The Hutch Tech high school teen who attempted to unseat Carl Paladino on the city school board last month has been arrested.
Buffalo Police arrested 18-year-old Austin Harig Wednesday. Harig is charged with unlawfully dealing with a child and second degree criminal nuisance. He is being accused of allegedly giving alcohol to three minors and allowing them to smoke marijuana at his south Buffalo home.
Harig denies any wrongdoing.
“I’m quite confident the charges are going to be dropped as soon as the facts some out. Everybody who was there will say, ‘He didn’t do anything.’ Everybody was telling them I didn’t do anything. They just didn’t listen," declared Harig.
Harig, who lives on his own, claims an 18-year-old friend has been staying with him and took a stop sign, dragging it into Harig’s home while he was sleeping. Harig is emancipated from his parents.
WBFO News asked Harig what police said to him during his arrest.
“They said ‘Well, you’re unlawfully dealing with a minor’ because they’re 17,'” said Harig. “I try not to break any laws.”
Buffalo Police confirmed the charges to WBFO. We have not received any response or statement from the Buffalo School District.
Harig was released, but must return to court at a later date to answer to the misdemeanor charges.
“I tend to be careful about who I’m hanging around with. I really don’t want anything illegal going on, like stealing stop signs. They just thought it would be funny to try and prank me,” Harig claims.
