Man Pulled Over in Verona NY for a Missing Taillight - Facing Felony Weapon Charge & Multiple Traffic Violations

On June 19th, 2025, around 2:00 AM, a Deputy assigned to the Oneida County Road Patrol Division conducted a traffic stop in the Town of Verona when noticing a motorcycle was operating on State Route 13 with no taillamp.

Subsequent to the stop, the Deputy detained the male and conducted a pat frisk of the operator, David Babenzien (43), prior to placing him in his marked Patrol Car. During the pat frisk the Deputy had located a knife in David’s shorts pocket. After inspecting the knife, he learned the knife was a switchblade, which is illegal to possess in the State of New York. As a result, David was taken into custody and transported to the Oneida County Kurt B. Wyman Law Enforcement Building where he was booked and processed.

Due to having previously been convicted of a crime, David was charged with one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a Class D Felony along with several traffic tickets from the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law which include:

No/insufficient tail lamps, a Traffic Infraction of Section 3752A3

Unregistered Motorcycle, a Traffic Infraction of Section 4101

Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 2nd Degree, a Misdemeanor of Section 5112A4

Aggravated Unlicensed Operator 3rd Degree, a Misdemeanor of Section 5111A

Unlicensed Operator, a Traffic Infraction of Section 5091

Operating without Insurance, a Traffic Infraction of Section 3191U

Failure to Comply with Lawful Orders, a Traffic Infraction of Section 1102

After being processed, David was transported to the Oneida County Correctional Facility to await arraignment.