HERKIMER, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) – Herkimer and New York State Police collaborated to arrest a Herkimer man after an investigation into a missing person from Sullivan County.

At approximately 9:30 pm on Monday, June 5, Herkimer Police were advised by New York State Police that a 13-year-old female from Herkimer was missing from her court-ordered placement in Swan Lake in Sullivan County. A joint investigation found that she was allegedly picked up in Swan Lake and transported back to the village.

According to police, they conducted surveillance on two locations in the village on Tuesday, June 6, when they allegedly spotted the female and the suspect — 38-year-old Darius “Max” Richards of Herkimer – on North Washington Street. They were immediately stopped and questioned by police, and with the help of the Herkimer County District Attorney’s Office, obtained a warrant for the North Washington Street residence.

On the evening of Tuesday, June 6, Richards was arrested after the execution of the search warrant. He is currently being charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a misdemeanor, and Possessing a Sexual Performance of a Child, a felony.

Richards was arraigned and remanded to the Herkimer County Correctional Facility without bail because of two previous felony convictions. The investigation remains ongoing and additional charges for Richards are pending.