Nanticoke police arrested a Hunlock Creek man Sunday night for striking a woman at the Uni-Mart at 18 N. Market St.
Talcott Ian Phillips, 26, was arraigned Monday before Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker on simple assault and harassment charges.
According to the police criminal complaint, Phillips’ girlfriend Lauren Brennan told police she argued with Phillips earlier at her home and she left as he became enraged. Brennan said she was going to Phillips’ mother’s home when she stopped at the Uni-Mart to put gasoline in her vehicle.
Phillips approached Brennan, argued with her and asked for help with his drug addiction. Brennan denied him any help and Phillips grabbed her by the arm, pulled her hair, struck her in her eye and scratched her hand.
A preliminary hearing for Phillips is scheduled for Jan. 7 at 10 a.m. in Luzerne County Central Court.

12/24/2008
A former Greater Nanticoke Area High School teacher accused of buying alcohol for five students over the summer is expected to plead guilty.
Bob Kalinowski - Citizens' Voice

A former Greater Nanticoke Area High School teacher accused of buying alcohol for five students over the summer is expected to plead guilty or enter the accelerated rehabilitation disposition program that would erase the conviction after a probationary period, prosecutors said.
Edward Alessandrini, 35, who resigned his science teaching position while under investigation, was in Luzerne County Central Court to forward a charge of furnishing alcohol to minors to Luzerne County Court.
Prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of corruption of minors if the Swoyersville man would plead or enter the ARD program, which erases the criminal record of first-time offenders who stay out of trouble.
The case against Alessandrini was recently sent back to the magisterial level. He had forwarded his charges to county court in September. However, he learned the corruption charge was not eligible for ARD. Alessandrini will still be barred from teaching in the future, police said.

12/3/2008
Illegal hunting charges levied against man convicted of beating cop
bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2055

A convicted cop-beater who is barred from possessing guns was arrested Monday in Nanticoke on firearms violations after the Pennsylvania Game Commission caught him illegally hunting, according to Nanticoke police.
James J. Stone, 49, was taken into custody around 4 p.m. in a wooded area near the Nanticoke bridge after he illegally baited and shot an 8-point buck, officials said.
When Nanticoke police arrived to assist Pennsylvania Game Commission officials, they discovered Stone was using a stolen rifle and determined he is not allowed to possess guns because of a felony conviction for severely assaulting a Plymouth cop in 1993.
During a drunken rage, he beat and slashed veteran officer George Gocek Sr. in the face with a beer bottle, leaving Gocek with permanent debilitating injuries.
Nanticoke police on Monday charged Stone with illegally carrying a firearm as a convicted felon and receiving stolen property.
After his arrest, he was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Diana Malast of Plains Township, the on-duty magistrate.
Malast released Stone on $5,000 unsecured bail, meaning he didn’t go to jail and didn’t have to post money.
Authorities were led to Stone of 218 Honey Pot St., Nanticoke, after receiving an anonymous letter he would be illegally baiting deer around the Nanticoke bridge, according to Daniel Figured, a law enforcement supervisor for the regional game commission office.
According to arrest papers, Stone claimed he didn’t know the gun was stolen. He said he bought it from a stranger in the parking lot of a Plymouth convenience store.
He also said he didn’t know he was prohibited from possessing a gun because of his convicted felon status.
Figured said it is illegal to use a food source to attract deer during hunting season, and Stone was using a food block of grain and molasses. In addition to the Nanticoke charges, the game commission charged Stone with unlawful taking of a deer and hunting with the use of bait, Figured said.
Stone’s past case that prohibits him from possessing guns made headlines for years. He was convicted of aggravated assault and related charges for the vicious attack on Gocek, who was trying to arrest him for public drunkenness. Stone was later sentenced to four to eight years in state prison. After four years in jail, the state approved him for early release despite vehement objections from prosecutors.
When the state Board of Probation and Parole approved early release, then-District Attorney Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. called Stone “a menace to society” and warned he would “hold the board personally and professionally responsible” if the early release leads to any more acts of violence.
Stone has been free since Aug. 10, 1998. Since then, he has not been arrested criminally in Pennsylvania.
In 2003, the game commission charged Stone with unlawful hunting. Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker of Nanticoke found him guilty and he was fined $547, court records show.

12/2/2008
A Wilkes-Barre man wanted since October on allegations he fled from police while driving a stolen vehicle was arraigned on Monday.

Jerome James Sharr, 18, of Rees Street, was charged with receiving stolen property, fleeing or attempting to elude police, flight to avoid apprehension, reckless endangerment, accidents involving damage to attended vehicle, accidents involving damage to unattended vehicle and six traffic offenses. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 bail.
Police allege Sharr was driving a 2004 Cadillac Deville when he was pursued through several municipalities on Oct. 21. Police said the Cadillac was reported stolen to Larksville police on Oct. 20.
According to the criminal complaint:
Police attempted to stop Sharr when he was observed exiting a parking lot on Main Street. Sharr sped onto the Sans Souci Parkway in Hanover Township and state Route 29 into Sugar Notch before entering Interstate 81 in Ashley.
Sharr continued onto Business Route 309 in Wilkes-Barre Township and turned onto Coal Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Police pursued Sharr onto South Hancock Street until he abandoned the vehicle when he struck a curb at East Market Street. Sharr ran away from the vehicle and eluded capture, the complaint says.
A 16-year-old female inside the vehicle was unharmed, police said.
Police said during the pursuit, Sharr struck a guide rail and a Wilkes-Barre police cruiser and passed numerous vehicles and failed to stop at red traffic signals and stop signs.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 10 in Central Court.

12/2/2008
A Hanover Township man recently sentenced to five to 12 years in state prison on attempted burglary charges asked a judge Monday to reduce his sentence and hold a new trial.
Citizens' Voice

Gary S. Myers, 47, was sentenced on Nov. 21 on charges of criminal conspiracy to commit burglary and resisting arrest.
Myers’ attorney, Michael Senape, said in court papers filed Monday that Myers’ sentence should be reduced to 2 ? to 4 years in prison because Myers has five minor children to care for and “has not been arrested and/or charged with any crimes for several years prior to the charges involved in this matter.”
Senape also asked that a new trial be held for Myers, stating that the court “erred in denying (Myers’) request for continuance which was made via an oral motion by (Senape) prior to the empanelling and swearing in of the jury in this matter.” The filing also asks the court to address issues and arguments Senape might have had during the swearing in of the jury.
According to arrest records, Myers planned to rob Reilly Finishing Technologies, Nanticoke, because he was “in need of money for past-due child support and legal problems, as well as to finance a move to somewhere in Noxen,” court papers say. Police said Myers conspired with three others to steal raw nickel from the business.

11/26/2008
Woman free for 8 hours back in jail
elewis@timesleader.com

Less than eight hours after being released from the Luzerne County Correctional Facility, an 18-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly stealing a vehicle on Monday night.
Sarah Elizabeth Wargo, of South Hanover Street, Nanticoke, was charged Tuesday morning with receiving stolen property, theft and driving without a license.
Police allege in arrest records that Wargo drove away in a 1997 Ford Escort that was idling in the Weis Market parking lot around 7:45 p.m. and crashed into a tree in Hanover Township.
She was jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $50,000 bail.
Earlier Monday, Wargo appeared for a preliminary hearing in Central Court on allegations she threatened a clerk at the Turkey Hill, Hazle Avenue, Wilkes-Barre, with a box cutter during a robbery on Nov. 15, according to arrest and court records.
Wilkes-Barre police charged Wargo with robbery, aggravated harassment by prisoner, possession of a weapon, terroristic threats and criminal mischief. She was held at the county correctional facility for lack of $50,000 bail in connection with the robbery, but a district judge modified her bail, allowing her to be released from jail at about noon Monday, court records say.
After her arrest by Nanticoke police, according to court records, Wargo’s bail that was modified Monday morning was re-established at $500,000.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Nanticoke police:
Martin Buczek, 41, told police he drove his girlfriend, Wargo, to Weis Markets. Buczek left his car idling in the parking lot as he entered the store.
When Buczek exited the store, he told police, Wargo drove away in his vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.
Buczek walked to Wargo’s mother’s house on East Broad Street, Nanticoke, where he called 911.
While he was at the house, Wargo called her mother to say she crashed into a tree, the criminal complaint says.
A preliminary hearing on the charges filed by Nanticoke police is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 4 in Central Court.
Wilkes-Barre police allege Wargo entered the Turkey Hill with a plastic bag concealing her face and threatened a clerk with a box cutter while demanding money on Nov. 15, according to arrest records.
Wargo ran out of the store and attempted to ride away on a bicycle.
After she was captured, police said in arrest records, Wargo screamed profanities and threatened to harm officers.
A preliminary hearing on the charges filed by Wilkes-Barre police was postponed from Monday to Dec. 22.

11/26/2008
A Nanticoke man charged by Hanover Township police with stabbing a man waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Central Court on Tuesday.

William M. Conway, 23, of Railroad Street, waived two counts of simple assault, and one count each of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
Prosecutors withdrew a second count of aggravated assault against Conway.
Township police charged Conway with stabbing Muadhdhin Sharif, 25, during a party at an apartment in Hanover Village on Nov. 9, according to the criminal complaint.

11/26/2008
A man charged by Nanticoke police with assaulting his brother with a knife waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Central Court on Tuesday.

Mark Ulatowski, 40, of East Church Street, Nanticoke, waived a single count of simple assault to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
Prosecutors withdrew charges of terroristic threats, harassment and a second count of simple assault against Ulatowski.
Nanticoke police claim Ulatowski threatened his brother, Robert Shuma Jr., 48, with a knife during a dispute on Nov. 16, according to the criminal complaint.

11/22/2008
W. Wyoming man gets 5-12 years
jmarckini@timesleader.com

A West Wyoming man was sentenced Friday to five to 12 years in state prison for his role in a Nanticoke burglary in April 2007.
Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. sentenced Gary S. Myers, 47, of 718 W. Eighth St., on criminal conspiracy to commit burglary and resisting arrest, according to court records.
A jury found Myers guilty last month for the burglary at Reilly Finishing Technologies on April 26, 2007.
Police said Myers conspired to burglarize the nickel coating business with two others, his girlfriend, Laurie Kautter, 38, of 718 W. Eighth St., West Wyoming, and Christopher Hamlett, 20, of 159 Sugar Hollow Road, Tunkhannock.
An employee of the business told Nanticoke police he was contacted by Myers who asked him to help burglarize the place, a criminal complaint states. Police were waiting inside the building during the break-in attempt.
Myers told the worker he wanted to steel raw nickel because he needed money for a new home, past due child support and legal problems.
Kautter and Hamlett were both sentenced in April, court records show.
Judge Mark A. Ciavarella sentenced Kautter to 12 months probation on two counts of criminal conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking. Two other felony charges were withdrawn during her guilty plea on April 9.
Hamlett was sentenced by Judge Patrick J. Toole to six to 18 months to the county correctional facility on charges of criminal conspiracy and criminal trespassing charges on April 21.

11/20/2008
Nanticoke police seek fraud suspects
Times Leader

Police are searching for two men suspected of credit-card fraud at CVS Pharmacy and Weis Market on Wednesday.
Police described one of the suspects as a light-skinned black or Hispanic man between 25 and 35 years old, approximately 6 feet tall and weighing about 180 pounds. The other is described as a black male, 30 to 40 years old, approximately 6 feet tall, weighing about 250 pounds.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Nanticoke police at 735-2200.

11/19/2008
Third person charged with torturing 15-year-old in Wilkes-Barre 12:07 p.m.
By Bob Kalinowski - Citizens' Voice


A third person has been charged in connection with the beating and torture of a 15-year-old boy in August at 131 N. Meade St. in Wilkes-Barre.
Daniel "Max" Davenport was arraigned this morning on charges of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and simple assault.
Police say Davenport, 24, of 924 Essex Court, West Hempstead, N.Y., was a member of the Long Island Boys, a notoriously dangerous street gang that was operating out of Sherman Hills Apartments and linked to a murder, murder plots, and the torture of the teenager.
Other gang members Edward Enriquez, 21, and Rufus Evans, 21, were charged shortly after the boy was found beaten, cut, burned and imprisoned in the bathroom of an apartment on Aug. 9.
Details of the torture case came to light when Attorney General Tom Corbett announced the arrest of 27 suspects in Operation Heavyweight last month.
Investigators said the gang was competing for the illegal drug trade at Sherman Hills and were looking to recruit dealers to grow their business
Arrest papers say the gang leaders wanted minors to be part of the group because they could force them to commit crimes and because juveniles face less consequences if caught.
The victim told police he just moved to the area from North Carolina, and "admired" the Sherman Hills drug dealers because they "walked around like celebrities." Soon, the teen would experience the gang’s wrath.
According to police:
For his initiation, the teenager was told he "had to be jumped, prove loyalty to the gang, and kill someone." He was given a gun and told of the target to kill. But then, he made the gang mad over missing money and several members tortured him. They sliced him with hot butcher knives and scissors while he was tied to a chair. They punched and kicked him, and then poured cleaning solvents on the wounds to make him suffer.
Davenport had already been jailed on charges of participating in a corrupt organization, criminal conspiracy to deliver heroin, and criminal use of a communications facility.
Police said locally he had lived on East Noble Street in Nanticoke.

11/18/2008
A man was charged by police on Monday on allegations he threatened his brother with a knife.

Mark Ulatowski, 40, of East Church Street, Nanticoke, was charged with two counts of simple assault and one count each of terroristic threats and harassment. He was released on $5,000 unsecured bail.
Robert Shuma Jr., 48, told police Ulatowski threatened him with a knife during an argument on Sunday, according to the criminal complaint. Police said the brothers were cooking chicken wings and argued about cleaning up.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 25 in Central Court.

11/18/2008
A Nanticoke man was arrested by police on allegations he smashed a large window at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center on Hazle Avenue early Monday morning.

Michael A Graham, 46, of North Mill Street, was charged with criminal trespass and criminal mischief and jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $2,500 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
Police investigated a loud noise complaint in the area of Hazle Avenue and Wilkes-Barre Boulevard and located Graham in the middle of the intersection at about 2 a.m. Monday.
Police said Graham was bleeding from his hand.
Witnesses told police they observed Graham walking away from the Salvation Army, where an 8-by-8-foot window was smashed, the complaint says.
Police said they found blood inside the building, the criminal complaint says.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 25 in Central Court.

11/18/2008
Man jailed on charges he assaulted girlfriend
Citizens' Voice

A man was arrested and jailed Sunday night for beating his girlfriend at the Apollo Circle apartments in Nanticoke, city police say.
Jason M. Henicheck, 30, is charged with simple assault and harassment.
According to police, Henicheck and his girlfriend were arguing and he wanted to take their 2-year-old daughter with him from the residence, 242 Apollo Circle.
The girlfriend said an intoxicated Henicheck pushed her into a fan, a banister and a wall and left the home with the daughter.
By the time police arrived, he returned to the home, where he was arrested, police said.
Henicheck was jailed in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility, where he remained Monday night in lieu of $2,500 bail.

11/16/2008
A woman who tried to rob a convenience store left with only a candy bar.
Times Leader

Sarah Wargo, 18, of Nanticoke, is accused of walking into the Turkey Hill and robbing the place on Wilkes-Barre Boulevard and Hazle Avenue around 2 p.m. Saturday, according to Wilkes-Barre police Lt. Steve Olshefski.
Wargo allegedly waived around a box cutter while inside the store and announced she was going to rob the place, Olshefski said.
After knocking several items off shelves, police said Wargo fled with a candy bar.
Police were able to locate Wargo within minutes, Olshefski said.
Wargo will be charged with robbery, possessing instruments of crime, terroristic threats and criminal mischief, Olshefski said. She also will be charged with aggravated harassment by a prisoner for allegedly spitting on an officer while in a holding cell at police headquarters.
There were no injuries in the robbery, but Wargo had to be taken to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital for treatment of a medical condition, Olshefski said.
Wargo was taken to Luzerne County Correctional Facility for an overnight arraignment, Olshefski said.
A preliminary hearing has not yet been scheduled pending an arraignment.

11/12/2008
A 21-year-old Nanticoke man was recently sentenced to at least six months in county jail for his role in a robbery spree last year.

Raymond Thomas Rittenhouse, of West Ridge Street, was sentenced to six to 12 months in county prison, followed by one-year probation. In May, Rittenhouse pleaded guilty to criminal attempt to commit robbery; criminal conspiracy to commit robbery, theft by unlawful taking and another theft charge before Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. Rittenhouse was sentenced by Olszewski on Oct. 31.
According to court records, on Oct. 15, 2007, James Franco and Rittenhouse were arrested on robbery charges for an attempted purse snatching from an elderly woman in Nanticoke. Later that same day, police said, Franco and Rittenhouse attempted to steal a purse from a woman in the parking lot of Gerrity’s Supermarket on the Sans Souci Parkway.
Olszewski ordered Rittenhouse to pay more than $300 in restitution.

11/11/2008
Nanticoke man jailed over stabbing
William Michael Conway faces 5 charges. Muadhdhin Sharif treated for abdomen injury.
elewis@timesleader.com

Township police allege a spilled drink among uninvited guests at a party led to a stabbing at Hanover Village early Sunday morning.
Police said William Michael Conway, 23, of Railroad Street, Nanticoke, got in a fight and stabbed Muadhdhin Sharif, 25, in the abdomen with a knife.
Conway and his friends sped away in a vehicle that was later observed by police driving in the area, according to police. Police followed the vehicle until it stopped in Ashley, where Conway was captured.
A folding knife was found inside the vehicle, police said.
Conway was charged with two counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault, and a single count of recklessly endangering another person. He was arraigned before District Judge Joseph Halesey in Hanover Township and jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000 bail.
Sharif was transported to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Plains Township, where he was treated for his injury, police said.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Sgt. Dean Stair:
Police were summoned to an apartment in the 1000 block of Hanover Village at about 1:40 a.m. Sunday for a report of a stabbing. There, police found Sharif holding a rag to his abdomen. Sharif told police Conway stabbed him during a fight, according to the criminal complaint.
Sharif told police he was in a rear bedroom and heard a loud dispute in the living room. He approached Conway and told Conway and his friends to leave.
Sharif claimed he escorted Conway outside the apartment when Conway smashed a liquor bottle on the ground. When Sharif confronted Conway about the smashed bottle, he claimed Conway pulled out a knife and stabbed him, the criminal complaint says.
Witnesses told police Conway and his friends sped away in a blue, four-door vehicle. Police were unsuccessful in locating the vehicle, but after a few minutes, it was spotted in the area. Police followed the vehicle until it stopped on Manhattan Street in Ashley, where Conway was arrested.
A passenger in Conway’s vehicle, Daniel Wildes, told police a woman invited them to the party. An argument erupted when Conway spilled a drink and was accused of talking to Sharif’s girlfriend, according to the criminal complaint. A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 18 in Central Court.

