An Albany man has been found guilty of terrorizing an upstate New York neighborhood while wearing a clown mask and wielding a chainsaw, officials announced.
Craig Wolcott, 35, was convicted on Wednesday of first-degree menacing and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon following a two-day trial, District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon announced in a news release.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on May 1 in Cohoes, when police were called that afternoon to investigate a report of two men fighting on Lancaster Street.
Prosecutors said Wolcott was walking around the neighborhood wearing a clown mask and peeking into vehicles when he was confronted by a local resident.
During their subsequent argument, Wolcott at one point pulled the plastic sheath off his chainsaw and brandished it in a threatening manner, prompting the other man to tackle him to the ground, police said. He then detained Wolcott until officers arrived on the scene.
Prosecutors played surveillance video of the incident in court, which shows Wolcott walking up the street while wielding a red chainsaw. The jury also heard testimony from four witnesses about Wolcott’s menacing stroll around the block.
Wolcott is scheduled to be sentenced in February. He could spend anywhere between two and seven years behind bars.
With News Wire Services
