Just after 2 AM on March 11th, members of the Ithaca Police Department conducted a vehicle stop for a traffic violation. The driver, Damien D. Blackman (42) of Ithaca, was found to be in possession of approximately 6.7g of suspected crack cocaine, 4.7g of suspected Fentanyl, 11.6g of suspected methamphetamine, packaged in a manner consistent with the sale of narcotics. He was also in possession of more than $1,000 in cash.
During a search of Blackman’s vehicle a 9 mm handgun and an extended magazine were located.
Blackman was charged with 1 count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th degree, 3 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 3rd degree and 2 Counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 3rd degree. Blackman was arraigned and remanded to the Tompkins County Jail without bail.
Blackman was previously arrested under virtually identical circumstances. An Ithaca Journal article from 2016 states “following a traffic stop Blackman consented to a vehicle search, and officers seized more than 1 ounce of heroin, one-half ounce of crack cocaine, “a quantity” of powdered cocaine, marijuana and prescription medications. The drugs were found in a backpack, police said, and they also seized scales, packaging material and more than $6,000 in cash.”
Blackman was also arrested in 2017 after the Ithaca Police Department was called to respond to an occurrence of domestic abuse on Hudson Street. Blackman barricaded himself on the second floor of the building, resulting in a deployment of the Ithaca Police Department SWAT team. Blackman was wanted for a felony charge of possessing a controlled substance in the third degree related to his 2016 arrest.
Blackman appears to have accepted a plea agreement of one year plus time served one charge of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 3rd degree, with the other charge from his 2016 arrest being dismissed as part of that agreement.
Blackman served at least part of his sentence at Willard Drug Treatment Campus (Willard DTC), a secure facility that was run by the Department of Corrections for individuals sentenced to class C, D and E drug felonies and certain class D and W non-drug felonies. Willard DTC operated a program called ‘Shock;’ an intensive, voluntary “boot camp” style drug treatment program. Willard DTC closed in December of 2021. Blackman was released in February of 2020.
Correction: Blackman was not charged with possession of a weapon during his 2016 arrest as this story originally stated.