11/6/2008
Times Leader
A woman was charged by police on Wednesday on allegations she assaulted a man with a cooking pot.

Allyshia Buckingham, 22, of Apollo Circle, was charged with simple assault and harassment. She was released on $2,500 unsecured bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
Nicholas Suydam told police he went to a residence in Apollo Circle to gather clothing for a child he was babysitting when Buckingham struck him in the face with a cooking pot at about 12:15 a.m. Wednesday.
Buckingham told police she believed Suydam was attempting to break into the apartment, according to the criminal complaint.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 13 in Central Court.

11/6/2008
Cause of greenhouse fire undetermined
Times Leader

The cause of an early morning blaze that broke out at Varsity Greenhouses could not be determined, a fire marshal ruled Wednesday.
Firefighters responded around 2:30 a.m. to a reported structure fire at 695 E. Main St., according to Nanticoke Fire Chief Mike Bohan. The building was fully involved upon firefighters’ arrival, he said.
A passerby in the area called 911 to report the fire, Bohan said. Firefighters were able to contain the fire shortly after. The building was destroyed.
There were no injuries and no one was inside the building, Bohan said

10/28/2008
A woman was charged by police on Monday with assaulting her boyfriend with glass and threatening to stab him with a knife.

Danielle Sangemino, 28, of East Main Street, Nanticoke, was charged with simple assault and harassment. She was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
Police were dispatched to the couple’s residence at about 3:30 a.m. Monday for a dispute. William Park told police he was arguing with Sangemino at a tavern and that the argument continued after they arrived home. He said Sangemino threw glass from a picture frame that caused a minor injury to his abdomen, the criminal complaint says.
Park further claimed, the criminal complaint says, Sangemino threatened to stab him with a butter knife.
Sangemino told police Park refused to allow her to enter the residence, and that Park grabbed her hair, according to the criminal complaint.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 5 in Central Court.

10/22/2008
A chase that started in Nanticoke came to an abrupt end after police say a driver of a stolen vehicle crashed into a city police cruiser in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday night.

The driver took off on foot, but the passenger in the vehicle was arrested at the scene, said Wilkes-Barre police Lt. Steve Olshefski.
Police in Wilkes-Barre first spotted the stolen vehicle on Coal Street and a pursuit ensued, he said.
The chase went on for a short time, but ended after the vehicle struck the cruiser , and then crashed into a curb on South Hancock and East Market streets, where the driver fled on foot, Olshefski said.
Police set up a perimeter in the area, but could not locate the driver.
Officer Erika Oswald, who was driving the police car, was not injured, Oshefski said. The police cruiser sustained minor damage.
The passenger, a 16-year-old girl from Nanticoke, was taken into custody at the crash scene, according to Nanticoke Capt. Detective William Shultz. The driver, an 18-year-old man from Wilkes-Barre, fled. Police have not arrested the driver as of late Tuesday night, Shultz said.
The vehicle, a 2004 Cadillac, was stolen in Larksville.
The chase started in Nanticoke, Shultz said. Nanticoke police first located the vehicle at Lacey’s Catering parking lot, 444 E. Main St., and pursued the vehicle down Main Street to South Walnut Street to East Broad Street to a one-way street, Christian Street.
The vehicle went back onto Main Street, and then headed on San Souci Parkway to Route 29 and then on Interstate 81, getting off at the Route 309 exit in Wilkes-Barre Township.

10/15/2008
Breaking News: Nanticoke police seek information on armed robbery suspect 12:32 p.m.
By Bob Kalinowski - Citizens' Voice

Nanticoke police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred early this morning at the Uni-Mart store at 61 E. Main St., and say the suspect may have been driving an older Ford Taurus with a cracked windshield.
The suspect walked in the store around 12:15 p.m., told the clerk he had a gun and ordered her to give him cash, police say.
A witness observed the suspect flee and get into a Ford Taurus, which was parked in an alley behind Nardozzo's Pizza. The vehicle eventually turned left onto South Walnut Street, the witness said.
The suspect has a thin build, is about 5'8" to 6", and has a tattoo on his right wrist. He was wearing a baseball hat, a jacket, a collared shirt, and a bag over his shoulder.
A similar robbery occurred later at a Wilkes-Barre Turkey Hill, and investigators are trying to determine if there is a connection.
Anyone with information should contact Nanticoke police at 735-2200.

10/8/2008
Man injured in fight outside Nanticoke bar
Published: Wednesday, October 8, 2008 9:03 AM EDT

Nanticoke police are seeking information regarding a fight that occurred outside the Prospect Cafe in Nanticoke on Monday night.
Police were called to a report of several people, male and female, fighting around 9:45 p.m. at the 23 S. Prospect St. bar.
Officers learned a white van fled the area.
A 49-year-old man was hospitalized for injuries sustained in the brawl.
Those with information should call Nanticoke police at 735-2200, ext. 205.

10/8/2008
Man, jealous of brother’s incarceration, heads to prison
Bob Kalinowski - Citizens' Voice

Nanticoke police arrested a man Monday night for assaulting his brother — apparently because he was jealous his brother had been in prison and he had not, according to city police.
Dessie R. Kinney got his wish and was jailed in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility on charges of simple assault, harassment and illegal possession and misbranding of a prescription pill, police say.
Police were called to 636 S. Walnut St. around 9:45 p.m. for a report of Kinney fighting with his brother, Jessie.
The victim said Kinney starting fighting with him while they were watching a movie about prison. The victim had been in prison before and told police his brother was jealous.
Kinney caused injuries to his brother’s forehead, head and arm, police said.
During the investigation, police say they found Kinney illegally in possession of an Oxycodone tablet wrapped in a cellophane cigarette wrapper.
He was jailed in lieu of $2,000 cash bail.

10/3/2008
Serial robber sentenced to 2 to 4 years
msisak@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2061

James Franco mugged an elderly woman in Nanticoke and attempted to steal a purse from another woman in Hanover Township on the same day last October. He held a knife to a clerk’s back as he robbed a convenience store in Nanticoke in May and broke into a home in Hanover Township to steal video games and DVDs in June.
Franco, 30, of Hanover Township, said he committed the crimes to finance an addiction to heroin. The addiction, Franco’s attorney Nicole Bednarek said, developed while he served a 10-year term in a New Jersey state prison on similar charges.
Franco pleaded guilty Thursday to the convenience store robbery and the home invasion, following a March 6 guilty plea on the mugging and purse snatching.
Luzerne County Court President Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. sentenced Franco to a combined two years to four years in state prison for all four crimes and requested Franco be placed in a facility where he can receive treatment for his drug addiction and related psychological condition.
“He’s definitely going to get some help,” Bednarek said. “He’s never had any treatment before while he was in state prison. He’s hoping to get his life straightened out.”
Franco still faces charges in another Hanover Township break-in and charges including felony robbery and robbery of a motor vehicle in an alleged knife-point attack on a taxi cab driver on June 25. Franco is awaiting trial on both incidents, Bednarek said.
Franco mugged a woman outside the Prospect Cafe in Nanticoke on Oct. 15, 2007, prosecutors said. The same day, Franco participated in a purse-snatching at Gerrity’s Market in Hanover Township.
On May 14, Franco robbed a Uni-Mart in Nanticoke and held a knife to the clerk’s back. A month later, Franco broke into a home on Stanley Street in Hanover Township and stole video games and DVDs. Franco was free on bail when he allegedly attacked the taxi cab driver, prosecutors said.
“Hopefully now he is realizing the consequences of his actions,” Bednarek said.
Bob Kalinowski, staff writer, contributed to this report.

10/1/2008
Charges against Nanticoke man in theft, arson go to court
Citizens' Voice

Charges against a 24-year-old Nanticoke native who allegedly stole $43,000 from Rolling Pines Golf Course in Berwick and set a fire to cover the theft were forwarded to Columbia County Court after a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning.
Jamie Danko, of Lattimer, appeared before Magisterial District Judge Richard Cashman in Berwick on charges of theft, receiving stolen property, tampering with records, arson and criminal trespass.
Danko, a former standout golfer for Greater Nanticoke Area High School, worked at Rolling Pines as the course’s golf pro/general manager. Danko allegedly stole money from membership fees, tournaments and rentals while employed at the golf course, according to reports. He is also accused of using company funds, rather than his own, to stock the pro-shop, reports said.
Danko was arrested in August.

9/19/2008
LCCC dean charged with stealing school funds
msisak@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2061

Peter Paul Moses, the dean in charge of several departments at Luzerne County Community College, including the cafeteria, is accused of stealing more than $17,000 in cash deposits and two laptop computers from the institution.
Moses, 57, of Wilkes-Barre, was arrested Thursday and charged with felony counts of theft by unlawful taking and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds; and four misdemeanors: two counts of theft by unlawful taking and two counts of receiving stolen property. If convicted, he could face up to 34 years in prison and a maximum $70,000 fine.
According to prosecutors, Moses stole more than a dozen cash deposits between September 2005 and April 2007 and kept two laptop computers, worth $1,598, for personal use after they had been purchased for the college’s Educational Conference Center.
“I am outraged and dismayed that this occurred at our college,” Luzerne County Community College President Thomas P. Leary said in a statement.
Moses, who is on a leave of absence from the college, was arraigned Thursday morning before Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker and released on $20,000 unsecured bail.
Whittaker scheduled Moses to appear at a preliminary hearing at Central Court in Wilkes-Barre on Sept. 25, but Moses’ attorney, William Ruzzo, said that proceeding could be postponed due to a scheduling conflict.
Ruzzo, a close friend of Moses’ for more than 30 years, said the charges were hard to fathom.
“It would be a great surprise to me if Peter stole anything,” Ruzzo said after the arraignment.
Robert Linskey, who has served as the college’s director of accounts and finance since April 2006, began questioning missing cafeteria funds shortly after he was hired, prosecutors said.
Linskey noticed cafeteria deposits for April 18, 2006 and April 19, 2006 were not received by his office and no “cash out” receipts had been turned in, arousing his suspicion that the money was stolen. Moses was unable to provide an explanation for the missing money, prosecutors said.
Cash register receipts from the cafeteria were backed up on a computer system located in an office adjacent to the cafeteria that Moses often used as a smoking room. Shortly after Linskey asked Moses about the missing April 2006 funds, Linskey discovered the computer missing from the office.
“There were only two cords left of that computer,” Linskey told investigators.
Cafeteria manager Sheldon Owens used a calendar to note each day’s cash deposits and noticed money disappeared only when Moses personally handled it, prosecutors said.
College officials handled the investigation internally for nearly two years, waiting until after Moses returned $1,200 of the missing funds last February to contact police, Luzerne County District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll said.
“The delay in reporting to law enforcement did hamper the investigation, but despite that we were able to end up with the same result that undoubtedly we believe Mr. Moses stole the money from the college,” Detective Kevin Grevera of the Nanticoke City Police said.
The college has instituted new safeguards to prevent a future theft, Leary said.
All deposits are now directed to Linskey’s office, recorded, picked up by Brinks security and deposited at Wachovia Bank and reconciled. Bank statements are reviewed later for accuracy, Linskey told investigators.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear the people of Luzerne County are not going to tolerate white-collar crimes,” Musto Carroll said. “It’s not enough to pay back this money. These are crimes and these individuals must be punished.”

9/19/2008
A former Greater Nanticoke Area School District teacher accused by state police at Wyoming of supplying alcohol to several teens waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Central Court on Wednesday, according to court records.

Edward Alessandrini, 35, of Chapel Street, waived five counts each of corruption of minors and furnishing alcohol to minors to Luzerne County Court of Common PleasState police charged Alessandrini with furnishing beer to five teen girls at a Lehman Township residence on July 16, according to the criminal complaint. Alessandrini resigned from the school district in July.

9/19/2008
A Luzerne County jury recently acquitted a Nanticoke woman of harassing two minority juveniles at a bus stop in March.

Mary Louise Warner, 47, of Apollo Circle, was charged by Nanticoke police after a mother complained Warner was harassing her two daughters.
After a trial before Court of Common Pleas Judge Chester Muroski on Sept. 5, a jury acquitted Warner of ethnic intimidation.
Warner was found guilty of a summary charge of harassment, and fined $100. Attorney Mark Singer represented Warner. Assistant District Attorney Ed Olexa prosecuted.

9/13/2008
A woman faces drug sale charges after authorities found several bags of heroin inside of a motel room around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, state police said.

Erica Neyhard, 24, of Nanticoke, was charged with drug sale and manufacturing, according to state police at Wyoming. She was observed making several drug transactions from her vehicle in the Nanticoke and Hanover Township areas, police said.
Neyhard was found to be in possession of several bags of suspected heroin during a traffic stop on Route 11, police said. Through the investigation it was learned that Neyhard was staying at Room 2 in Casino Motel in Bear Creek Township.
A search of the motel room was conducted by the state police Vice/Narcotic Unit and resulted in the seizure of 940 bags of suspected heroin and $2,450 cash, police said.
Neyhard was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whittaker, Nanticoke, and remanded to Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of bail.

9/12/2008
Two people charged by Nanticoke police with allegedly performing lewd acts inside the police department’s jail cell waived their right to a preliminary hearing in Central Court on Monday.
Times Leader

Deborah Kelber, 44, of Hazleton, and James Edward Gordon, 27, of Nanticoke, separately waived three counts each of indecent exposure and open lewdness to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
Nanticoke police charged the two with performing lewd acts on each other while they were jailed in separate cells at the police department on Aug. 9, according to the criminal complaint.
Police said Kelber and Gordon were placed in separate cells on public drunkenness charges, according to arrest and court records.

9/9/2008
Three men pleaded guilty Monday to breaking into a Nanticoke home and threatening two women with pellet guns.
Times Leader

Jerome Tucker, 21, Michael Ewell, 20, with last known addresses of Apollo Circle, Nanticoke, and Jamil Tucker, 22, of Kingston, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment, terroristic threats and possession of instruments of crime.
Jerome Tucker and Ewell were both sentenced to 12 months probation on the charges by Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr.
Olszewski said he will sentence Jamil Tucker on the charges on Oct. 14 after a pre-sentence investigation is conducted.
The judge said that each man could have faced a minimum of six years in jail if sentences were run consecutively.
Charges of burglary, stalking and criminal trespassing were dropped.
According to arrest records, police charged the three men, and Eric Tucker, 20, with a last known address in Kingston, after they forced their way into a Church Street home on April 15 and threatened two women with pellet guns.
Police said Jerome Tucker wanted to fight a man who resided at the home, and began yelling, “You’re going to get it,” when he entered the residence.
Eric Tucker was sentenced in July to six months probation on criminal conspiracy charges for his role in the break-in.

8/19/2008
Cops: Ex-teacher gave teens beer
Former Greater Nanticoke teacher allegedly bought beer for girls mourning death of recent grad.
elewis@timesleader.com

A former science teacher at Greater Nanticoke Area gave beer to five teen girls during a gathering of people who were mourning the loss of a recent high school graduate, state police at Wyoming said.
Edward Alessandrini, 35, of Swoyersville, is charged with five counts each of corruption of minors and furnishing alcohol to minors. The charges were filed by state police at Wyoming Trooper Lisa Brogan with District Judge James E. Tupper in Trucksville on Monday.
Alessandrini taught environmental science at the high school and was an assistant wrestling coach. His name has been omitted from the school district’s Web site.
Superintendent Anthony Perrone and school board President Jeff Kozlofski didn’t return messages seeking comment on Monday.
Police said Alessandrini supplied beer to three 18-year-old and two 16-year-old girls. The teens have not been charged, according to court records.
According to the criminal complaint:
Perrone told police on July 28 that he received complaints from parents who viewed on the Internet a picture showing Alessandrini posing with five teen girls. Perrone said he was given the picture by Kozlofski and was concerned that Alessandrini supplied the teens with alcohol.
Police learned that Alessandrini and the girls gathered to mourn the loss of Paul Drozdowski, a 2008 Greater Nanticoke Area graduate, at a Lake Silkworth cottage on July 16.
Alessandrini was at the cottage but left to buy beer at the Outpost Bar in Lake Silkworth, the criminal complaint says.
Police said Alessandrini returned to the cottage and provided the beer to the girls.
The cottage’s owner, Jason Bienkowski, told police he invited eight people to his cottage and didn’t know Alessandrini or the girls. After he saw a young girl holding a beer, he asked everyone to leave.
Bienkowski told police he witnessed several girls, according to the criminal complaint, get into Alessandrini’s vehicle before driving away.
One of the 18-year-old women told police she went with Alessandrini when he purchased beer at the bar. She admitted to drinking beer with Alessandrini at the cottage, and that the two 16-year-olds drove away with Alessandrini when they left the cottage, the criminal complaint says.
She claimed they met again at a residence in the Honey Pot section of Nanticoke, the criminal complaint says, where a party was being held.
A preliminary hearing will be scheduled in Central Court.

8/16/2008
A Nanticoke man was sentenced Thursday to two to four years in county prison on charges he sold drugs to police informant in March of 2007.

