A 64-year-old McGraw man is facing a felony charge after Cortland County Sheriff's Office officers say he damaged a victim's property and kept them from calling 911 during a confrontation on Center Street. David J. McGuinness was taken into custody early Sunday and now faces four separate charges tied to the alleged altercation.
According to Newport Dispatch, sheriff's office officers responded to Center Street in the village of McGraw for a disturbance complaint at approximately 11:36 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. Officers determined that McGuinness had engaged in a physical altercation with a victim he knew, and that he damaged property belonging to that victim. The outlet reports that, according to the sheriff's office, McGuinness also prevented the victim from contacting emergency services during the incident.
A separate account from 607 News Now describes the altercation as occurring on Center Street on Halloween night, Oct. 31 — a timeline that does not line up with the Nov. 7 response time reported elsewhere. That discrepancy has not been resolved in available reporting. The station's account otherwise matches the broader strokes of the case, describing McGuinness as accused of damaging the victim's property and preventing them from calling 911.
Arrest and Charges
McGuinness was arrested at 12:21 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, following the disturbance complaint in the village of McGraw, per the same account from Newport Dispatch. He was transported to the Cortland County Sheriff's Office for processing and then released on an appearance ticket rather than held in custody.
He faces criminal mischief in the third degree, a felony, along with criminal mischief in the fourth degree, a misdemeanor, plus violations of second-degree harassment and trespass, the report notes. McGuinness is scheduled to appear in Cortlandville Town Court for arraignment on Monday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m., according to 607 News Now.
Pattern of Disturbance Calls in the Area
A disturbance call on McGraw's Center Street in 2025 involved 25-year-old Michael J. Warner, who was accused of fighting with a known victim and causing several injuries. Cortland Voice reported that officers investigated the disturbance at 12:44 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5. Warner was charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, and was processed, arraigned, and released ahead of a scheduled Cortlandville Town Court appearance on Oct. 15.
In a separate case reported by WBNG, 41-year-old McGraw resident Tommy L. Greene was accused of engaging in a physical altercation with a victim known to him in the Town of Cortlandville. Greene faced harassment and criminal-possession-of-a-weapon charges, was arraigned, and was remanded to the county jail without bail ahead of a scheduled court appearance.
No official sheriff's-office release or court record has been made public detailing the outcome of the McGuinness case, and the identity of the victim and the nature of the damaged property have not been disclosed in available reporting. McGuinness's scheduled arraignment in Cortlandville Town Court remains the next step in the case.
