TROY – A 10th Mountain Division soldier returned will Fort Drum Thursday wearing a GPS monitoring device on his ankle while he waits for developments in his case for allegedly possessing a loaded pistol without a serial number while the Troy Rally for Black Lives was held Sunday.
Noah Latham, 22, appeared virtually from the Rensselaer County Jail for his preliminary hearing in City Court for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Latham was arrested Sunday on Sixth Avenue between Congress and Ferry streets for criminal possession of a “Glock-style 9mm Semi-Auto handgun marked P80 with no serial number loaded with a magazine containing live 9mm ammunition,” according to the complaint filed by Troy police.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Hauf and Latham’s defense attorney Joel Abelove told Judge Chris Maier they had reached an agreement in which Latham waived his hearing and would return to Fort Drum in Jefferson County where he would be confined to the military base while wearing the monitoring ankle bracelet. Latham is scheduled to return to City Court on July 9.
Abelove declined to comment on the case when he left court. Latham’s wife attended the court proceeding and left with Abelove.
Latham is a specialist E-4 assigned to the 10th Mountain Division as a drone operator. Prior to his arrest Sunday, he had no criminal record, according to court discussions.
Latham was with a group of armed men wearing camouflaged clothing when police stopped them and took them into custody near the City Station apartment complex on Sunday. The complex is about two blocks south of the police station and near the route protesters used for their march. Latham is a Second Amendment advocate and has lobbied for the Jefferson County government to declare itself a “Second Amendment sanctuary."
The police released Latham’s wallet, keys and military ID needed to get on the base.
The Sunday incident remains under investigation. Police seized three vehicles from the group and planned to search them. But so far, police have said nothing about the search. At the time of Latham's arrest, police said they anticipated making filing additional charges but so far that has not happened.
Police have not yet said why they believe the men were armed or in Troy. They appeared in the city when an estimated 11,000 people were marching in Troy for Black Lives rally that began in Riverfront Park and featured a march through downtown to the police station.
Police said the men were detained by officers watching for trouble surrounding the protest. The rally was one of countless demonstrations that have taken place across the country since the death of George Floyd, who died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Four Minneapolis police officers were fired and then indicted for murder or abetting murder.