Christopher A. Klesmer, 20, of Mosier Street, was sentenced by Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Chester Muroski on charges of possession with intent to deliver. Klesmer pleaded guilty to the charges in June.
According to arrest papers, Klesmer sold suspected marijuana to a police informant on several different occasions. Muroski ordered Klesmer to pay more than $2,200 in restitution and costs. Klesmer will receive five days credit for time already served in prison.
Muroski said Klesmer is eligible for work and school release.

8/16/2008
A woman was charged Thursday after police said she assaulted her mother at their West Broad Street home.

Sherry Christine Turner, 31, was charged with simple assault and harassment. She was released on her own recognizance.
According to the criminal complaint:
Police were called to the home just after midnight Thursday for a physical dispute involving Turner and her mother, Theresa Chesney.
Chesney told police, the criminal complaint says, that Turner choked her.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 21 in Central Court.

8/13/2008
A 33-year-old Nanticoke man was charged by township police with setting his 2004 Ford Mustang on fire on Monday, according to arrest records.
Times Leader

William Ertz, of East Grant Street, was charged with three counts of arson. He was arraigned by District Judge Joseph Halesey in Hanover Township and released on $5,000 unsecured bail.
According to the criminal complaint, township firefighters responded to a vehicle fire on Hanover Street at about 7:30 a.m.
Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Tudgay contacted state police deputy fire marshal Ron Jarocha to conduct an investigation to determine how the fire started.
Jarocha determined that the fire was intentionally set on the driver’s seat, the criminal complaint says.
Police questioned Ertz who admitted, the criminal complaint says, that he poured paint thinner on the driver’s seat and then ignited it with a lighter.

8/13/2008
LCCC probe continuing
Law enforcement report on $1,200 missing in January to be ready in four weeks.
slong@timesleader.com

A report regarding the investigation of missing money earlier this year from Luzerne County Community College is being compiled by local law enforcement agencies, LCCC President Tom Leary said Tuesday.
Officials expect the report to be completed in about four weeks.
Luzerne County Community College Board of Trustees were updated about the case during an executive session meeting held before just prior to Tuesday’s board meeting at the campus’ Educational Conference Center.
In January it was discovered that $1,200 was missing from LCCC’s cafeteria. At the time college officials said the money was misplaced. The money was later recovered.
College officials spent a month conducting their own internal investigation to make sure they had the correct facts before contacting the Nanticoke Police Department.
In February Leary said there was a change in administrative policy to ensure this type of incident would not occur again.
Nanticoke Police Detective Kevin Grevera began investigating the incident in February when college officials revealed there were potential financial improprieties.
“We can’t comment on that while it’s being investigated,” Grevera said.
Luzerne County District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll confirmed the case was still active, but she could not say how much longer the investigation will continue.
Dr. Agapito Lopez, one of the newest board members, was not too familiar with the case until receiving Tuesday’s update.
But as a board member, he said he wants to do ensure that whoever is responsible for taking or misplacing of the money is punished appropriately.
“When someone is accused we need to make sure they are not part of the college any longer,” Lopez said.
Law enforcement authorities investigating the case have not released the names of any suspects. No one has been arrested in conjunction with the case.
Lopez also wants to review the college’s administrative policies to see if additional precautions can be utilized to prevent money from being mishandled.
The board also unanimously approved a code of conduct policy Tuesday night that board member Mahmoud Fahmy developed and presented.

7/31/2008
Michael Zagora, 36, of West Green Street, was charged Wednesday with assaulting his girlfriend, according to the criminal complaint. He faces charges of simple assault and harassment.
Times Leader

According to the criminal complaint:
Police were investigating a dispute involving Zagora and Linda Spence at their shared residence at about 11 p.m. Tuesday. Police said Spence claimed Zagora struck her in the face, the criminal complaint says.
Police said Spence suffered facial injuries. A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 7 in Central Court.

7/30/2008
Charges against alleged serial robber sent to court
bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2055

A former Posten Taxi driver took the witness stand Tuesday to describe the terrifying night when alleged serial robber James Franco hopped in his cab and pulled a knife.
“He stuck the knife to my throat and said, ‘Put the car in drive and let’s go,’” recalled former cabbie Patrick Sharp. “He said he was going to puncture my windpipe if I didn’t do everything he said.”
Sharp detailed the wild and scary chain of events that included Franco ruffling through his pockets for money and Sharp’s dramatic escape from Franco on South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre. He also highlighted the hair-raising moments when Franco commandeered his vehicle and tried to mow him down with the taxi on South Main Street.
The taxi robbery was just one of three cases Franco had scheduled in Central Court on Tuesday — the others included the burglary of a Stanley Street, Hanover Township, residence and the subsequent burglary of his accomplice’s house.
All cases were forwarded to Luzerne County court after two minor charges were dropped.
Prosecutors called Franco a “clear and present danger to the citizens of Luzerne County” after the arrest in the taxi heist case on June 25. It was the ex-con’s sixth local arrest on serious charges since October when the 30-year-old moved here after spending a decade in New Jersey prisons for multiple burglaries and robberies.
After each arrest, local magisterial district judges gave Franco minimal or no bail, allowing him to be released from prison by posting little or no money.
After being bailed out in connection with the mugging of a senior citizen in Nanticoke on a public street, a purse snatching at a Hanover Township grocery store parking lot and an armed robbery of a Nanticoke convenience store, Franco allegedly helped commit a burglary of 38 Stanley St. in Hanover Township.
Police alleged Franco and accomplice Mark DeLong stole various electronics, a weight-lifting set and a shotgun totaling $13,600 from the home, whose occupants Neil Splendido and Dejah Vaughn were out of town at a hospital following complications after the birth of their child.
“What wasn’t stolen was broken,” Splendido testified Tuesday. “We were just devastated.”
DeLong and his girlfriend, Danielle Bergamino, live in the other side of the double-block. Bergamino was supposed to take care of Splendido’s dogs on an enclosed porch, but did not have a key to get inside the rest of the home, Splendido said. Police say the suspects kicked open the door.
Days after Franco burglarized Splendido’s home, police say he was caught trying to burglarize DeLong’s home.
Franco’s next court date was scheduled for Oct. 3 at 9:30 a.m. He remains jailed in lieu of $150,000 cash bail.

7/24/2008
Three violated Megan’s Law, police say
By jmarckini@timesleader.com

Two convicted sex offenders found living in Nanticoke were arraigned Tuesday for failure to register their current addresses to comply with Megan’s Law, according to court records.
A third man also was charged recently with failing to register as a sex offender.
Ronald Avery, 50, of 289 E. Union St., and Michael Robert Backley, 53, of 125 E. Grand St., were required to register their new addresses with the state police but failed to do so.
Avery was convicted of rape in 1989, according to data obtained on the state police Megan’s Law Web site. Backley was convicted of indecent assault in 1985.
Avery was charged with six counts of failure to comply with registration requirements and verify his current address with state police. Those charges are second-degree felonies.
Court records show Avery last registered his address of 31 E. Main St., Glen Lyon, Newport Township, with state police in January 2003. Police said he has not been in compliance since November 2003.
The Megan’s Law Unit continued to send correspondence to Avery’s last address until June 7.
The state police Fugitive Unit found Avery was living at the Nanticoke address for the past month, according to the complaint. He was residing with his daughter and her boyfriend, police said.
Backley was charged with two counts of failure to comply with registration requirements, court records show. He last registered his address of Blue Jay Trailer Park at Harveys Lake on Sept. 25, 2006.
On Dec. 6, 2006, Backley pleaded guilty to a violation of Megan’s Law after he was arrested by Wilkes-Barre police for not changing his address. He was sentenced to nine months.
In 2007, the Megan’s Law Unit sent correspondence to Backley’s last address, but it was returned. State police discovered he was living in Nanticoke with his sister-in law for about one year.
Avery and Backley, who are both in Luzerne County Correctional Facility on $50,000 and $25,000 bail, respectively, have preliminary hearings scheduled for July 29 at Central Court.

7/24/2008
A Nanticoke man was sentenced to six months probation after pleading guilty to exposing himself to a woman in Nanticoke.
Times Leader

Leo A. Wojewodzki, 46, of East Main Street, pleaded guilty to open lewdness during a preliminary hearing in Central Court on Thursday. Prosecutors withdrew charges of indecent exposure, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass.
A woman told police she was parking her car at the rear of the Kanjorski Center, 40 E. Main St., on June 9 and noticed a man reading a newspaper and drinking coffee on a bench. When she parked her car, she saw a man, identified as Wojewodzki, standing outside her driver’s-side door exposing himself, according to the criminal complaint.
Wojewodzki was also fined $293, according to court records.

7/24/2008
A man was charged Wednesday after he allegedly assaulted his live-in girlfriend because he locked himself out of their residence, police said.
Times Leader

William James Cupp, 50, of West Green Street, Nanticoke, was charged with simple assault, criminal mischief and harassment. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $5,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
Loretta Fenner, 48, told police she arrived home and found Cupp passed out on their front porch Tuesday night. Cupp told Fenner he was upset because he locked himself out of their residence, and struck her in the face.
Fenner drove Cupp to the police department where he assaulted her again and damaged her vehicle, the criminal complaint says.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for July 31 in Central Court.

7/19/2008
State police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement filed charges against four men stemming from a June 27 incident at Holy Child Grove, 141 Old Newport St., according to a news release.
Times Leader

Christopher Klesmer, 20, and Lee Wysocki, 19, both of Nanticoke, were observed to be consuming beer and were detained, state police said. Klesmer refused to comply and was place under arrest. He resisted and eventually escaped from the arresting officer, police said.
Wysocki fled and was apprehended after a brief foot chase, police said. Police said he was observed to have been furnishing alcohol to Klesmer.
Klesmer was charged with one count each of escape, resisting arrest, underage drinking and disorderly conduct, police said. Wysocki was charged with two counts of furnishing alcohol to minors, one count of disorderly conduct and underage drinking.
Christopher Wylie, 26, of Newport Township, and Zachary Hallas, 25, of Nanticoke, were charged with one count of disorderly conduct for their disruptive actions during the June incident.
The charges were filed before Luzerne County District Judge Donald Whittaker, Nanticoke.

7/18/2008
A Nanticoke man was sentenced to 48 hours to one year, six months in county prison on charges of theft and driving under the influence stemming from a January 2007 incident.

Matthew Zaremba, 20, pleaded guilty to the charges in June. He was sentenced Tuesday by Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Peter Paul Olszewski, Jr.
According to arrest papers, an East Broad Street woman reported to police that a blue 1997 Chevy Lumina was stolen from her home. While searching the area, police observed a vehicle matching the description at a traffic light near Kosciusko Street.
Police followed the vehicle for a short time to better identify the vehicle and stopped Zaremba on the Sans Souci Parkway.
Police said Zaremba told them “I will not lie to you … I just stole it.”
When police arrived at headquarters with Zaremba, they found Zaremba to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. Police said Zaremba had a blood-alcohol content of .155 percent.
Olszewski also required Zaremba to acquire a full-time job upon release from prison, attend a driving safety school and pay a $500 fine. He also will have his license suspended for 12 months.

7/16/2008
Man accused of fleeing prison’s work release program
Citizens Voice

County prosecutors have charged a former Nanticoke man with failing to return to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility’s work release program last month.
Jason Demski, 25, faces a single count of escape.
The prison granted Demski temporary leave for a court-approved drug rehabilitation meeting at a Wilkes-Barre church on June 27. Police say he never returned to the facility, and a warrant was issued for his arrest until he was apprehended this past weekend.
Demski, who was arrested seven times since 2002 on various drug, burglary and robbery charges, was jailed for previously failing to appear for a court hearing. He was arrested in April in connection with a burglary at 715 Hartman Road in Plymouth Township and didn’t show up for his preliminary hearing a week later, police said.

7/15/2008
Woman charged with assaulting boyfriend
Citizens Voice

Police arrested a woman Sunday night in Nanticoke for slashing her boyfriend several times with a box cutter, according to charges filed.
Mary Catherine Geiger, 29, faces charges of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment in connection with the alleged attack on William Childs.
Investigators said the two were arguing because Childs took Geiger’s coffeemaker and can opener to his other girlfriend’s house in Wilkes-Barre and Geiger wanted her stuff back.
Childs sustained several lacerations on the left side of his neck, and a 6- to 8-inch laceration down his back, according to arrest papers.
The incident unfolded at 275 E. Main St. just before 10 p.m.
Police said they located Childs near Burger King, and he told officers Geiger had slashed him and chased after him.
Geiger told police Childs was wearing a shirt she bought him and she tried to “cut it off,” police said.
Police said Geiger was highly intoxicated when she was arrested.

7/15/2008
Charges unlikely in death
Official sees no action being taken in accident that killed skateboarder.
boboyle@timesleader.com

No charges will be filed at this time in the death of skateboarder Paul Drozdowski.
According to Michael Vough, a Luzerne County assistant district attorney, the investigation is ongoing, but there doesn’t appear to be any evidence of gross negligence on the driver’s part.
“State police are conducting tests and taking measurements, but it doesn’t appear that we will be filing any charges,” Vough said. “The car was traveling well under the speed limit and the victim voluntarily attached himself to the vehicle and fell off.”
Drozdowski, 19, was pronounced dead at 10 a.m. Saturday at Community Medical Center in Scranton, where he was flown on Friday after the accident, said Lackawanna County Deputy Coroner Tim Rowland.
Rowland said Drozdowski died of traumatic brain injury and the manner of death was ruled accidental. No autopsy was performed because Drozdowski was an organ donor, he said.
Nanticoke police said the accident occurred in the Greater Nanticoke Area High School parking lot.
Drozdowski lived on Loomis Street in Nanticoke and was employed as a landscaping assistant by Walter’s Landscaping. He was a 2008 graduate of Greater Nanticoke Area High School.

7/14/2008
Nanticoke teen who died in skateboarding accident identified
eskrapits@citizenvsoice.com, 570-821-2072

When Paul Drozdowski — “Pauly D” to his crew in Nanticoke — was around, his sense of humor cracked everyone up.
“He was the jokester of the crowd. He made you laugh,” said Drozdowski’s friend Dan Olshefski, 20. “If he was there, you knew you were having a good time.”
Olshefski and the rest of Drozdowski’s many friends can’t believe they’ll never again get to hang out with the 19-year-old who was always so full of life. Drozdowski died from a traumatic brain injury received in an accident in the Greater Nanticoke Area high school parking lot on Friday.
Drozdowski had been riding a skateboard while hanging on between the front and back doors of a car when he fell and fractured his skull, Lackawanna County Deputy Coroner Tim Rowland said. Drozdowski was pronounced dead at 10 a.m. Saturday in Community Medical Center, Scranton.
Ironically, Drozdowski wasn’t even a skateboarder — instead, he rode BMX bikes, Olshefski said.
Drozdowski and a bunch of friends saw some skateboarders in the high school parking lot Friday just before 7 p.m., and Drozdowski decided to borrow a board for a stunt, according to Olshefski. He said Drozdowski was being towed along by the car at about 10 miles per hour when he had his fatal fall.
“He just grabbed a skateboard off a kid and said, ‘watch this,’” Olshefski said. “He’s done it before. It might be stupid to grab on to a car and get pulled behind it, but who thinks you’re going to fall and split your skull?”
Nanticoke police are investigating the incident.
The night before, Thursday, Drozdowski was joking around, hanging out with the crew he had known for years. They had all attended Greater Nanticoke Area — Paul just graduated this year and was looking forward to getting his diploma after finishing one final class in summer school, Olshefski said.
On Saturday, Olshefski said he was at the four-wheel-drive jamboree in Bloomsburg with friends when he got the news Drozdowski had died.
“None of us thought he would end up passing away in CMC,” Olshefski said.
Drozdowski was an only child, and his mother, Lisa Drozdowski, is heartbroken over his death, Olshefski said.
So are his friends.
“He’s missed and loved by all the boys from Nanticoke,” Olshefski said.
Drozdowski’s friends would like to hold a benefit concert for his family on Aug. 26, at a location to be determined.

7/12/2008
Times Leader
A Nanticoke man charged with stealing lottery tickets from a market waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Central Court on Wednesday, according to court records.

Edward George Bath III, 24, of East Ridge Street, waived a single count of burglary to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
Prosecutors withdrew charges of theft, criminal trespass, criminal mischief and receiving stolen property against Bath.
Nanticoke police charged Bath with smashing a window at Ruminski’s Market, South Market Street, and stealing cigarettes and lottery tickets on June 29.
Police said Bath was identified as the suspect by a surveillance camera that recorded the burglary, according to the criminal complaint.

7/11/2008
A Nanticoke man was sentenced to up to five years in state prison, followed by 16 months house arrest and 60 days probation on drug-related charges.
Times Leader

Raymond Paul Rittenhouse, 47, was sentenced Wednesday by Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Peter Paul Olszewski. The judge ordered Rittenhouse to pay more than $1,200 in restitution costs.
Rittenhouse was sentenced on three counts of delivery of a controlled substance, one count of possession with intent to deliver; possession of drug paraphernalia; and two counts of driving under the influence. He pleaded guilty to the charges in June.

7/10/2008
A man was charged Wednesday after police said he assaulted his girlfriend in front of her 8-year-old child.
Times Leader

Segundo Felix Villanueva-Santos, 48, of South Hanover Street, Nanticoke, was charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct, harassment and public drunkenness. He was released on $1,000 unsecured bail.
According to the criminal complaint: Police were stopped at South Hanover and West Church streets by a woman who claimed Villanueva-Santos struck her in the face. Police said the woman was crying and had injuries to her face.
Villanueva-Santos approached the woman and began screaming, police said. Police said the woman’s son witnessed the assault.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for July 17 in Central Court.

7/4/2008
Plymouth Twp. man charged with inciting bar brawl
Citizens Voice

Nanticoke police have filed charges against a Plymouth Township man in connection with a February brawl at a city bar.
Richard Matthews, 29, of Sickler Hill Road, is charged with inciting a riot, simple assault, disorderly conduct, recklessly endangering another person and harassment.
Police say Matthews participated in the beating of Jason Carl Souder on Feb. 29 at the Prospect Cafe, 23 S. Prospect St.
Souder told police he was jumped by about nine people in the bar. He said he was trying to prevent several men from picking on another patron when Matthews approached and assaulted him, prompting the others to do the same.

