Arraigned and released: Former hostage taker arrested on gun charges

PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains community was distressed to learn about the arrest of  Christopher Craft on Wednesday, April 20, following a traffic stop in Hyde Park for a number of traffic violations.

Craft is the former Stanfordville resident who served seven years in state prison for holding former Stissing Mountain Middle School Principal Bob Hess hostage with a loaded shotgun in 2009.

Last week’s arrest occurred after New York State Police (NYSP) troopers pulled over Craft’s 1994 Ford van over on Route 9 along the western edge of the county.

Troopers from the Rhinebeck Troop K barracks discovered Craft, 55, and his son, Jeremy Craft, 32, both of whom now live in Rhinebeck, with a loaded Mossberg 500A 12-gauge shotgun. That’s “despite both being convicted of crimes barring them from possessing a firearm,” according to the NYSP.

The vehicle, in addition to containing the loaded firearm, was also carrying an unrestrained child in the front seat, noted the NYSP. 

“During the arrest, Christopher Craft refused to comply with lawful orders,” according to the police report.

The father and son were charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 4th degree; Endangering the Welfare of a Child, both class A misdemeanors; and Possession of a Loaded Firearm in a Motor Vehicle, an unclassified misdemeanor. 

Christopher Craft was additionally arrested for Obstruction of Governmental Administration, a class A misdemeanor.

The Crafts were arraigned before the town of Hyde Park Court and released on their own recognizance to reappear in court on Monday, May 9.

Chair of the Dutchess County Legislature Gregg Pulver (R-19) remembers when Craft took Hess hostage in 2009 “as if it was yesterday,” he said. He was the Pine Plains town supervisor at the time.

“That situation was the toughest point of my career in public service,” posted Pulver on his Facebook page on Friday, April 22, calling for changes to the state’s controversial bail reform laws. “Now, to see this man was arrested again for weapons charges and subsequently released [with tickets] is beyond explanation.”

New York State Police Public Information Officer A.J. Hicks of Troop K in Salt Point addressed Pulver’s concern.

“They were arraigned and released on their own recognizance,” said Hicks. “It’s not like they were given appearance tickets. The Crafts were arraigned before the judge and he made them understand the charges, I don’t know if that counts in legal term as getting tickets.”

On Tuesday, April 26, Pulver said the Crafts being released at all speaks to what’s wrong with New York laws.

“He’s a felon, so he can’t have a weapon, and he had a loaded weapon in his vehicle…  The shocking thing is not so much he’s in trouble with the law, the shocking thing is someone with this record is still released without bail,” said Pulver. “This is a guy who held up the school and caused emotional harm to hundreds of people: kids, parents, teachers… Judges need more tools, that’s all I’m saying… Certainly people are held waiting on bail who shouldn’t have been, but in this case bail was appropriate and should have been a tool for the judge to use.”

Pulver added someone like Craft, with a long criminal history that includes repeated violations of various gun laws, needs to get treatment, as well as be behind bars.

“He obviously has some psychological issues here, but they just released him. There has to be more done,” said Pulver. “The sad thing is these things perpetuate. Here’s the case of someone not getting the help they need mentally, and bringing the next generation down with them. We have to end that cycle one way or another.”

Hostage history

Back in 2009, Christopher Craft had threatened to kill Principal Hess in order to force school officials and police to talk with the media about the “wrongful treatment of United States Military personnel,” according to court documents at the time.

When the incident occurred, Jeremy told the media his father was upset because of how his brother, Christopher, was treated in the military. Christopher Craft Jr. was a motor transportation operator who was injured while serving in the Army between December 2006 through June 2009; he reportedly had difficulty getting social services upon his return.

Craft had two sons attending the Pine Plains Central School District in 2009, but school officials then said neither was enrolled when he restrained Hess in an inner office.

Craft had a criminal history dating back 10 years before the 2009 stand-off. Those crimes included burglary, petty larceny, resisting arrest, possession of stolen property, disobeying a court order and criminal mischief.

During the hostage situation, the school went into lockdown while SWAT teams and hundreds of police officers responded to the scene. Two hours later, Craft surrendered to authorities.

The senior assistant district attorney (ADA), Edward Whitesell, who tried the case in Dutchess County Court asked Judge Gerald Hayes to sentence Craft to the maximum prison term of 15 years. Whitesell argued Craft had a pattern of reacting adversely when upset, with escalating anger. The ADA was also reported to have argued that Craft might have had just three prior misdemeanor convictions at the time, but had been arrested 26 times by then.

Whitesell was also quoted in a 2010 Daily Freeman calling Craft a “narcissist bully” during his sentencing.

Many residents living in and around Pine Plains took to Facebook last week following Craft’s arrest expressing concern, both of his recent behavior and of gun and bail reform laws in New York State.

Some referred to the former gunman as a “loose cannon,” while others said
“We need gun reform. Period.”

Others praised Pulver for speaking out about his not agreeing with Craft’s release due to his long criminal history and what he put the town of Pine Plains and its school district through back in 2009.