Tyler, Jowan Plummer and Mustafa Lewis-Hampton — stood before the bench five days after allegedly breaking into Lola Saratoga and stealing $35,000 in goods.
They were each previously arraigned on a medley of charges over the weekend. None of them are eligible for pre-trial detention under New York’s controversial bail-reform law of 2019, according to the judge. “Mr.
Lewis, as you just heard and as we discussed on Saturday, if I could have under all those circumstances, it would have been quite reasonable for me to set bail, right?” Wait asked after making similar remarks to the other two defendants. “But I wasn't allowed to,” he continued. Lewis-Hampton, 22, along with Tyler and Plummer, both 23, broke into the Broadway shop by smashing the storefront with a crowbar shortly before 5:30 a.
m. Saturday, according to court documents. They were found around Exit 11 after attempting to make a getaway on the Northway.
At one point along the way, investigators claimed, handbags were thrown out of the vehicle. The latter action resulted in a charge of tampering with evidence — one of seven charges leveled against the three. It marked the high-end retailers’ third alleged burglary since December, including one smash-and-grab at the shop’s second location in Guilderland.
An arrest warrant was issued earlier this month for a different Washington, D.C., man, 34-year-old Toron M.
Melton, who law enforcement believe is connected to the first burglary at the Spa City shop in December. Among other merchandise, Lola is known for carrying a lavish selection of handbags, featuring classic brands such as Hermès, Dior and Chanel. Former Bloomingdales planner Megan Druckman in 2013 launched the store on Broadway in Saratoga Springs — the heart of the Capital Region’s luxury fashion market.
Since the latest incident, the Spa City storefront window and door have been mostly covered up with taped-up signage indicating that the establishment is still open. “We can't thank you enough for your continued support,” the signage reads. Under restrictions set by Wait on Thursday, the threesome, who are set to reappear in court on Sept.
12, cannot re-enter the business or have contact with Druckman. The judge warned that he could have more discretion should they violate the order. “I would anticipate setting bail if that were to happen,” he said during the Thursday court appearance, addressing Plummer.
“Alright, do what you need to do and you don't have to worry about the bail situation.” Tyler has faced previous arrests for felony theft, stolen property and contempt of court, and Lewis-Hampton and Plummer have faced multiple illegal-possession charges. Saratoga County prosecutor Joseph Frandino noted that the currently unrepresented men have no known connection to the Spa City while residing 400 miles away.
“Nonetheless, New York state's bail reform laws prohibit this court from setting any form of bail,” he told the judge. “So at this point in time, the only thing that I can do is simply ask for a return date together with the order of protection.” With that, the men were free to go on their way at the conclusion of Thursday's court appearance.
Since 2019, bail reform has been retooled multiple times. The most recent push championed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2023 granted judges more authority to set bail for low-level offenses.
Scrapping the law altogether has been a major political objective statewide for most Republicans and even some moderate Democratic officials, including Assembly member Angelo Santabarbara, D-Rotterdam, and Albany County District Attorney David Soares. In the wake of the most recent Lola incident, state Sen. James Tedisco, R-Ballston Lake, has twice advocated to repeal the law.
“Now these three suspects are again free to possibly commit additional crimes,” Tedisco said in a statement after the court hearing. “That's absurd. The scales of justice are now tipped in favor of criminals as crime victims have become the forgotten New Yorkers.
” Saratoga Springs Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi, the Democrat running against Tedisco for the 44th State Senate District, claimed that her opponent has exploited the recent situation for political gain. “Well, all three of the people who were charged showed up in court today,” she said Thursday afternoon. “To me, that's not a bail fail.
Clearly the system is working. And most importantly, I think this is just a campaign tactic for him.” On the issue, Sanghvi noted that she would eventually like to give judges more discretion to set bail in domestic violence cases.
Such a proposal was introduced by Assemblymember Jen Lunsford, D-East Rochester, in February..
