Herkimer police arrest man on missing person investigation

HERKIMER, N.Y. (WUTR) — Police arrested a Herkimer man after an investigation into a missing child out of Sullivan County. At about 9:30 p.m. on June 5, Herkimer police found out from state police that a 13-year-old girl—from Herkimer but placed by court order in Swan Lake in Sullivan County—was missing.

Police said an investigation uncovered that she was picked up in Swan Lake and brought back to Herkimer. Police surveilled two locations there on June 6, and allegedly spotted the girl with Darius “Max” Richards, 38, on North Washington Street in Herkimer.

Police immediately stopped and questioned them, and got a search warrant for the North Washington Street residence with the help of the County District Attorney’s Office. On Tuesday night, police executed the warrant and arrested Richards. His charges are misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child and felony possessing a sexual performance of a child.

Richards was arraigned and remanded to the Herkimer County Correctional Facility without bail because of two previous felony convictions. The investigation remains ongoing and additional charges for Richards are pending.