6/28/2008
Russian national arraigned in gun shop investigation
eskrapits@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2072

Federal officials say a Russian national and a Nanticoke sporting goods store co-owner used fake invoices to evade U.S. export laws when shipping paramilitary equipment such as rifle scopes and night-vision optics.
Martin C. Carlson, acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, alleges Sergey Korznikov and his Moscow, Russia-based hunting supply shop, Tactica Ltd., conspired with Mark Komoroski and his family-owned store, D&R Sports Center, to violate U.S. export laws.
Korznikov was arraigned Friday before U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion at the Max Rosenn U.S. Courthouse. Komoroski had his arraignment before Mannion on June 16. Both men have pleaded not guilty to charges against them.
Korznikov, Komoroski and their respective businesses are each are charged with a single count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, money laundering, exporting defense articles without a Department of State license and exporting “merchandise, articles and objects contrary to law.”
The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, a fine of $150,000 and loss of federal benefits, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy H. Fawcett, who is prosecuting the case.
The federal benefits issue would not apply to Korznikov, but he could face deportation, Fawcett said.
According to the indictment, Korznikov and Komoroski allegedly generated false invoices to ship rifle scopes and other defense-related items. For example, the document states that on June 6, 2006, an invoice was generated for Tactica for $12,181.26 worth of items ordered from D&R. On that same date, June 6, 2006, “D&R Sports Center generated a second fake invoice with a false total value of goods ordered by Tactica. … of $94.00,” the document states. The ship-to address was a man in Moscow, Russia.
“There are two sets of invoices, one of which is more accurate than the others,” Carlson said during a telephone interview Friday. “They falsely describe the value and nature of the goods being shipped.”
Carlson said the two sets of invoices were “part of the scheme to conceal from U.S. Customs officials and violate export laws.”
As payment for five transactions, D&R Sports Center received a total of $295,000 to a commercial account at M&T Bank via wire transfers from Langport Solutions, which England’s Daily Mail newspaper identifies as being located in London. D&R’s account also received a transfer of $25,000 on July 15, 2005, from another London-based company, Verrex Associates.
Korznikov’s attorney, Robert M. Simels of New York, believes U.S. officials “jumped to assumptions that don’t necessarily bear out” regarding the invoices.
“We’re confident he’s going to be found not guilty,” Simels said of his client.
Simels has 20 days to file pre-trial motions with U.S. District Judge Edwin M. Kosik, who will then set a trial date.
Federal officials are permitting Korznikov to extend his stay in the U.S., since he is not allowed to leave until the case is settled. He and Komoroski were arrested in January. Both men are free on bail, but they are not allowed to communicate with each other.
Carlson said the investigation is ongoing.

6/27/2008
Breaking News: Alleged taxi robber charged with burglary 11:15 a.m.
By Bob Kalinowski - Citizens Voice

The New Jersey man accused of robbing a taxi driver Wednesday in Wilkes-Barre and committing four similar crimes since October has been charged with another burglary, Hanover Township police say.
James Franco, 30, was charged Thursday with a burglary on Stanley Street in the Upper Askam section of Hanover Township, police said.
He was arraigned by District Judge Joseph Halesey and remanded to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 bail.
He's now locked up on a total of $150,000 on six cases in Luzerne County.
On Thursday, prosecutors beefed up that bail during a bail revocation hearing in response to his arrest on Wednesday for allegedly robbing a Posten taxi driver at knife-point and stealing the cab.
He had been out on bail on four separate cases at the time.
Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Tim Doherty called Franco "a clear and present danger to the residents of Luzerne County."
Since Oct. 15, Franco allegedly mugged a woman outside the Prospect Cafe in Nanticoke, participated in a purse-snatching at Gerrity's Market in Hanover Township, committed a knife-point robbery of a Uni-Mart in Nanticoke, robbed the taxi driver and burglarized two homes in Hanover Township.
Franco is a career criminal from Hudson County, N.J. He served more than 10 years in New Jersey prisons for multiple robbery and burglary arrests, according to court records. He moved to the area in July 2007.

6/26/2008
A 29-year-old Plymouth woman will spend up to one year and nine months in county prison after being sentenced on a slew of charges Wednesday afternoon.

Jodee Marie Hattan pleaded guilty in April to six counts of criminal conspiracy to commit burglary, one count of entering a false insurance claim and one count of making false reports stemming from seven different incidents.
Hattan was arrested on the charges stemming from numerous offenses last year, including: fleeing police in July after the robbery of copper pipes in Plymouth; a copper pipe robbery in Nanticoke; stealing a woman’s purse outside Oplinger Towers in Nanticoke; and stealing items from Peter’s Deli, Wilkes-Barre, among other offenses.
Hattan must pay more than $35,000 in restitution for her crimes.

6/25/2008
Man steals taxi, robs driver while out on bail
By Bob Kalinowski , Staff Writer - Citizens Voice

A man out on bail for a Nanticoke robbery and a Hanover burglary robbed a cab driver at knifepoint early Wednesday morning and then stole the cab, police said.
James Franco, 30, is charged with robbery, robbery of a motor vehicle, unlawful restraint, and simple assault.
Police said Franco entered the Posten taxi outside the Prospect Cafe in Nanticoke and directed the driver, Patrick Sharp, to Center Street in Hanover Township.
According to arrest papers:
Franco exited the cab, returned a short time later to the waiting cab, and put a knife to Sharp's neck, police said. Sharp gave him $75 in fare money and $13 of his own money.
Franco then ordered the driver to the 400 block of Franklin Street.
Sharp fled from the taxi and ran to the South Main Plaza. Franco then hopped in the taxi and tried to run Sharp over. Franco was later spotted ditching the vehicle and was apprehended on Sobieski Street in Hanover Township.
Franco was jailed in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Franco has been released on bail twice in the last 23 days, and police say he committed crimes both times.
He was arrested on May 19 for the May 14 armed robbery of a Uni-Mart in Nanticoke and jailed until June 2 when he was released on $5,000 bail.
He was arrested last week in connection with a home burglary on Stanley Street in Hanover Township. He was released on $2,500 unsecured bail.
Hanover police said that after being released on bail he committed another home burglary on Stanley Street. Those charges will be filed at Franco's preliminary hearing on the recent case, said Acting Hanover Township Police Chief Al Walker.

6/21/2008
A Shickshinny woman was charged Friday after police said she was in possession of marijuana and pills without a prescription.

Shannon L. Lewis, 31, of Bilby Hill Road, was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and public drunkenness. She was released on $5,000 unsecured bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
Police were investigating a dispute between several people, including Lewis, on South Prospect Street just before 8 p.m. Thursday. Police said they found several tablets of oxycodone, oblong and clonazepam in a pill bottle and marijuana in Lewis’ purse, the criminal complaint says.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for June 30 in Central Court.

6/20/2008
Nanticoke woman waives right to hearing

A woman who Nanticoke police said stole a friend’s purse, using the money to purchase heroin, waived her right to a preliminary hearing in Central Court on Thursday.
Marissa Tencza, 20, of West Washington Street, waived 16 counts of forgery, six counts of theft and five counts of identity theft to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
According to the criminal complaint, Tencza stole a purse from a friend in June 2007, and cashed five checks forging her friend’s name at a grocery store. Police said Tencza obtained $275 from the checks and admitted to using the money to buy heroin, the criminal complaint says.

6/19/2008
Vandals hit 5 Nanticoke cemeteries
Headstones toppled, American flag sticks broken and other damage reported at sites.
elewis@timesleader.com

Paul Kankiewicz and his friend Dan Kotsko noticed broken wooden American-flag sticks at St. Francis Cemetery earlier this week.
Thinking the damage was caused by recent thunderstorms and high winds, they continued with their summer job of updating cemetery burial records.
But, when they arrived at the cemetery Wednesday morning, they noticed 16 headstones had been toppled.
Police said the damage is widespread and involved four other city cemeteries -- Nanticoke City, St. Stanislaus, St. Joseph’s and St. Mary’s -- that are adjacent to each other in the area of Washington and Prospect streets.
Capt. Detective William Shultz said more than 100 tombstones were knocked over at the five locations. Most of the damage was found in Nanticoke City Cemetery on top of the hill.
A few reports of toppled headstones were reported to police earlier in the week, he said, noting the vandalism became more widespread. Flower pots, religious statues and solar lights were also vandalized, Shultz said.
A toppled headstone was reported on Monday by people who left the cemetery to buy topsoil, only to return to find additional vandalism at the site, Shultz said.
“Based on that report, we can’t say for sure all this vandalism took place at night,” Shultz said.
Shultz believes more than one person is responsible.
Tom Roman, who was cleaning his parents’ burial site in the Nanticoke City Cemetery, said he didn’t notice any veterans’ grave markers missing from other plots.
Contact police
Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to contact Nanticoke police at 735-2200.

6/17/2008
D&R Sports Center co-owner pleads not guilty to conspiracy charges
ELIZABETH SKRAPITS AND HEATH WILLIAMS

Mark Komoroski pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges against him and his family business, D&R Sports Center, in federal court Monday.
He and the Nanticoke-based hunting-supply store were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering in front of U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion at the Max Rosenn U.S. Courthouse.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley stood in for Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy H. Fawcett, who is prosecuting the case.
Komoroski declined comment through his attorney, Philip Gelso.
Federal prosecutors claim Komoroski and his alleged co-conspirator, Sergey Korznikov of Moscow, Russia, violated U.S. export laws by allegedly smuggling military equipment — including rifles and related items such as scopes and night-vision optics — into Russia, Kuwait, Germany and Japan. Korznikov’s shop, Russia-based Tactica Ltd., sells hunting and military equipment but no firearms.
Komoroski and Korznikov were arrested in January and are free on bail. Both men maintain they are innocent of the charges.
Korznikov’s arraignment will be at a later date.
Komoroski has 20 days — until July 6 — to file pre-trial motions. U.S. District Judge Edwin M. Kosik, who is hearing the case, will then set a trial date.
If found guilty, Komoroski could face up to five years in prison and three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine. D&R Sports Center could face a corporate fine of up to $500,000.
“Obviously, a corporation can’t go to jail,” Mannion said.

11:36 AM
6/11/2008
Nanticoke police searching for missing man

Police are searching for 35-year old Thomas Seesoltz III, who was reported missing by his family on May 23.
Police said Seesoltz called his wife, Holly, on May 9 saying he was going fishing. He hasn't contacted any family members since he last spoke to his wife, police said.
Seesoltz may be operating a red, four door 2000 Mitsubishi Lancer with Pennsylvania registration plate GXG-6321. He is described as a white male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, approximately 210 pounds, blue eyes, red hair, fair complexion with a beard.
Anyone with information about Seesoltz is asked to contact Nanticoke police at 735-2200 or 911.

6/3/2008
Man sentenced to 10 years for attempting to have sex with a minor
Heidi Ruckno - Citizens' Voice

A Nanticoke man was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to persuade a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct, the United States Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
Branden Holena, 21, admitted to having online chats with a 14-year-old in Luzerne County in order to entice the juvenile to meet him for a sexual encounter, U.S. Attorney Martin C. Carlson said.
Holena arranged to meet the 14-year-old on April 25, 2007, and was arrested at that meeting. He was indicted May 1, 2007.
After he is released, Holena will be on parole for life. He must also pay a $100 special assessment.

5/21/2008

On Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 0200 hours, Nanticoke City Police received a tip that a large under age drinking party was taking place in the area of Concrete City, in the City's Hanover Section of Nanticoke.
Several Nanticoke City Officers went and located several juveniles ranging in age from 15-18 years old. City Police cited for (4) juveniles for underage consumption of alcohol and (8) with violating the City's Curfew Ordinance. According to the juveniles many more kids were participating earlier and had left.
Officers are conducting an investigation as to whom supplied the teens with the beer. Police say, supplying alcohol to minors is a crime Police look very serious at. Offenders could look at fines not less than $1000.00 and/or the possibility of facing jail time.

5/21/2008

On Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 0200 hours, Nanticoke City Police received a tip that a large under age drinking party was taking place in the area of Concrete City, in the City's Hanover Section of Nanticoke.
Several Nanticoke City Officers went and located several juveniles ranging in age from 15-18 years old. City Police cited for (4) juveniles for underage consumption of alcohol and (8) with violating the City's Curfew Ordinance. According to the juveniles many more kids were participating earlier and had left.
Officers are conducting an investigation as to whom supplied the teens with the beer. Police say, supplying alcohol to minors is a crime Police look very serious at. Offenders could look at fines not less than $1000.00 and/or the possibility of facing jail time.
Concrete City Overview
The Concrete City was built as company housing in 1911 for select employees of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's coal division in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. It was eventually taken over by the Glen Alden Coal Company who, uninterested in paying for required improvements and unable to demolish it due to its robust construction, abandoned the property in 1924. It stands to this day, albeit in extreme disrepair.
Jn 1998, the Pennsylvania. Historical and Museum Commission declared Concrete City an historic site.

5/21/2008
Cops: Man serves time, then holds up same store again
elewis@timesleader.com

A man who served prison time for robbing the Uni-Mart on Blackman Street in 2004 is facing charges that he held up the same store at knifepoint in March, according to arrest records.
Police said Peter E. Naperkowski Jr., 30, whose last known address is Wyoming Street, Hanover Township, is facing three counts each of robbery and theft in connection to the holdups at the Uni-Mart and the East End Sunoco Service Station on Kidder Street.
Naperkowski also is facing robbery charges stemming from a holdup at the Rite Aid Pharmacy on East Main Street in Nanticoke and separate retail theft charges that were filed by Plains Township police, according to arrest records.
Naperkowski was released on parole on Oct. 24 after serving more than two years in state prison for robbing the Blackman Street Uni-Mart in July 2004, according to the state Department of Corrections and court records.
The robbery and theft charges stemming from the recent Uni-Mart and the East End Sunoco incidents were filed by city police detectives Robert Zavada and George Hudock. He hadn’t been arraigned on the charges as of Tuesday.
According to arrest and court records:
• March 12: Wilkes-Barre police said Naperkowski entered the Uni-Mart at about 3:30 p.m. and threatened a clerk with a kitchen knife before getting away with money.
• March 13: Nanticoke police said Naperkowski entered the Rite Aid Pharmacy at about 8:42 p.m. and placed a candy bar on the counter. When a clerk opened the register, Naperkowski displayed a pocket knife and demanded cash. The clerk closed the register, and Naperkowski walked behind the counter, where he stole two cartons of cigarettes.
• March 20: Wilkes-Barre police said Naperkowski entered the Sunoco Service Station at about 12:30 p.m. and told a clerk he wanted to purchase shampoo. During the sale, Naperkowski displayed a knife and threatened a clerk before getting away with money.
• March 25: Plains Township police said Naperkowski entered Team Supply Inc., Route 315, at about 11:42 a.m. and inquired about saw blades. He ran out of the store with a chainsaw valued at $1,100, and sped away in a maroon Oldsmobile.
• March 31: Wilkes-Barre police said Naperkowski entered the Sunoco Service Station at about 4:45 p.m., walked behind the counter and threatened a clerk with a knife. He ran out of the store with money.
• April 5: Plains Township police charged Naperkowski with stealing five cartons of cigarettes from the Rite Aid Pharmacy on South River Street.
• April 6: Plains Township police found the maroon Oldsmobile parked at the Fox Ridge Inn on Route 315, according to arrest records. Police said the vehicle matched the description of several thefts in the area. Police inquired at the motel’s front desk and learned Naperkowski was staying in a room. When police were in the motel room, they say they observed empty heroin packets and paraphernalia.
Police said store clerks at the Uni-Mart in Wilkes-Barre and the Rite Aid Pharmacy in Nanticoke identified Naperkowski from a photo array, arrest records say.
Naperkowski confessed to Zavada and Hudock, according to arrest records, that he robbed the Sunoco. He is jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $28,000 total bail in connection to the charges filed by police in Nanticoke and Plains Township, according to court records.

5/21/2008
Nanticoke man gets federal prison sentence for false statements made to gun dealers
Citizens Voice

U.S. District Judge James M. Munley on Tuesday sentenced a Nanticoke man to 35 months in federal prison for making false statements to a gun dealer in connection with the purchase of 12 firearms, some of which he provided to a known drug trafficker, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
David John Searfoss, 57, of East Main Street, was a drug addict who was a “straw-purchaser” for a crack dealer who provided him crack in exchange for the guns, authorities said.
Several of the guns registered to him were recovered at the scene of a shooting in Philadelphia, along with 134 pounds of cocaine and $176,365, prosecutors said.
Investigators said Searfoss purchased the guns over four months in 2006 at guns stores throughout Luzerne County.
He lied to the gun shop owners when they asked him questions about the transactions, investigators said.

5/19/2008
Nanticoke robbery suspect in jail
James R. Franco, of Hanover Twp., is robber who offered clerk $20 of take, cops say.
By smocarsky@timesleader.com

Township and Nanticoke police on Sunday arrested a man in the Wednesday robbery of a Nanticoke convenience store in which the robber offered the store clerk part of his take.
James R. Franco, 30, of 44 Center St., Hanover Township, was arrested at his home at about 10:40 a.m. and charged with robbery and theft by unlawful taking, police said.
According to court records:
A robber walked into the Uni-Mart at 61 E. Main St. just before 2 a.m. and approached from behind the store clerk, who was making coffee. He stuck an object in her side and ordered her to the cash register.
The clerk gave the robber the money from the register, and the robber tried to hand the clerk a $20 bill. Police said the clerk refused, saying, “I don’t want it. Take it and get out of here.” The robber fled the store.
The clerk ran outside and alerted two patrons who were pumping gas, and one of the patrons chased the robber. The patron told police he fell during the chase and lost sight of the robber after the robber ran into an alley off Shea Street.
The store owner recognized the robber on a video surveillance tape and told police the robber was a customer in the store the previous day.
Nanticoke Detective Capts. William Shultz and Kevin Grevera reviewed the previous day’s surveillance tapes and recognized the suspect as Franco, whom they had arrested on a strong-arm robbery charge last year, police said.
The store clerk and the customer who gave chase identified Franco as the robbery suspect from a photo, according to police. Police also received several phone calls from the public identifying Franco as the suspect after the media published and broadcast his photo from the surveillance tapes, police said.
Franco was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whittaker and lodged at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $75,000 cash bail. His preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. May 28.
Steve Mocarsky, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 459-2005.

