CANTON--Two Lisbon-area teens who admitted damaging headstones at a Lisbon cemetery will pay a total of more than $10,000 restitution under the terms of an order issued Monday in St. Lawrence County Court.

Benjamin C. Gratto, 17, or 594 Pray Road, Ogdensburg, was ordered by County Judge Eugene L. Nicandri to reimburse Martin Cemetery Association $5,138.45 for damage he did June 29 at the Chapple Road, Lisbon, cemetery. He pleaded guilty Dec. 23 to first degree cemetery desecration.

Adam S. Merkley, 17, of 749 Dollar Road, Heuvelton, who pleaded guilty Jan. 26, was also ordered to pay restitution, although the amount was not established at the time. It was to be equal to Mr. Gratto's $5,138.45 share for total restitution of $10,276.90.

Mr. Gratto was granted youthful-offender status and was placed on probation for five years. He was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.

Judge Nicandri told Lee Dezell, the cemetery association's secretary/treasurer, that the cemetery could take advantage of the community service order if it desired. But Mr. Dezell, who earlier said people affected by the incident were "very upset," said that would be up to the cemetery board.

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(Taken from the Wednesday, July 12, 2000 edition of the Watertown Daily Times, page 25).

CANTON--A teen who chose to buy a truck rather than make restitution for damage he did to a Lisbon cemetery was given a lesson in economics by a judge Tuesday.

"If you don't pay the bank, the worst they can do is take the truck back," St. Lawrence County Judge Eugene L. Nicandri told Benjamin C. Gratto, Lisbon. "If you don't pay restitution I can put you in jail and then you won't be able to pay for the truck either. Logic would dictate the first thing you ought to pay is restitution."

Mr. Gratto, 594 Pray Road, age 17 at the time, was one of two teens charged with knocking over 61 monuments at Martin Cemetery, Chapple Road, Lisbon, on June 29, 1998. He and Adam S. Merkley, then 17, of 749 Dollar Road, Heuvelton, pleaded guilty in county court to first-degree cemetery desecration and were each ordered to pay $5,138.45 toward total restitution of $10,276.90.

Mr. Merkley has made required payments since sentencing. Mr. Gratto, who was ordered on Feb. 8, 1999, to pay $90 per month, hasn't made a payment since November, according to probation officials. So far he has paid $215 and owes more than $4,900.

"I plan on paying restitution. I'm not ignoring it," Mr. Gratto said. "But I need a vehicle to get back and forth to college and work." Mr. Gratto said the cost of insuring his pickup truck recently dropped by nearly $200 per month. As a result Judge Nicandri increased his monthly restitution payments to $120 with a warning that failure to pay could mean jail.

"I expect you to make every payment," the judge said.