ALBANY — Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced contempt charges against a Cortland County man for flooding a cemetery near his property.

James Stevens the third of Cortlandville was found to be in contempt for failing to take actions ordered by the court to fix illegal water diversions from his property onto St. Mary’s Cemetery and Route 281. The flooding caused the desecration of several graves, and the reburial of eighteen people.

Stevens ignored orders from the court sent to him in 2014 to stop draining stormwater without a permit. Along with eroding the cemetery, on multiple occasions the runoff flooded Route 281, threatening public safety. A court date has not been set.