5/15/2008
Hanover Twp., Nanticoke authorities seek suspect in robberies
Bob Kalinowski - Citizens Voice

Authorities in two towns are working together to determine whether the theft of a restaurant’s cash register in Hanover Township and robbery of a Nanticoke convenience store early Wednesday were related.
Around 2 a.m., a male confronted the clerk of the Nanticoke Uni-Mart while she was making coffee, grabbed her by the shoulder and indicated he had a weapon by sticking an object into her side, police said.
She complied with his demands to empty the register and handed him cash. Police said he then tried to hand her a $20 bill before fleeing, but she declined.
Two male patrons, who were pumping gas, chased the suspect, but they lost sight of him.
About two hours later, a male swiped the cash register from Austies Family Restaurant on the Sans Souci Parkway in Hanover Township. In that incident, witnesses told police the male first walked into the bathroom. On the way out, he grabbed a hold of the cash register and fled out the door and across the Sans Souci Parkway, Hanover police Acting Chief Al Walker said.
He hopped in a vehicle and fled down Dundee Road. Several customers tried to give chase and follow, but were unsuccessful, he said.
The suspect in the Uni-Mart robbery was described as a white male, between 20 and 30 years of age, approximately 5’3” and 170 pounds. He was wearing a blue and white hooded jacket with the hood over his head, blue jean shorts and sneakers. Hanover’s suspect was similar in description, Walker said.
Anyone with information on the incidents are asked to call Hanover police at 825-1254, Nanticoke police at 735-2200, or 911.

5/8/2008
Four Hundred Club cited

The Four Hundred Club of Nanticoke, 1211 S. Prospect St., was cited for a violation of the state liquor code for insufficient funds of issued checks or drafts, according to a news release from the state police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement.
The violation occurred on Feb. 13, according to the bureau. Penalties could range from $50 to $1,000 for minor offenses and up to $5,000 for more serious offenses.

5/2/2008
Man charged twice with domestic assaults in single day, arrest records say
elewis@timesleader.com

Police said they arrested a man twice within a day on charges he assaulted his live-in girlfriend.
Police said the woman claimed she was assaulted with a knife during the second incident Thursday night, hours after she was initially struck in the face.
Michael Mikolaitis, 32, of West Union Street, is facing three counts of simple assault and two counts of harassment. He is jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail, according to court records.
Mikolaitis was initially charged Thursday morning after his girlfriend claimed he struck her in the face during an argument, police said.
He was arrested at his home at about 1 a.m. and released without bail.
Police were summoned to his home at about 7 p.m. Thursday after the woman claimed he cut her arm with a knife, arrest records say.
Police said the woman returned home after shopping with friends. Mikolaitis was home with a friend and playing loud music.
The woman claimed, police said, Mikolaitis had a steak knife in his hand and slashed her arm.
Mikolaitis denied assaulting the woman with the knife, telling police he had been sleeping, arrest records say.
Police said Mikolaitis was not permitted in the home on Thursday after he was initially charged in the morning.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for May 8 in Central Court.

4/25/2008
A Nanticoke man was charged Wednesday with stealing items from a home on Church Street in March, police said.

James M. Hughes, 19, of State Street, was charged with theft and receiving stolen property, police said. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $20,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
A woman who was house sitting the Church Street residence invited Hughes and other people to the home on March 8. The woman noticed a television missing and found it in a vehicle that was linked to Hughes.
Hughes was asked to leave the home and was given a ride to his residence. He removed a bag filled with items from the vehicle’s trunk.
The woman noticed numerous DVDs and jewelry missing from the home. When she inquired about the missing items, Hughes returned the DVDs and jewelry the next day, the criminal complaint says.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for May 1 in Central Court.

4/22/2008
A man was charged Monday with allegedly assaulting his girlfriend in her West Union Street home.

Rey Rivera, 41, was charged with simple assault and harassment after his girlfriend, Luz Lopez, alleged he choked her in her residence early Monday morning, police said.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for April 30 in Central Court.

4/19/2008
Armed robber sentenced to more than seven years in prison

A Kingston man convicted in the armed robbery of a Nanticoke Uni-Mart convenience store was sentenced Friday to more than seven years in a federal prison.
Michael Johnson, 28, formerly of Philadelphia, walked up to the store counter on May 10, 2007, with a 30-cent pack of gum. He drew a .22-caliber pistol, demanded money from the clerk and made off with more than $130.
Johnson was arrested in July in a traffic stop in Hanover Township. Police found the loaded gun in the car and Johnson later admitted to the robbery.
U.S. District Court Judge William J. Nealon ordered Johnson serve three years of probation after his 87 months in jail. He must also pay the stolen money back to the store.

4/17/2008
Three jailed in home invasion
Men allegedly threatened two women with pellet guns.
elewis@timesleader.com

Three men were charged Wednesday with forcing their way into a city home armed with what turned out to be pellet guns, police said.
Police said Michael A. Ewell, 19, Jerome A. Tucker, 20, both from Apollo Circle, Nanticoke, and Jamil D. Tucker, 21, of South Atherton Avenue, Kingston, forced their way into a home on West Church Street at about 10:30 Tuesday night. They used the pellet guns to threaten two women who believed the guns were real, police said.
Police said they recovered the pellet guns from a Chevrolet Malibu the men allegedly used to drive to the home. They were arrested at the Apollo Circle apartment shared by Ewell and Jerome Tucker, police said.
The three men were charged with two counts each of burglary and stalking, and one count each of criminal trespass, possession instruments of crime, terroristic threats and reckless endangerment. They were jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000 bail each.
According to the criminal complaints:
Bonnie and Amanda Lorah told police several armed men forced their way inside their West Church Street residence as they attempted to lock the front door. The women claimed Jerome and his brother, Jamil, threatened them while waving what they thought were real handguns.
Amanda claimed Jerome and Jamil were saying, “You’re going to get it,” and “Let’s pop off what’s good,” the criminal complaints say.
The suspects fled the residence before police arrived.
The Tuckers’ brother, Eric Tucker, told police Jerome drove to the West Church Street residence because he wanted to fight Scott Lorah following an earlier dispute. Eric Tucker, who wasn’t charged, waited in the vehicle and watched Jerome, Jamil and Ewell force their way inside while armed with the pellet guns, the criminal complaint says.
No injuries were reported.
Preliminary hearings are tentatively scheduled for April 24 in Central Court.

4/11/2008
Court clears magistrate
hruckno@citizensvoice.com

Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker of Nanticoke was cleared of all misconduct allegations Thursday after the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline dismissed complaints against him.
The majority opinion, written by Judge William D. Bucci, was handed down late Thursday afternoon. The court ruled there was insufficient evidence that Whittaker was unprofessional and discourteous, and that his employment with the Newport Township Fire Department did not violate a provision preventing him from holding other public positions.
“I’m elated,” said Whittaker, who declined to elaborate on the decision.
Whittaker’s former colleague, Maryann Kearney, filed a complaint against the judge in April 2007. She claimed he repeatedly used embarrassing, inappropriate and offensive language in her presence, and that he hurt her already injured shoulder in 2005 during one of those exchanges.
Whittaker faced two counts of misconduct — engaging in conduct which brings the judicial office into disrepute and holding another office or position of profit in government. He was also accused of failing to be patient, dignified and courteous to litigants, witnesses, lawyers and others with whom he dealt, but the conduct board dropped that charge.
“We find that the Board did not sustain its burden of establishing by clear and convincing evidence the allegations made by Maryann Kearney,” the opinion said.
According to the decision, the court did not find Kearney a credible witness because she waited a year to report the alleged misconduct. Furthermore, the judges were not entirely convinced she was offended by Whittaker’s alleged remarks.
The work environment at the Nanticoke City Municipal Building, where Whittaker and Kearney both worked, was very relaxed, according to the decision. Employees frequently told dirty jokes and used off-color language, the court indicated.
Kearney was in charge of the “Birthday Club,” in which all the employees would pool their money to buy cards and gifts for their co-workers. The birthday club gave Whittaker four sexually explicit birthday cards, which Kearney picked out and signed. The court concluded she would not have picked out the cards if the two did not have a friendly relationship.
The opinion also addressed Whittaker’s employment with the Newport Township Fire Department. The judge did not know his employment violated the Rule of Governing Standards of Conduct of Magisterial District Judges, the Court ruled.
According to the opinion, Whittaker held that job from 2001 until 2006, and reported his income every year to the appropriate agencies. He resigned immediately after learning his employment might be a violation of the standards of conduct.
The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts never notified Whittaker of the possible violation. He assumed they would have if there had been a problem. Kearney has 10 days to appeal the decision. If she does not, the court will issue an order dismissing the complaint.

4/11/2008
Breaking News: Police nab Plains Township bank robber 9:30 a.m.
Bob Kalinowski - Citizens Voice

Police have apprehended the man they say robbed a Plains Township bank on Thursday.
Ivory D. Jarmon, 42, of Plymouth, was nabbed around 4:30 a.m. this morning at a friend's home on Enterprise Street in Nanticoke.
Investigators say Jarmon's girlfriend, Megan Zywotek, identified Jarmon as the robber after she saw his picture on the 11 p.m. television news.
Jarmon is charged with robbery and theft. He got away with $870 from the M&T Bank on River Street after demanding cash and threatening to have a gun, police said.
Police say Jarmon admitted to the crime, saying he needed money to buy crack cocaine.
Jarmon is jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $250,000 cash bail.

4/7/2008
Hanover Township man charged with armed robbery
elewis@timesleader.com

A person of interest in a robbery at a Wilkes-Barre convenient store was charged Monday with an armed robbery at a pharmacy in Nanticoke last month.
Peter E. Naperkowski Jr., 30, of Wyoming Street, Hanover Township, was charged with two counts of robbery and a single count of theft. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
Nanticoke police were summoned to the Rite Aid Pharmacy on East Main Street on March 13 when a man threatened a clerk with a knife while demanding money.
Police learned that Wilkes-Barre police were investigating a robbery at a convenient store on Hazle Street on March 19. The same photo array used by Wilkes-Barre police was shown to a clerk at the Rite Aid Pharmacy, who identified Naperkowski at the suspect, according to the criminal complaint.
Naperkowski hasn't been charged in connection to the robbery in Wilkes-Barre.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for April 16 in Central Court.

4/6/2008
A Nanticoke man was charged Thursday with assaulting his girlfriend and fighting with police.

John Purvin, 47, of West Broad Street, was charged with simple assault, resisting arrest and harassment. He was released on $3,000 unsecured bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
Police were summoned to the West Broad Street residence at about 10 p.m. Wednesday after Purvin’s girlfriend, Erin Fletcher, claimed he punched her in the head.
Fletcher told police they were arguing after Purvin arrived home after drinking at a bar.
Purvin left but returned to the residence where he fought with police.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 10 in Central Court.

3/26/2008
Newport Twp. man arrested for role in robbery, burglary
By Bob Kalinowski - CV

A Newport Township man is facing charges for his role in a robbery plot and burglary at the Getty gas station at 77 N. Market St. in Nanticoke.
Police say Alberto Rios, 20, of 28 John St., Sheatown, and two men conspired to rob the station at gunpoint, but instead burglarized it Monday night after it was closed and stealing the cash register.
The register was taken to Rios’ home and pried open. It was empty, police said.
Police said Rios and two accomplices, who have yet to be located, then decided to return to the business in an attempt to open or steal the safe. The trio attempted to open the safe by throwing cinder blocks at it, but their effort failed, according to arrest papers filed with Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke.
A passerby spotted the men and called police. Investigators say Rios admitted to his role in the crime. Rios said the robbery/burglary plot was hatched to help an acquaintance pay off a drug debt.
Rios was charged with attempted robbery, conspiracy, burglary, theft and criminal mischief. He was jailed in lieu of $25,000 cash bail.

3/22/2008
Plea talks delay hearing in gun shop probe
By enissley@timesshamrock.com

Talk of possible plea deals for two men accused of shipping restricted paramilitary items from a Nanticoke gun shop to a company tied to Russia’s intelligence agency have delayed a preliminary hearing on the charges.
Sergey Korznikov, a native of Moscow, Russia, and Mark Komoroski, co-owner of D&R Sports Center in Nanticoke, face charges related to alleged smuggling of military equipment — including telescopic rifle scopes, binoculars and night-vision optics — into Russia, Kuwait, Germany and Japan in violation of U.S. export laws.
Investigators say that in 2005, D&R sold some of the items to Moscow-based Tactica Ltd., which has been identified as having an affiliation with an elite counterterrorism unit controlled by the Russian Federal Security Service, formerly the KGB, according to reports by The Associated Press.
Korznikov is the owner of Tactica, which he has said was a hunting and military equipment shop in Moscow.
A hearing scheduled for Friday may have shed more light on the allegations made by federal investigators. The proceeding was canceled after lawyers for Korznikov and Komoroski indicated they were in discussions with prosecutors about a possible plea deal.
Neither man’s attorney, nor Assistant U.S. Attorney William Houser were available for comment Friday. The preliminary hearing was rescheduled for April 18, but prosecutors could file an indictment before then.
D&R Sports was searched in November 2006 as part of an investigation by U.S. Treasury officials into a global arms transport network controlled by Russian businessman Victor Bout, according to Associated Press reports.
In January, investigators arrested Korznikov as he vacationed at the Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos.
He was jailed for three days before posting $150,000 bail. He had to surrender his passport and cannot leave the country.
Komoroski was arrested in January as well after a raid at the gun shop. He remains free on bail. Both men deny they’ve broken any laws.

3/15/2008
City police looking for armed robber

City police are looking for an armed robber who threatened a clerk at knife point at a Rite-Aid store on East Main Street on Thursday night.
Around 8:40 p.m., a white male wearing a maroon hooded sweatshirt and baseball cap walked into the store and purchased a candy bar, Nanticoke police Detective Capt. William Shultz said.
The robberis described as thin build, about 6-feet tall and in his late teens to early 20s. Anyone with information is asked to contact Nanticoke City police at 735-2200.

2/27/2008
Man charged with sexual assault
elewis@timesleader.com

A man from West Nanticoke was charged with sexually assaulting a woman in Nanticoke on Feb. 9.
James Robert Davis Jr., 30, of Houseman Street, was charged with two counts of aggravated indecent assault and criminal trespass, and a single count of simple assault. He is jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Nanticoke police:
A woman claimed Davis knocked on her rear door on Feb. 9. She looked out and didn't see anyone. When she opened the door, Davis forced his way inside and assaulted the woman, the criminal complaint says.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 4 in Central Court.

2/26/2008
Nanticoke police asked to investigate possible thefts at Luzerne County Community College
eskrapits@citizensvoice.com

Nanticoke police were called in Monday to investigate possible thefts at Luzerne County Community College.
“The college has requested us to do an extensive investigation on missing money and missing property from the school,” Nanticoke Detective Captain William Shultz said.
LCCC President Thomas Leary said college officials contacted police after receiving a report on some missing items belonging to the school.
“We have turned it over to the police, so I am going to allow them to make their investigation, draw their conclusions, and the college will proceed from that point,” Leary said.
He did not want to comment on specifics, such as what kind of property was missing and from which department.
“I’ve asked them (Nanticoke police) to thoroughly investigate the matter and I don’t want to impede their investigation in any way by commenting on it. I don’t think it’s fair to them,” Leary said.
Previously, college officials staged an internal investigation into $1,200 missing from the auxiliary fund, which is basically the proceeds from the cafeteria.
It was determined bank deposits had been misplaced. The money was recovered and tighter controls were put in place, according to a statement from college officials.

2/20/2008
William J. Thomas, 48, of East Main Street, Nanticoke, was charged Tuesday with assaulting his girlfriend during an argument.

Thomas was charged with simple assault and harassment. He was released on $5,000 unsecured bail.
According to the criminal complaint: Police were summoned at about 8:20 p.m. Monday to a home on Shea Street, where Tammy Maslowski claimed Thomas assaulted her. Maslowski told police Thomas grabbed her neck and started choking her. She claimed Thomas pushed her and caused her to strike her head against a bathtub, the criminal complaint says.
Thomas claimed Maslowski assaulted him causing a head injury.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 28 in Central Court.

1/29/2008

Marion Williams, of East Main Street, reported someone stole her purse from her home on Saturday.

Five male juveniles were cited with underage drinking offenses after police said they encountered them inside a parked vehicle on West Main Street on Saturday.

Two 15-year-old males and a 13-year-old female were cited with disorderly conduct after police said they were throwing food at passing vehicles on East Church Street on Sunday.

Michael Viggiano, of East Church Street, reported five fishing poles were stolen from his truck while it was parked near his home on Thursday.

Cindy Gulvas, of West South Street, reported jewelry was stolen from her home on Thursday.

Robert Sabol, of East Union Street, reported Friday that someone stole a stroller, 20 compact discs and a wallet from his car while it was parked near his home.

Michelle Faux, of Enterprise Street, reported someone stole a GPS unit from her husband’s car while it was parked near their home on Friday.

Shirley Levandowski, of West Union Street, reported someone stole a money bag with coupons, a hand tool and money from her car while it was parked near her home on Saturday.

Frank Marshallick, of West Washington Street, reported someone damaged his car with a paint gun on Sunday.

1/12/2008
Nanticoke man gets 10 years for attempting to lure minor
Nicholas Sohr

A Nanticoke man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Friday for attempting to use the Internet to contact a minor for sex.
The online contact between Jamie Myers, 32, and the minor occurred between May 2007 and July 12, 2007. The conviction followed an investigation by the FBI, Scranton Police Department and the Nanticoke Police Department, according to a statement issued by U.S. Attorney Martin C. Carlson.

