Aрpeal from a judgment of the County Court of Schenectady County (Bender, J.), rendered October 3, 1994, upon a verdict convicting defendant оf the crimes of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree (two counts), criminal possession of a controlled substаnce in the third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.
Defendant’s convictions arose out of the sale of two foil-wrapped packages of cocaine to two undercover police officers on August 14, 1993. State Police Investigators Theresa Temple and Robert Patnaude, working undercover with the Community Narcotics Enforcement Team, were driving in an unmarked car when Patnaude waved to defendant. When defendant responded, Patnaude stopped the vehiclе and defendant had a brief conversation with both officers. Both said they were looking for "twenties”, slang for $20 worth of crack or
Indicted thereafter, defendant was tried in August 1994. The People presented the testimony of bоth officers who had purchased the cocaine as well as that of Messere, who had identified him thereafter. At the close of the People’s case, defendant moved to dismiss the multiple counts of the indictment which charged him with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, contending that the testimony supported only one count each based upon the isolatеd transaction evincing only one sale. County Court dismissed the multiple counts charging possession of narcotics but declined to dismiss the counts which charged him with criminal sale, reasoning that while there appeared to be two sales, there were not two possessions.
At the charge conference, County Court advised that the updated Criminal Jury Instructions manual would be used. This prompted an unsuccessful request by defense counsel to have the court use the older version of the charge on the defense of agency since he felt that it was less confusing. Defense counsel also moved, unsuccessfully, for the inclusion of a missing witness charge pertaining to Reddy. When the court chаrged the jury, neither defendant nor the People noted any exceptions other than those raised during the charge conference.
During deliberations, the jury sent out several notes. The first requested copies of the charge, the law as it relates to the chargе and the law as it relates to the agency defense. With both County Court and counsel agreeing that such copies could not be prоvided, the jury was advised that while copies were not permissible, it could be recharged in whole or in part. After a short return to deliberation, the jury sent another note
Defendant’s subsequent motion to set aside the verdict was denied. He was sentenced as a second felony offender to concurrent terms of imprisonment of 5 to 10 years for each of the two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, and one year in the County Jail for criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.
Upon appeal, defendant contends, inter alia, that the People never presented prima facie proof of two separate sales. Upon our review of the testimony of both police officers, recounting their initial encounter with defеndant, the delivery of the narcotics and the individual payment therefor, we find ample evidence presented to conclude thаt defendant was properly charged with two separate counts of criminal sale (see, Penal Law § 220.00 [1]).
As to defendant’s additional challenges to the jury charge regarding the presumption of innocence and burden of proof, we note the failure to properly preservе these issues for review (see, CPL 470.05 [2]; People v Montroy, 225 AD2d 913, 914; People v Longo,
Similarly unavailing is the challenge to County Court’s failure to include a missing witness charge. With defendant failing to sustain his burden of demonstrating that such witness
Finally, we find no error in the denial of defendant’s motion to set aside the verdict (see, People v Bleakley,
Mikoll, J. P., Mercure, Crew III and Yesawich Jr., JJ., concur. Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.
