Theft/Property — Schenectady, NY — reported 2026-07-08

SUMMARY

A Schenectady man was sentenced to eight years in prison for a robbery at Katie O’Byrnes Irish Pub & Restaurant.

KEY FACTS

  • Incident type: Theft/Property
  • Location: Schenectady, NY
  • Date reported: 2026-07-08
  • Suspect: male, age 54
  • Status: arrested, charged, and sentenced

REPORTED DETAILS

  • James R. Downing, 54, was sentenced to eight years in prison for the August incident at Katie O’Byrnes Irish Pub & Restaurant.
  • Downing held a restaurant employee at knifepoint and stole his cigarettes during the robbery.
  • The stolen items were recovered by police with the help of the Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office street crime unit.
  • Downing pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted robbery, a felony, on April 15.
  • He also pleaded guilty to threatening use of a dangerous instrument.