1/11/2008
Russian national arrested in gun shop investigation
By eskrapits@citizensvoice.com

Federal authorities broke their silence Thursday about a Nanticoke sporting goods dealer facing conspiracy charges, including the revelation his Russian trade partner was also arrested.
The office of Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Martin C. Carlson gave official word that Mark Komoroski, co-owner of D&R Sports Center on Fairchild Street, and Sergey Korznikov, a Russian national and principal of Tactica Ltd. in Moscow, were arrested Monday.
The men are charged with conspiring to export military equipment, including rifle scopes, magazines for guns, and face shields from the U.S. to Russia “to be resold to unknown persons,” according to a press release.
There were no firearms involved. Komoroski said he has shipped guns to other places in Russia, but never to Korznikov’s business, Tactica Ltd., which does not have an import license for firearms.
The release incorrectly identifies Komoroski as a Russian national.
“I was born and raised in Nanticoke. I’ve been to Russia one time to visit. That was it,” Komoroski said.
Heidi Havens, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District, confirmed the two men were arrested but not indicted.
Komoroski was freed on $50,000 bail Monday. Korznikov was released from prison on $150,000 bail Thursday, Komoroski said.
Federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office, have been tight-lipped about the ongoing investigation, refusing to comment.
Other agencies participating in the investigation are the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Unit; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
All papers pertaining to the case are sealed, Havens said.
Komoroski maintains he and Korznikov are innocent.
“They jumped the gun because Sergey was staying in the United States,” Komoroski said.
Korznikov is vacationing in the U.S. with his family, Komoroski said. He said the Korznikovs stayed in New York City over Christmas, then came to spend a day with the Komoroski family after the holiday. The Korznikovs were finishing their vacation at a Poconos resort, the Great Wolf Lodge in Monroe County, at the time of his arrest.
“It was just not fair, coming in from a family vacation,” Komoroski said. “They took a good person — an innocent person — a good human being with a good family, and turned him into nothing more than a villain.”
Tactica Ltd. sells brand-name hunting equipment, such as range finders, night vision equipment, binoculars and clothing.
Komoroski said he has obtained required licenses for everything he ships. A sampling of his export licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce show he was cleared to send items, including ballistic face shields, helmets and optical scopes for rifles to Tactica Ltd.
All manufacturers of defense articles, as well as exporters of the items, have to register with the Department of State, said Pat Peterson, spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Political and Military Affairs. Once registered, they can get permanent or temporary export licenses.
To obtain a license, there are five different types of forms to fill out, Department of State spokeswoman Nicole Thompson said. These are submitted to the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.
The forms are reviewed, and, “either you are granted a license or not, and from there you are able to export weapons under the parameters of the license you are granted,” Thompson said.
The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security issues export licenses for items not designed for military use, such as certain kinds of hunting equipment.
But anything listed under Category One of the United States Munitions List must go through the U.S. Department of State Political-Military Affairs bureau of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, Peterson said.
The list includes non-automatic, semi-automatic and automatic firearms to .50 caliber inclusive, combat shotguns, rifle scopes manufactured to military specifications and silencers.

1/10/2008
Jason Anthony Bovee, 23, of East State Street, Nanticoke, was arrested early Tuesday morning in connection to breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s residence and assaulting her boyfriend.

Bovee was charged with three counts of simple assault, and one count each of resisting arrest and criminal trespass.
According to the criminal complaint, Jessica Luke told police Bovee forced his way inside her residence on East Noble Street and assaulted her boyfriend, Michael Malast, at about 5:35 a.m.
Malast and Bovee fought until they were separated by police.
Bovee also struggled with police, pushing an officer into a closet door, the criminal complaint says.
Two officers sustained minor injuries.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 16 in Central Court, Wilkes-Barre.

1/10/2008
Gun shop owner says overseas gun sales were legit
By eskrapits@citizensvoice.com

A Nanticoke sporting goods dealer maintains his innocence on federal charges relating to overseas sales of firearms and accessories.
D&R Sports Center on Fairchild Street, which Mark Komoroski co-owns with two family members, has been under investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since November 2006.
The federal agency alleges D&R illegally sold and shipped restricted items — rifles and accessories such as optics — to countries including Russia, without required export licenses.
Komoroski said the allegations are false. He said he always complies with federal regulations.
“I have every documentation and every license,” he said. “Our government gave me full authorization to send everything out of this country, and I have the full documentation to prove it.”
Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Komoroski Monday and charged him with one count of conspiracy relating to exporting materials outside the country. He is free on $50,000 bail. If convicted, he could serve a maximum of five years in prison.
“Mr. Komoroski has denied the allegations,” his attorney Frank Nocito would only say when contacted Wednesday.
The conspiracy charge is related to Komoroski’s customer Sergey Korznikov, the principal of Tactica Ltd. The Moscow-based company sells rifle optics, binoculars, boots, backpacks and other hunting and paramilitary equipment — but no firearms.
Komoroski questioned why federal authorities would grant him permission to do business with the Russian company if there was something illegal going on.
“The licenses are 100 percent legit. I received one today for (Korznikov),” Komoroski said Tuesday. “That’s what’s sort of amazing. They keep sending me licenses to send stuff to this person, then they arrest me for sending it to him.”
Komoroski has not been indicted. His next scheduled court date is a preliminary examination Jan. 23 in Scranton. The federal government could request a continuance at that time for the purpose of seeking an indictment.
Komoroski doesn’t know what will happen next, but said D&R is staying open and will continue sending items overseas.
“We’ve got a lot of licenses in the system. We might have 40 pending licenses to ship merchandise all over the world,” he said.
James Conmy, staff writer, contributed to this report.

1/9/2008
Gun shop owner arrested by feds
By eskrapits@citizensvoice.com

A handwritten sign on the front door of D&R Sports Center on Monday stated the business would be closed for the day.
It was an emergency situation: one of the store’s owners, Mark Komoroski, was arrested on conspiracy charges stemming from a federal investigation ongoing since 2006.
The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security, is trying to determine whether D&R was involved in illegal sales of paramilitary items overseas, or was conducting business with people and companies linked to illegal arms sales.
Komoroski, who co-owns D&R Sports Center at 620 Fairchild St. in Nanticoke and at 2989 Columbia Blvd. in Bloomsburg with his brother and father, handles international orders. He called his arrest “very surprising.”
“They questioned me, and when they told me the charges, I said, ‘You’re arresting me for something that didn’t happen,’” he said. “They said everything would be straightened out.”
Komoroski said he willingly went to state police barracks in Wyoming to talk with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents.
“It wasn’t a real big deal. I cooperated fully with them for about an hour,” he said.
He was freed on bail after conspiracy charges were filed with a federal judge in Scranton. Komoroski’s attorney, Frank Nocito, was present.
“It happened so fast, and I was out of there almost in 20 minutes,” Komoroski said.
D&R has been under federal investigation since November 2006, when agents from the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives applied for a search warrant in U.S. District Court in Scranton.
Federal agents collected wire transfer, shipping records and other documents from D&R on Nov. 8, 2006. Agents returned to the store Monday for further documentation, Komoroski said.
In the application for the search warrant, agents allege Komoroski used D&R to “illegally transfer sensitive, national-security controlled items to the Russian Federation (Russia). Kuwait, Germany and Japan without the required export licenses.” The items included night-vision optics, firearms and accessories.
D&R is properly licensed by the U.S. government to send firearms and accessories to Pakistan, Norway, Japan, Kuwait — anywhere except prohibited Middle Eastern countries, Komoroski said.
“We never wanted to get involved with the Middle East countries. Never have, never will,” he said.
The application also alleged Komoroski conducted business with individuals with whom the government does not allow transactions due to risk of involvement with narcotics, crimes against humanity, war crimes or terrorism.
These included sales to companies tied to Russian arms trafficker Victor Bout, who the government identified as providing weapons to the Taliban, Liberian dictator Charles Taylor and rebel groups in Rwanda, and sales to heroin trafficker Ibrahim Haji.
Komoroski called them “fictional characters” whose names the federal agencies pulled off the Internet.
Komoroski believes the federal conspiracy charges pertain to his longtime business involvement with Sergey Korznikov, the principal of Moscow-based Tactica Ltd.
Only there was no conspiracy, Komoroski stressed.
Tactica is a legitimate company that sells optics and other firearm and hunting supplies, but no guns. D&R is licensed to send helmets, rifle optics, scopes, face shields and other military items to Russia — in fact, he just got clearance to send bulletproof vests for the Moscow police department, Komoroski said.

1/8/2008
Nanticoke police looking for man who robbed store
Bob Kalinowski -Citizens Voice

Nanticoke police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred Sunday at the Uni-Mart store at 18 N. Market St.
Police said the suspect walked in the store just before 6 p.m., pointed a semi-automatic pistol at a female clerk and demanded money.
The suspect obtained an unknown amount of cash, including a hand full of quarters, and ordered the clerk to the ground, the employee told police.
He then allegedly tucked the gun in his waistband and fled on foot.
The suspect is described as a white male about 5-feet, 8-inches tall. He was wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt or jacket with a hood over his head and a multi-colored handkerchief around his face. He was wearing dark blue jeans, tan work boots and black gloves.
Anyone with information is asked to call Nanticoke police at 735-2200.

1/5/2008
2 views of Whittaker’s behavior emerge
State reviews allegations that district judge made sexually offensive remarks.
By Terrie Morgan-Beseckertmorgan@timesleader.com
Law & Order Reporter

HARRISBURG – To Maryann Kearney, District Judge Donald Whittaker was a foul-mouth sexist who humiliated her with vulgar language and crude sexual remarks.
But other workers at the Nanticoke municipal building say Whittaker was merely a jokester who joined fellow employees in engaging in light-hearted, sexually tinged banter that was common within the office.
The widely differing portraits of the Nanticoke magistrate emerged Thursday during a hearing before a state disciplinary board that will decide whether the longtime jurist should be sanctioned for behavior he allegedly exhibited outside the courtroom.
The Judicial Conduct Board in May charged Whittaker, 48, of Newport Township, with violating the code of judicial conduct by bringing disrepute to his office.
The complaint was based on allegations made by Kearney, who claimed Whittaker made several sexually explicit comments to her and other females in 2005. Kearney, an employee of the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, had an office in the municipal building.
The board’s attorney, Chief Counsel Joseph Massa Jr., called four witnesses before a three-judge panel of the state’s Court of Judicial Discipline.
At times, the four-hour hearing focused more on Kearney’s behavior than Whittaker’s as Al Flora Jr., one of Whittaker’s attorneys, attacked Kearney’s credibility.
Several witnesses for Whittaker, who has been in office since 1994, testified Kearney was known to have a foul mouth herself. They also claimed she gave Whittaker sexually explicit birthday cards she had purchased as part of the “Birthday Club,” a group of employees who chipped in money to buy cards and birthday cakes for co-workers.
It was all part of a light-hearted, friendly atmosphere the employees said permeated the various offices within the municipal building. That changed drastically after Kearney filed her complaint in August 2005, they said.

The board’s complaint was based on three incidents:
• Jan. 24, 2005 – Kearney claimed Whittaker approached her after she used the restroom and asked her in front of several people if she “had a hard time getting it out” and if she “needed a pencil to work it out.”
• Jan. 26, 2005 – Kearney was speaking with Patricia Zendarski, a records clerk for the city, when she claimed Whittaker put his hands on her shoulders and forcibly twisted her neck. Kearney, who had just had shoulder surgery, claims she said told Whittaker to stop because he was hurting her.
Zendarski, the board’s other key witness, testified Whittaker, using a vulgar term, then asked Kearney how she performed oral sex on her husband. Kearney conceded during her testimony that she did not hear that comment, however.
• May 6, 2005 – Kearney said Whittaker was standing near the lunch room when she heard several women comment that Whittaker looked nice. He then allegedly referred to the women by a vulgar slang term for female genitalia.
Questioned by Flora, Kearney acknowledged she did not physically see Whittaker or any of the women. She said she recognized Whittaker by his voice, and is certain he made the comment.
That testimony was rebutted by Whittaker and five current or former female employees he called to testify. All five women said they never heard Whittaker use the term in question.
In his testimony Thursday, Whittaker also denied ever making the “pencil” comment to Kearney, or that he made the comment regarding oral sex. Whittaker did admit he put his hand on Kearney’s shoulder in the Jan.26 incident, but insisted it was a light touch that lasted “three seconds.”
Flora also questioned if the complaint was politically motivated because Whittaker was seeking re-election that year. Kearney, whose daughter is married to state Rep. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, denied politics played a role.
Whittaker is also accused of violating a separate rule that bars judges from having outside employment within their districts. Whittaker admitted he was employed as a fire truck driver for Newport Township, but maintains he was unaware he was violating the rule.
The panel, which consisted of judges William Lamb, William Bucci and John Musmano, took the case under advisement and will issue a decision after the submission of legal briefs by attorneys for both sides.
If the panel determines Whittaker violated conduct rules, a second hearing to determine the punishment will be held. The severity of the punishment can range from a reprimand to removal from office.

2008

12/27/2007
Man charged with witness harassment
Brother of suspect is accused of calling 15-year-old girl a ‘snitch.’
elewis@timesleader.com

A Glen Lyon man was charged with harassing a witness in a drug and kidnapping case as the witness was leaving a hearing.
Kevin Mayewski, 18, was charged Monday with two counts of stalking and a single count of retaliation against a witness. He was arraigned by District Judge Joseph Zola in Hazleton and remained jailed Wednesday at the county correctional facility for lack of $20,000 bail.
Nanticoke Police Capt. William Shultz said Mayewski harassed the witness, a 15-year old girl, as she was leaving Central Court with Assistant District Attorney Tim Doherty. The girl also claimed Mayewski harassed her while she was in school at Greater Nanticoke Area, Shultz said.
“When the witness was leaving Central Court with Tim Doherty … the witness was confronted by the defendant who made various comments to her,” Shultz said.
The girl was allegedly harassed at Central Court on Dec. 18 after she testified during the preliminary hearing for Mayewski’s brother, Norman Mayewski.
Doherty prosecuted Norman Mayewski at the hearing that was attended by his family, including Kevin Mayewski.
“Right after the hearing, we were walking out when (Kevin) called her a snitch; he repeatedly called her a snitch,” Doherty said. “He knew who I was since I had prosecuted the brother.”
Shultz and county Det. Lt. Deborah Parker investigated the alleged harassment against the girl.
Norman Mayewski, 23, of East Main Street, Nanticoke, and Kevin Mayewski were charged by Nanticoke police in October as a result of an undercover drug investigation.
According to the criminal complaints:
Norman Mayewski sold crack and heroin to an informant and was found in possession of anabolic steroids during a search at his home. When police stopped his car to arrest him on Oct. 22, Norman Mayewski gave the girl – a passenger in his car – an altered soda can that contained crack, the criminal complaints state.
Kevin Mayewski was charged with possession of a controlled substance and prohibited offensive weapons. Police said Kevin had a bag of marijuana and a sawed-off shotgun inside the East Main Street home. He waived charges to county court during a preliminary hearing in Central Court on Dec. 18.
While Norman Mayewski was out on bail, police arrested him on Nov. 23 in connection to kidnapping and assaulting the girl.
The girl testified that she was forced into a car by Norman Mayewski and assaulted.
A preliminary hearing for Kevin Mayewski on charges he harassed the girl is scheduled for Jan. 2 at Central Court.

12/19/2007
Lawyers clash over testimony from teen
Preliminary hearing for man facing kidnap and drug charges includes flare-up.
elewis@timesleader.com

Opposing attorneys got into a heated exchange during Tuesday’s preliminary hearing for a Nanticoke man charged with kidnapping a teen girl and selling illicit drugs to a police informant.
Attorney Joseph Sklarosky Sr. challenged the credibility of the 15-year-old after she admitted to lying to police about concerns her boyfriend, Norman W. Mayewski, would kill her.
The hearing for Mayewski, 23, of East Main Street, was held in Central Court before District Judge Andrew Barilla Jr.
Sklarosky introduced statements the girl made while seeking a protection-from-abuse order against Mayewski, rasing a protest from Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Tim Doherty.
Doherty objected to using the PFA. That’s when the two attorneys began arguing, with Sklarosky asking Doherty from which law school he graduated.
Barilla settled the dispute between the lawyers by asking the girl if she ever felt threatened by Mayewski.
When she said no, Barilla dismissed a single count of terroristic threats against Mayewski.
But, Mayewski is still headed for county court. Barilla ordered him to court on charges of kidnapping, retaliation against a witness, simple assault, stalking, three counts of possession of a controlled substance and two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Nanticoke police Sgt. Joseph Guydosh testified he used an informant to buy crack from Mayewski on April 13, and three bags of heroin and crack from Mayewski on June 6.
When police stopped Mayewski’s car on Oct. 22 on East Broad Street, Mayewski gave his 15-year-old girlfriend a soda can containing crack. The girl testified she knew crack was inside the can when police stopped the car.
“He told me to take the can and I put it in my book bag. I didn’t want him to get in trouble,” the girl testified.
After Mayewski was arrested, Guydosh said authorities searched his home, where they allegedly found steroids in a lock box, a video surveillance system and drug paraphernalia used to package illicit drugs.
The girl testified Mayewski called her and she agreed to meet him outside her home on Nov. 23. When the teen went outside, Mayewski assaulted her and forced her into his car, she claimed.
According to her testimony, Mayewski drove her to an area beneath the West Nanticoke-Nanticoke Bridge where he assaulted her a second time. He then drove to Interstate 81 where he threatened to harm himself, then drove to a relative’s home in Nanticoke, where the girl said she escaped.
The girl said she suffered injuries to her head, eyes and upper body.
Mayewski remains jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $250,000 bail.

