May 28, 2026 - Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 1st Degree Arrest

On May 28, 2026, at approximately 8:40 p.m., Tompkins County Sheriff's Deputies observed a 2008 silver Lexus displaying Florida registration traveling southbound on Elmira Road at 60 mph in a posted 45 mph speed zone.

Deputies initiated a traffic stop on Elmira Road in the Town of Ithaca and identified the driver as 46-year-old Deshawn Simmons of Ithaca, New York. A records check revealed Simmons possessed only a New York State non-driver identification card and had 20 scoffs (failures to answer summonses) on 11 separate dates.

Based on the investigation, deputies placed Simmons into custody for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the First Degree, a Class E felony.

As the vehicle was required to be towed from the roadway, deputies conducted an inventory of its contents. During the inventory, deputies located a yellow pill bearing a butterfly emblem. Because the pill could not be immediately identified, it was seized as evidence and will be submitted to the New York State Police Laboratory for analysis.

Following the completion of the investigation and removal of the vehicle from the scene, Simmons was transported to the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office for processing.

Simmons was charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the First Degree (Class E Felony), Speed in Zone, and Unlicensed Operator. He was subsequently turned over to the Corrections Division to await centralized arraignment.