By ANDREA VanVALKENBURG
PLATTSBURGH — A Plattsburgh businessman suspected of dealing cocaine has turned himself in.
Champy's Gas N Go owner Stephen Giroux has been wanted on a warrant since he failed to show up for his September drug trial.
The 52-year-old has been facing felony drug-sale and -possession charges since last spring, when he was indicted by a Clinton County grand jury.
At the time of his arrest, Giroux was already behind bars for allegedly violating the terms of his probation and court orders.
He was later released from custody on $50,000 cash bail.
After authorities said that Giroux had fled, his attorney, Edward Narrow, said his client had left the area to enter a rehabilitation program.
Regardless of the reason for his departure, authorities issued a warrant for his arrest when he failed to show up for trial.
On Monday night, accompanied by his attorney, Giroux turned himself in to the Clinton County Sheriff's Department.
He appeared briefly in Clinton County Court Tuesday afternoon and was returned to County Jail without bail.
Giroux was expected to be processed and arraigned on a new felony bail-jumping charge later Tuesday.
A new trial date has not been set.
Giroux is well-known in the community after having owned and operated Champy's car wash for several years. Last year, Giroux opened a convenience store at the site, which is located at the corner of Weed Street and Boynton Avenue.
He was arrested after an Adirondack Drug Task Force investigation allegedly linked him to a cocaine sale in February 2009.
Giroux has pleaded not guilty to charges of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance.
He has never publicly commented on the allegations.
E-mail Andrea VanValkenburg at: avanvalkenburg@pressrepublican.com