12/6/2007
Two men charged in Nanticoke home invasion waive hearing
Edward Lewis - Times Leader

Two men from New York City waived their right to a preliminary hearing in Central Court Thursday in connection to an armed home invasion in Nanticoke two months ago.
Nanticoke police alleged Ronald Braxton, 26, Reuben O'Neal, 23, both from Brooklyn, and Levi Howard, 34, of Upper Darby, forced their way inside a home on West Main Street on Oct. 17.
Police said in arrest papers that the three men planned the robbery while in Brooklyn when they were told by another person that the home was a drug house, and that there was $200,000 hidden in a floor.
Police allege the three men forced their way inside the home armed with guns, and held several people against their will. O'Neal fled when he saw police approach the home. He was arrested after a short foot chase.
Braxton and Howard drove back to Brooklyn only to return later that night to pick up O'Neal, who they didn't know was in police custody.
Braxton and Howard were arrested when police saw them driving in Nanticoke.
Braxton waived three counts each of criminal attempt to commit theft, criminal conspiracy to commit theft, criminal conspiracy and two counts of robbery to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
O'Neal waived two counts each of robbery and criminal conspiracy, and one count each of burglary and criminal trespass to the court of common pleas.
A preliminary hearing for Howard on charges of robbery, theft and criminal conspiracy was continued when his attorney, Shelley Centini, said she had a conflict representing him.
Centini, a conflict lawyer, said she had previously represented one of the victims in the case.
Howard's preliminary hearing was continued to Jan. 7.

11/27/2007
Nanticoke man faces kidnapping, other charges

A Nanticoke man faces charges of kidnapping, stalking, simple assault, retaliation against a witness and terroristic threats after an incident on Friday, police said.
Norman Mayewski, 23, allegedly committed the acts against his teenage ex-girlfriend, who is a witness against him in a court case, police said.
According to arrest papers, police arrived at the girl’s house to find her swollen and bruised. The girl, who is under 18, told police she got a call from Mayewski at approximately 5 p.m. She told him she was going to get in trouble for talking to him, then ended the call.
Mayewski called her back, telling her, “Come for a walk with me or I am going to kill you.”
The girl said she was scared Mayewski would make good on his threat, so she met him in an alley behind her house. He asked her to go for a ride, and when she said she wouldn’t, Mayewski pulled her hair, shoved her to the ground and kicked her in the stomach, police said.
The girl yelled for help, and Mayewski forced her to go with him in a Chevrolet Blazer he had parked nearby. While driving off-road beneath the West Nanticoke bridge, Mayewski hit the girl in her upper left cheek and eye area, saying, “You snitched on me,” police said.
Mayewski drove on Interstate 81 and stopped at the Sugar Notch exit, threatening to jump off the bridge into traffic. He drove to his house. Mayewski’s uncle was home, and when the girl, crying, asked him for a ride, Mayewski said no.
The girl ran from the house when Mayewski was in the kitchen. She went to a friend’s relative’s house, and they drove her home where she told her mother what had happened.
Mayewski was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Diana Malast of Plains Township. He is in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $5,000 and $250,000 bail.
A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 5 at central court in Wilkes-Barre.

11/16/2007
Nanticoke police release description of alleged LCCC assailant
By Bob Kalinowski CV

Nanticoke police have released a description of the man who reportedly tried to abduct a female student Tuesday at Luzerne County Community College.
The assailant was described as a white male, approximately 6-feet tall and 200 pounds. He had brown hair and was wearing a red and orange checkered jacket.
The student said the unidentified man approached her while she was walking behind the campus center to her car and made a comment. He then grabbed her from behind and tried to pull her toward him, according to a college advisory.
College officials have increased security on campus and are telling students to walk to their cars in groups. Anyone with information should call Det. Kevin Grevera at 735-2200.

10/24/2007
Two men are arrested on drug charges in Nanticoke
jgrad@timesleader.com

City police said they were on the way to search a home for illegal drugs Monday when they encountered one of the suspects driving down East Broad Street.
The police pounced and arrested Norman Mayewski, 23, on the scene. Police alleged that Mayewski, who had $1,273 in cash on him, gave a girl in the vehicle with him his cell phone and a large quantity of crack cocaine when he was being stopped by officers. The crack cocaine was in a large single piece with a few broken-off pieces. The bag was in a false soda can that also contained pills that have not yet been identified, according to arrest papers.
At 9:30 p.m. Monday, detectives and officers searched Mayewski’s home at 670 E. Main St. The search, according to arrest papers, turned up illegal steroids, a digital scale with white powder residue, a Dell computer linked to video cameras on the exterior of the residence, a cell phone, a scanner tuned to the Nanticoke police frequency and a sandwich bag containing an unidentified white liquid.
Mayewski was charged with four felony drug violations.
Nanticoke police already had arrest warrants for Mayewski for trafficking cocaine.
In another bedroom in the house, police said they found Kevin Mayewski, 18, who admitted that he was in possession of a bag of marijuana and a loaded sawed-off shotgun. The shotgun was found in a dresser drawer, according to arrest papers.
Kevin Mayewski was charged with possession of a prohibited offensive weapon without being authorized by law and a drug offense.
Both men are being held at the county prison. Norman Mayewski was arraigned before District Judge James Tupper. He has two separate bail amounts – one for $15,000 and one for $10,000. His preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. Oct. 31 at Central Court.
Kevin Mayewski was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whittaker, who set bail at $2,000 and scheduled his preliminary hearing for Oct. 31 at Central Court.

10/24/2007
Nanticoke man leads police on multi-town chase
By jgrad@timesleader.com

A man accused of stealing an Xbox 360 and four video games led police on a high-speed pursuit Tuesday that began at Harveys Lake and ended in a chase on foot after a crash in Plains Township.
Timothy Shaw, 24, of 163 E. Broad St., Nanticoke, who was wanted by the Luzerne County Sheriff’s Department for failing to return from work release, was identified by police officers. Shaw was driving a teal Chevrolet Blazer on state Route 415. When police attempted a traffic stop, Shaw accelerated the vehicle and merged onto state Route 309 at a rate of 90 mph, according to arrest papers.
Topping out at 100 mph, Shaw then made his way to Interstate 81 northbound, passing a vehicle on the shoulder and risking the lives of multiple motorists, police said. Shaw got off I-81 at the Jenkins Township exit, driving over the median of state Route 315 and headed south on the roadway.
Shaw was then being chased by state police from the Wyoming and Dunmore barracks as well as police from Harveys Lake, Dallas borough, Jenkins Township, Laflin and Plains Township.
Shaw then turned off Route 315, crashing into an embankment in a wooded area of Ridgewood Road, police said. Shaw fled on foot after the crash into the woods, police said. He was apprehended by a state trooper from the Dunmore barracks.
Shaw faces multiple charges of recklessly endangering another person; theft by unlawful taking; resisting arrest or other law enforcement; driving on roadways laned for traffic; driving a vehicle at an unsafe speed; failing to yield to a vehicle from the opposite direction; failing to yield for stop signs; careless driving; fleeing or attempting to elude police officers.
Shaw was arraigned before District Judge James Tupper.

10/22/2007
Breaking News: Nanticoke police seek information on drive-by shooting 5:39 p.m.
By Bob Kalinowski - CV

Nanticoke police are investigating a drive-by shooting that wounded a 22-year-old Wilkes-Barre man Sunday night on the 1300 block of Prospect Street.
Investigators say they are looking for a blue Ford Focus that fled the shooting.
About five or six gunshots were fired from the vehicle that a witness said was occupied by three males and one female, according to police.
A bullet clipped the victim in the shoulder.
"That area is very populated. Everybody in that area is a victim, too," said Nanticoke police Detective Capt. William Shultz. "We're going to do everything we can to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice."
Police said the victim was in the passenger seat of a vehicle parked near the 400 Club. He and the driver were waiting for a female when the Ford Focus pulled alongside around 8:30 p.m. and began firing.
Three bullets hit the vehicle. One passed through the windshield, and struck the victim in the shoulder. If the victim had not ducked, the injuries would have been worse, Shultz said. The driver was uninjured.
Shultz said the victim and driver of the targeted vehicle have not been cooperative. After the shooting, they did not call police and later showed up at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre Hospital.
Neither the victim's names, nor the driver's, were released. Police didn't say if they had any suspects.
Those with information about the shooting should call Nanticoke police at 735-2200.

10/18/2007
Three charged in Nanticoke home invasion robbery 4 p.m.
By Bob Kalinowski - Citizens' Voice

Three men have been arrested in connection with a Wednesday morning home invasion robbery at 417 W. Main St., Nanticoke police said.
The suspects, arrest papers say, were lured to the home because there purportedly was "hundreds of thousands of dollars" hidden in the floor.
Police charged Ruben O'Neal, 23, and Ronald Braxton, 26, both of Brooklyn, and Levi Howard, 34, of Upper Darby with the robbery.
According to police:
Investigators say the trio stormed into the home of Jesse Edwards and family with guns around 11:30 a.m. and threatened to kill everyone if they didn't get money. A family friend, Louis Graziano, then stopped by with his young children and they were forced into the home at gunpoint.
Unbeknownst to the suspects, a family member managed to call police. Instead of the hordes of cash they expected, the men fled with $200 and a video game system.
O'Neal jumped off a porch roof as cops arrived, and was caught a short time later.
Braxton and Howard fled in a silver car back to Brooklyn, but returned to Nanticoke later in the day to find O'Neal. They were eventually caught Wednesday night after being involved in a disturbance at the 508 E. Main St. home of Bethany Simpson. Police say Simpson told the men of the vast amounts of money allegedly stashed in the Main Street home.
The three are jailed in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.

10/18/2007
Cops: Drugs the motive behind purse snatching
Two men charged with taking senior’s purse as she crossed the street in Nanticoke.
elewis@timesleader.com

Money to buy heroin appears to be the reason why two men allegedly attempted to steal a purse from a senior citizen in Nanticoke on Tuesday, police said.
Police said Raymond Thomas Rittenhouse, 20, grabbed the woman’s purse as she crossed South Prospect Street on her way home in Oplinger Towers around 2 p.m.
The woman fell to the ground as Rittenhouse struggled to get the purse strap off her shoulder.
Two men standing nearby, Duane Potoeski and Steven Prenties, heard the woman scream and chased after Rittenhouse, who jumped in a Chevrolet Cavalier driven by James R. Franco.
Police said Rittenhouse and Franco, 29, planned to rob the woman of her purse for money to buy heroin. After they were arrested, police said they learned the two men had stolen a purse from a supermarket and used money to buy heroin.
Rittenhouse, whose last known address was Orchard Street, Nanticoke, was charged with two counts of criminal attempt to commit robbery, and one count each of conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit theft, criminal attempt to commit theft and simple assault.
Franco, of Center Street, Hanover Township, was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery and a single count of conspiracy to commit theft.
Both men were jailed at Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 bail each.
According to the criminal complaints filed by detectives William Shultz and Kevin Grevera, and patrolman Brian Kivler:
Rittenhouse told police he was with Franco earlier on Tuesday, and both were “dope sick” from heroin withdrawal. They needed money to buy heroin and planned to steal a purse.
As they drove around Nanticoke, they saw the elderly woman carrying a purse. Rittenhouse got out of the car, approached the woman and grabbed the purse, causing the woman to fall to the ground.
Potoeski and Prenties told police that Rittenhouse “tackled” the woman.
Police didn’t say if the woman suffered any injuries. She returned home after the robbery attempt.
After the failed attempt in Nanticoke, Rittenhouse admitted to police that he stole a purse from a woman outside a Hanover Township supermarket as Franco drove around the parking lot. They used the money to buy heroin in Wilkes-Barre, the criminal complaints say.
A preliminary hearing for both men is scheduled for Oct. 24 in Central Court.

10/12/2007
Two charges dropped
By James Comnay - CV

A former Greater Nanticoke Area School District principal is expected to enter a Luzerne County probation program for first-time offenders after allegedly helping a fugitive elude capture by deputy sheriffs.
Thomas J. Kubasek, the 55-year-old retired high school administrator and educator, had a preliminary hearing Thursday in Luzerne County central court. Charges of hindering apprehension of a fugitive and giving false statements to law enforcement were dropped. A disorderly conduct charge remains against the Newport Township resident.

10/9/2007
Driver narrowly misses death
By bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

A train rammed a vehicle Monday morning in Nanticoke when the unsuspecting driver mistakenly entered at the railroad crossing on Lower Broadway Street.
Police said 66-year-old Arden Kessler was lucky to escape with just some bruises.
The train smashed into the rear of his Toyota Highlander, missing a direct blow to the front driver's side by mere feet.
"I'm one of the lucky ones," Kessler said in a phone interview Monday afternoon from his Hunlock Creek home. "I didn't break anything, but I'm awful sore."
Other factors working in Kessler's favor. The train was traveling slower than usual, around 15 to 20 miles per hour, and the engine was only pulling three cars and a caboose, said Nanticoke police Sgt. Mike Roke.
Witnesses told police Kessler failed to notice the flashing safety gates being drawn down on each side of the road, and didn't stop until he passed underneath. That placed him in the train's path.
"He realized he was too far forward and he gunned it. The train just clipped the back of his vehicle," said Joe McGuire, owner of nearby Mac's Auto Co.
Kessler was driving into Nanticoke after traveling over the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke Bridge from Plymouth Township. The train, pulling equipment to service some parts of the track, was traveling west.
"I guess he wasn't paying attention. By the time he realized where he was, it was too late," Roke said.
Kessler was groggy, but conscious and alert when medical crews arrived. He was taken to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, where he was treated and released.
When contacted at his house, Kessler blamed the sun for the crash.
"I could not see. It was blinding. I couldn't see the gate until it was coming down on my windshield," Kessler said.

10/5/2007
Nanticoke police investigate home burglary

Nanticoke police are investigating a burglary that occurred Wednesday in the 600 block of Mack Street.
The homeowners returned at approximately 8:07 p.m. to find the suspect still in their home, police said.
He fled through a laundry room door and ran into a wooded area near the John S. Fine High School and East Main Street.
The suspect entered the house by breaking a double-pane window, then forced open the laundry room door.
The victims are determining whether anything was stolen from their home, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Nanticoke police at 735-2200.

10/3/2007
Ex high school principal arrested
By bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com and eskrapits@citizensvoice.com

A former area high school principal was arrested Tuesday for helping a wanted fugitive elude sheriff's deputies during a daylong manhunt, authorities said.
Investigators said former Greater Nanticoke Area High School Principal Thomas J. Kubasek played a big role in the suspect, Jared S. Amoroso, being able to avoid capture.
Kubasek is Amoroso's landlord.
Amoroso is wanted by police in three counties. Luzerne County sheriff's deputies came to his 363 N. Washington St., Wilkes-Barre, apartment at 11:17 a.m. Tuesday to arrest him. The 27-year-old, dressed only in shorts, subsequently jumped out a third-story window to a neighboring roof, then jumped down 40 feet to the ground, where he fled and got into a waiting vehicle.
He managed to elude authorities throughout several municipalities all day, and was not in custody by nightfall. Police say Kubasek was the reason.
"He was playing dumb with us," said sheriff's deputy Jennifer Roberts, who made the arrest with deputy Brian Szumski. "He said he didn't know where (Amoroso) was, but he was on the phone with him the whole time.
"He said he cared about this individual and didn't want to see him get hurt. Now, he's going to end up in jail over this," Roberts added.
Kubasek, 55, of Hemlock Street, Newport Township, faces charges of hindering apprehension of a fugitive, giving false statements to law enforcement, and disorderly conduct.
According to the police report, Amoroso was in the shower when the deputies came to arrest him. Other tenants in the building supplied Kubasek's phone number to the deputies, so, as landlord, Kubasek could open the door.
Kubasek allegedly called Amoroso to tell him he was going to be arrested, which led to Kubasek's disorderly conduct charge. He kept in phone contact with Amoroso, and deputies learned he planned to bring the fugitive money, clothes, and Amoroso's dog.
Deputies arrested Kubasek on Young Street in Hanover Township, directly next to a wooded area where Amoroso was last seen. Kubasek had Amoroso's clothing, dog, and dog food in the front seat of his car, deputies said.
He was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Michael Dotzel, who imposed $2,500 cash bail and forbade contact with Amoroso.
Kubasek was lodged in Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of bail. He has a hearing in Central Court Oct. 11 at 11 a.m.
He was the principal at Greater Nanticoke Area High School for several years. In June 2005, he was reassigned to K.M. Smith Elementary School, retiring at the end of the 2005-06 school year.
Amoroso is wanted by the sheriff's department for driving under the influence, and by Wilkes-Barre Township on other charges. He's also wanted on a parole violation out of Warren County and in Erie County on a warrant for DUI, fleeing and eluding police, reckless endangerment, and traffic violations.
Police said they had talked to Amoroso on his cell phone, and had him close to surrendering several times.
"He's basically a scared kid," Roberts said.
Kubasek initially helped police by calling Amoroso while in custody, but then refused to cooperate.
Anyone with information about Amoroso's whereabouts is asked to call 911.

10/3/2007
Convicted sex offender pleads not guilty
By bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

A convicted sexual offender from Nanticoke indicted in September for trying to entice a minor to perform sexual acts pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal court.
Robert W. Davis, 48, entered his plea during his initial appearance and arraignment at the Max Rosenn Federal Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre.
Davis, of Phillips Street in the Hanover section of Nanticoke, allegedly used a computer and telephone to "persuade, induce and entice" a minor to travel from Colorado to Pennsylvania "to engage in prostitution and sexual acts." He also had pictures on his computer of minors performing sex acts, authorities said.
Davis was convicted of a similar charge in 2002 in Albany County, N.Y., court records show. He is listed as a sexual offender on the Pennsylvania State Police Megan's Law Web site, which is a database of convicted sexual offenders accessible to the public.

