A North Tonawanda man and woman were charged with petit larceny and other charges Tuesday morning after being accused of stealing books from the Barnes & Noble store at Niagara County Community College.

Lisa Maria Coleman, 33, and Ryan J. Lasky, 34, both of 341 Goundry St. in North Tonawanda, were accused of collaborating to steal two books valued at $346.90 from the store. Lasky allegedly fled with the books while Coleman was detained by store personnel who called the Niagara County Sheriff's Office.

According to the NCSO report, when patrol arrived, Coleman gave them false information about her her male counterpart was, leading them to look for the wrong person for about an hour. Eventually, she came clean and said it was Ryan Lasky, her boyfriend. She told patrol that she didn't want to get him in trouble, which is why she had given them another name.

Patrol found that Coleman's car was illegally parked in a handicapped parking spot and that she had a bench warrant issued from the Town of Amherst.

Coleman told patrol "that she and her boyfriend had a severe drug problem and would steal the text book and take them to "Bucks for Books" to obtain cash for them," the report said. "Coleman stated that they would then use the money for drugs."

Patrol contacted Lasky by phone and he came to the scene — without the books, which he said he put under Coleman's vehicle. A search of Lasky revealed him to be in possession of two separate controlled substances.

Coleman's vehicle was towed. Coleman and Lasky were both charged with petit larceny and sixth-degree conspiracy by Niagara County Sheriff's deputies. Coleman was also charged with obstruction of governmental administration. Lasky was also charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Coleman was taken to Niagara County Jail and held on $500 bail. The Town of Amherst also fexed over a detainer on her arrest warrant. Lasky was brought to Niagara Jail as well, as was to have been in Town of Cambria Court Tuesday night. The controlled substance were submitted to the Niagara County forensic lab for analysis and evidence.

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