Three charged with raiding donation boxes at Buddhist monastery

KENT CLIFFS — Three residents of Dutchess County face a variety of charges stemming from their alleged theft of money from donation boxes at the Chuang Yen Monastery in western Kent.

Kent Police announced the arrests Sunday of Sean Evans, 23, of Wappingers Falls, Kristin Carlson, 21, of Fishkill and Nissa Simonis, 18, of Poughkeepsie in connection with the reported theft.

Sgt. Carlton Champagne said Officer Alex Vanderwoude responded to the monastery off Route 301 at 2:15 p.m. after a monk called police to report the theft.

After interviewing several of the monks, Evans was charged with larceny, public appearance while under the influence of narcotics, criminal possession of controlled substances, unlawful possession of a hypodermic syringe, disorderly conduct, criminal possession of stolen property, criminal impersonation and conspiracy. Evans was arraigned by Kent Justice Peter Collins and was remanded to the Putnam Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 bail pending a future court appearance.

Carlson and Simonis were both charged with larceny and conspiracy. They were also arraigned on the charges and were released without bail.

District Attorney Adam Levy said Evans faces up to four years in state prison if found guilty of the most serious charge of criminal possession of stolen property while the two women can be incarcerated for up to a year in the county jail if found guilty of the lesser misdemeanor counts.