MASSENA — The former Massena village mayor, who was arrested on drug charges in late 2020 after an undercover investigation and a car chase through the village, has pled down to a single non-drug charge and was sentenced today (Monday, Dec. 1) in Morristown town court.

Former Massena Mayor Tim Currier, 55, was arrested on Dec. 1, 2020 for Tampering with Physical Evidence, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th Degree, and Failing to Obey a Police Officer.

At the time of his 2020 arrest, detectives and special agents attempted to stop Currier's vehicle in connection with an investigation of drug sales and possession that Currier was alleged to have participated in. The sheriff’s office says officers tried to pull over Currier’s vehicle, and he fled officers for about a third of a mile through the village, police said.

The former mayor stopped his vehicle near the intersection of Center and Willow streets. Investigators say just prior to stopping his vehicle, Currier threw about one gram of crack cocaine out his passenger window.

County District Attorney Gary Pasqua said Monday that Currier plead guilty to Failing to Obey a Police Officer in violation of Vehicle and Traffic Law §1102 in full satisfaction of his charges and was sentenced to a fine $150 and surcharge of $93.

“It is my duty to fight for justice for the citizens of St. Lawrence County. My Office seeks an outcome in every case that ensures the protection of the community and an appropriate sentence for the offender that holds them responsible for their actions,” said county District Attorney Gary Pasqua.

“In this case, the defendant had no criminal record prior to the time of the offense. No probable cause was found to charge the defendant with any additional narcotics crimes following a thorough investigation by the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security,” said Pasqua. “In addition, the defendant voluntarily resigned from his position as Mayor of the Village of Massena and participated in a recovery program.”

“At the same time, no one is above the law. He needed to be held accountable for what occurred on December 1st of last year. That happened today with his acceptance of responsibility for his actions. This is a fair and just outcome based on the facts and circumstances of this case,” said the district attorney.

Currier is the former chief of the Massena Police Department. He retired from that post to seek the mayor's office in 2014. He was elected, and has been re-elected once.

He helped found the Police Activities League of Massena, originally known as the Boys and Girls Club of Massena.

Pasqua thanked the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Department of Homeland Security and all other law enforcement that assisted in the case.