10/2/2007 - CV
Sex offender faces federal indictment for enticing minor, pornography possession
By bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

A man already classified as a sexual offender in Pennsylvania is facing a federal indictment for trying to entice a minor to perform sexual acts and for possessing pornography involving minors, according to court records.
Robert W. Davis, 48, is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in front of U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion in the Max Rosenn Federal Courthouse in Wilkes-Barre.
Davis, of Phillips Street in the Hanover section of Nanticoke, was indicted federally on Sept. 18.
According to the indictment, Davis used a computer and telephone to "persuade, induce and entice" a minor to travel from Colorado to Pennsylvania "to engage in prostitution and sexual acts." He also had pictures on his computer of minors performing sex acts, authorities said.
The alleged crimes occurred between July 4 and Sept. 12 in Luzerne County, investigators said.
Davis was convicted of a similar charge in 2002 in Albany County, N.Y., court records show.
He is listed as a sexual offender on the Pennsylvania State Police Megan's Law Web site, which is a database of convicted sexual offenders accessible to the public.
Davis remains jailed in the Lackawanna County Prison.

9/21/2007 - TL
Two men were arrested Wednesday in connection with the theft of copper pipe from a house on Park Street.

Scott George Eddy, 35, of Summit Street, Edwardsville, and Thomas Patrick Atchue, 35, of Larksville, were each charged with burglary, criminal trespass, criminal conspiracy, criminal mischief, possessing instruments of crime and two counts of criminal attempt. They were arraigned on the charges by District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and remained jailed Thursday at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail each.
According to the criminal complaint:
Eddy and Atchue told police that they had permission to be inside renovating the residence. When police spoke with the owner, police learned that the two men were stealing copper pipe.
A preliminary hearing for both men is scheduled for Sept. 27 in Central Court.

9/21/2007 - TL
A 21-year-old man was arrested early Thursday morning on charges of breaking into an apartment and on unrelated charges in connection with hiding a fugitive.

David Allen Banks, of East Green Street, was charged with burglary, criminal conspiracy and theft, and two counts of hindering apprehension or prosecution. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $7,500 bail.
According to the criminal complaints:
Witnesses told police that two men had kicked in the door and entered an apartment on South Market Street just before 1 a.m.
A boyfriend, Daniel Miller, to the female tenant arrived at the apartment and encountered Banks and the other suspect outside carrying DVDs and other items that were stolen from the residence.
Miller fought the two men who both ran away, the criminal complaints say.
Police said Banks was identified as one of the two men who burglarized the apartment. The other man hasn’t been charged.
Banks is also accused of giving false information to police about the whereabouts of a fugitive who was hiding inside a residence on East Green Street on Aug. 30.
A preliminary hearing on the separate set of charges is scheduled for Sept. 27 in Central Court.

9/13/2007
A Luzerne County jury recently found Ronald M. Supkowski, 60, of East Union Street in Nanticoke guilty of pointing a gun at police.

The jury convicted Supkowski of reckless endangerment. The jury also deadlocked on charges of aggravated and simple assault, leading to Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael Toole declaring a mistrial on those charges.
Toole will sentence Supkowski on the reckless endangerment charge on Oct. 23.
Nanticoke police said they responded to Supkowski’s home in November 2006 for a domestic dispute. There, Supkowski pointed a revolver at officers, police said. A struggled ensued before police disarmed Supkowski.

9/13/2007
Police: Man stole rings for his dealer
Mark Donovan of Nanticoke is charged with stealing six rings from Rainbow Jewelers.
elewis@timesleader.com

Police said Mark William Donovan wanted to help out his drug dealer by giving another person a ride to Rainbow Jewelers to buy an engagement ring.
The plan changed with Donovan, 34, fleeing the Wyoming Avenue store with six rings valued at $10,000 and speeding away in his sister’s car driven by an unknown person, police said.
Security cameras at Rainbow Jewelers cameras recorded the theft and getaway.
Minutes after police released the video to the public, Donovan was identified as the suspect, police said.
Kingston and Nanticoke police captured Donovan when he was found hiding under steps inside his sister’s home on Phillips Street in Nanticoke. He was charged with theft, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy in connection with the daylight jewelry heist.
Nanticoke police charged Donovan with four counts of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and a single count of the manufacture of a controlled substance. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $30,000 bail.
According to arrest papers, Donovan was given nine packets of heroin in exchange for the six stolen rings.
Nanticoke police also arrested Jerome D. Trzesniowski, 35, of Teds Lane, Hunlock Township, on unrelated charges when he was found inside the Phillips Street home soon after injecting himself with heroin.
Trzesniowski was charged with three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and was jailed at the correctional facility for lack of $3,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Kingston police Capt. John Jorda:
Donovan told police he purchased heroin from “his dealer” in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday morning. His dealer, whose name remains unknown, asked Donovan if he could get a car and drive the dealer’s “boy” to Rainbow Jewelers to pick up a ring for the dealer’s girlfriend.
Donovan said his dealer promised to take care of him if he did the dealer the favor. Donovan got his sister’s Dodge Stratus and returned to Wilkes-Barre to pick up his dealer’s “boy.”
The dealer’s “boy” drove the car to Kingston.
A witness reported seeing the car parked in a driveway on East Bennett Street near Rainbow Jewelers.
Donovan was told to pick out a ring for $800 and run out of the store.
After Donovan entered the store, he was shown six rings. The clerk bent over to retrieve more rings when Donovan ran out of the store just before 11:30 a.m. and got into the back seat of the car.
Donovan told police he had shaved his head after the theft so he wouldn’t be recognized.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 20 in Central Court

9/12/2007
Nanticoke man arrested in jewel theft

A Nanticoke man was arrested Tuesday after police said he robbed a tray of diamond engagement rings from a borough jewlery store in broad daylight.
Mark Donovan, 34, was being processed at Kingston Police Deparment late Tuesday night and was expected to be arraigned afterward.
Kingston Police Capt. John Jorda said Donovan stole six diamond engagement rings from Rainbow Jewelers on Wyoming Avenue. The ringsare worth $10,000, according to a televised report. The rings were not recovered, police said.
It was unclear why Donovan stole the rings, Jorda said.
Wearing a Marines T-shirt and jeans, Donovan entered the business and asked to see engagement rings. He fled the store with six rings and sped away in a four-door car, police said.
The theft was captured by the store’s surveillance system.

8/29/2007
Jeanette Marie Gilchrist, 37, of East Spring Street, was arrested Saturday after police said they found cocaine in her purse.
Times Leader

Gilchrist was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. She remained jailed Tuesday at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
John Dieter told police Gilchrist pulled a knife on him while they were arguing inside her home.
Police found Gilchrist nearby, where she was arrested for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct.
Police said they found 37 packaged bags of cocaine inside her purse. Gilchrist told police she sells drugs because she needs money to pay bills, the criminal complaint says.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 4 in Central Court.

8/29/2007
Richard Allen Park, 20, of West Union Street, was arrested on charges he had stolen his mother's wedding ring.
Times Leader
Park was charged with theft and receiving stolen property. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility on a parole violation, according to court records.
Police said in arrest papers that Park admitted to stealing his mother's wedding ring in early August.

8/21/2007
Police arrest man on drug offenses
Times Leader

A Nanticoke man was arrested Monday night on charges he fled police after selling heroin to a man on Parrish Street, Wilkes-Barre.
Fernando Febles, 20, of Shea Street, was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and criminal attempt to sell a controlled substance. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
Police were patrolling in the area of Parrish Street when they encountered a drug sale involving Febles and another man.
Febles fled dropping a paper towel containing 13 packages bags of heroin, police said.
Febles was able to elude police, but was seen walking a pit bull on Parrish Street looking for the paper towel that he had earlier dropped. Febles fled again and was seen running into a back door at 384 Parrish St.
Police encountered the pit bull running freely inside the home.
After the dog was secured, police found Febles hiding in a second floor bathroom.

8/11/2007
Cops say man stole copper pipes
Nanticoke police had filed burglary and related charges against Powell on July 30.
elewis@timesleader.com

A homeless man facing theft charges in connection with the theft of copper piping from vacant homes in Nanticoke faces similar charges in Plymouth.
Kristopher Alan Powell, 22, admitted to police he was stealing copper pipe from homes to support a “bundle a day” heroin addiction,” according to arrest papers.
Plymouth police accused Powell of stealing copper pipe from a double-block home, under construction on Davenport Street, and a home at West Main and Blair streets. The thefts occurred July 19 to 21.
Police said each of the homes sustained water damage. The home under construction on Davenport Street sustained approximately $10,000 in damage.
Nanticoke police had filed burglary and related charges against Powell on July 30 in connection with a break-in at a West Ridge Street home that is being renovated; and a home that is for sale on East Grand Street. Those incidents occurred in mid-July.
Powell admitted that he sold the copper pipes at Valenti Scrapyard in Edwardsville for money to buy heroin, according to arrest papers.
His girlfriend, Jodee Marie Hattan, 28, also homeless, was charged with giving Powell a ride to the homes in Nanticoke and Plymouth in exchange for heroin.
When Plymouth police allegedly captured them in the act of stealing pipes on July 21, Powell fled on foot and ran into a home on West Main Street. As officers waited outside, Powell removed a window air conditioner and escaped custody. He was captured a short time later.
Nanticoke and Plymouth police charged Powell with 13 counts of criminal conspiracy, five counts each of burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief and theft, and one count each of escape and resisting arrest. He was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $125,000 bail.
Hattan was charged with criminal conspiracy, escape and resisting arrest. She is jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $5,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing for Powell is scheduled in Central Court on Aug. 16.
Hattan is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Central Court on Aug. 13.

8/7/2007
Times Leader
Eric Brain Legins, 21, of Mountain View Drive, was arrested on indecent exposure charges after he was arrested for public drunkenness on West Noble Street and exposed himself to a woman while urinating on the floor at police headquarters at 11:55 p.m. Friday.

According to court papers:
When police were dispatched to West Noble Street for reports of a fight, they observed an intoxicated Legins yelling profanities. Legins then resisted arrest, police said. When Legins arrived at police headquarters, he kicked his sneakers off, projecting them across the room at officers, police said.
After he was placed in a cellblock, he began calling out to a female jailer, exposing himself and making lewd comments toward her, police said. Legins began urinating on the floor, saying “here cleaning lady, how do ya like that,” police said.
He also threatened to defecate on the floor if police refused to release him, police said.
Police said Legins then faked an asthma attack, and struggled with police.
Legins was charged with indecent exposure, open lewdness, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

7/31/2007
Kingston man charged with kidnap, assault
By rlieback@timesleader.com

A Kingston man who told a 22-year-old woman that he wanted to “rearrange and mangle her face so no one will ever love her” was arrested on felony kidnapping and assault charges at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, police said.
Edwin Thomas Ourso III, 25, of Chester Street, Kingston, was arrested at an unreported Plymouth residence after the woman reported the following incident to authorities:
According to Nanticoke City Police:
After arriving at an unreported location in Nanticoke for work at 6:55 a.m., Ourso forced the woman into the passenger side of her vehicle. Ourso then entered the driver’s side and drove at dangerous speeds, continually punching the woman in the face.
Ourso drove the woman to a dirt road near a cemetery and continued to beat her on the face, head, arms and legs, causing her lips to swell and bleed. After a security guard in the area noticed the incident, Ourso reversed the car from the location and forced the woman to drive.
The woman reported Ourso continued to hit her while she drove through different towns. Her vehicle broke down on Pringle Street in Kingston, and Ourso pushed the car into a parking lot off the street.
Ourso kept the woman in a headlock as they walked to Chester Street in Kingston. When they arrived at his house, Ourso kept grabbing her by the hair, hitting her on the face and head, choking her at one point.
Ourso told the woman that if she presses charges he would kill her, no matter how long it took him to get out of jail; he told her she better report that in her statement to police.
The woman said Ourso, who had been drinking heavily, then calmed down. But when she attempted to leave, he grabbed her by her hair, pushed her head into a chair and forced her upstairs. When upstairs, he pinned her down with his knees and head-butted and struck her a few times.
The woman told police that Ourso’s roommate threatened to call police if he touched her again. Kingston police found the woman at the Chester Street residence, but who called police was not reported.
Plymouth police later arrested Ourso at an unknown location.
Ourso was arraigned before District Judge Joseph Carmody in West Pittston on charges of kidnapping, unlawful restraint, simple assault and terroristic threats. He was taken to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $5,000 straight bail for the alleged assault incidents in Kingston, and $10,000 straight bail for the alleged kidnapping and assault incidents in Nanticoke.
Ourso was also wanted on a parole violation from the Luzerne County Adult Probation and Parole Department.
A hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday in Central Court.

7/29/2007
Homeless pair are charged in copper thefts
Nanticoke police say the pipes were stolen from vacant homes and sold at a scrapyard.
elewis@timesleader.com

A homeless man confessed to police that he had stolen copper pipes from two vacant homes to support his $200 to $250 a day heroin addiction, according to arrest papers.
Police on Friday filed burglary and related charges against Kristopher Alan Powell, 22, in connection to breaking into a home for sale on East Grand Street and a home under renovations on West Ridge Street. The burglaries happened sometime in the middle of July, police said.
Powell, who is jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility on allegations he violated parole stemming from a September 2004 robbery in Nanticoke, confessed that he forced his way inside both homes and stole copper pipes, police said.
Police said charges were filed against Jodee Marie Hattan, 28, for her role in the thefts.
Hattan, a homeless woman who sleeps inside her car, told police she gave Powell a ride to both homes.
Police said Powell and Hattan confessed that they sold the copper pipes at a scrapyard in Edwardsville and used the money for heroin.
Powell was charged with four counts of criminal conspiracy, two counts each of burglary and criminal mischief, and a single count of theft. Hattan was charged with six counts of criminal conspiracy. She is jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $5,000 bail.
Both were arraigned by District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke on Friday. They were arrested July 21 by Plymouth police while investigating a rash of burglaries of vacant buildings involving copper pipe thefts in the borough.
According to the criminal complaints filed by investigating officer Robert Lehman:
Hattan told police that she and Powell drove to East Grand Street and West Ridge Street in the middle of the night, thinking Powell was a plumber because he had pipe cutters. He left leaving Hattan alone inside her car.
Powell returned to the car carrying copper pipes that were sold at the Edwardsville scrap yard for $150. He estimated he sold 75 pounds of pipe using the money to buy heroin, the criminal complaint says.
Police said both homes sustained water damage.
Powell is currently facing charges in court related to stealing an elderly woman’s purse on West Main Street, Plymouth, on Feb. 8.

A 46-year-old woman was arrested on indecent exposure, drug and evidence of drunken-driving charges after police stopped her vehicle on North Walnut Street at 10 p.m. Saturday.
While being arrested, Mary Katherine Kurovsky, of 1 Harris St., Wilkes-Barre, exposed her breasts on the street, showing herself to pedestrians and motorists, police said. Also, while in the holding cell at the police station, Kurovsky took off her pants and underwear, spread her legs in a sexual fashion exposing her genitals and made obscene comments to officers, police said.
According to court papers:
While on another call, police observed a Ford minivan operated by Kurovsky squeal the tires through a red light at the intersection of Kosciuszko and East Main streets.
Kurovsky proceeded westbound on East Main Street, illegally passing a motorcycle in an area of blind curves. Kurovsky was then stopped on North Walnut Street, where she became combative and belligerent.
Kurovsky agreed to a breath test, but would not blow into the device as directed, making an obscene reference to a sex act at one point. Kurovsky continued to use profanities and be disorderly.
When police advised her she was under arrest, she exposed her breasts in public, and resisted arrest. Upon a search of her van, police discovered a partially consumed bottle of vodka on the driver’s side floor and a cigarette pack that contained a crack-cocaine smoking pipe. Police impounded the vehicle.
While traveling to headquarters, Kurovsky began to act violently, so police advised her she was being videotaped. While in a holding cell, she removed her pants and underwear, throwing them at police. She then exposed herself and made obscene comments.
After she calmed down, she submitted to a breath test, which showed a blood alcohol content of .057 percent. An adult driver in Pennsylvania is considered intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent.
Kurovsky also freely stated that she had been using drugs. While blood tests were being performed on her at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, Kurovsky acted violently, and kicked over a metal table.
Kurovsky was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whitaker. She was charged with five counts of driving under the influence, one count of indecent exposure, one count of open lewdness, three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of simple assault, two counts of resisting arrest, and one count each of recklessly endangering another person, drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct, careless driving and reckless driving.

7/13/2007
Murder plot charges go to trial
Cellmate testifies that man charged with rape offered him $5,000 to kill girl involved.
elewis@timesleader.com

Handcuffed and wearing green clothing marked LCCF, inmate Joshua Vanderhoff testified that his former cellmate, Victor Keller Jr., offered him $5,000 to kill a young girl.
Keller, 38, is facing child rape charges in Luzerne County Court on allegations he sexually assaulted a girl, now 13, in Hanover Township and Nanticoke between January 2005 and December 2006.
Vanderhoff testified that Keller wanted the girl dead so the child rape charges would “go away.”
“He wanted me to kill the girl,” Vanderhoff testified.
Prosecutors relied heavily upon Vanderhoff’s testimony during Keller’s preliminary hearing before District Judge Paul Hadzick in Central Court. After nearly 40 minutes of testimony, Hadzick forwarded a single count of solicitation to commit criminal homicide against Keller to court.
Keller remains jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $200,000 bail.
His attorney, Paul Galante, questioned the credibility of Vanderhoff, who admitted being a recovering heroin addict and facing his own set of burglary and retail-theft charges.
Shortly after Vanderhoff was released on bail from the county prison in March, he fled to Florida, where he was arrested in June for missing a court hearing in Luzerne County.
Assistant District Attorney Jenny Roberts said she is confident Vanderhoff will continue to cooperate with authorities.
During his testimony, Vanderhoff said he was a cellmate with Keller for about two weeks in January and February. During that time, Keller said he was being “screwed over and that he is innocent of all the (rape) charges,” Vanderhoff testified.
Vanderhoff said Keller approached him with an offer to get someone to post $1,300 bail in order for Vanderhoff to get released from jail in February, and a promise of $5,000 after the girl was dead.
Vanderhoff, who said he had never seen the girl, testified Keller told him the girl’s name, described her appearance, where she lived, and gave instructions to “kill” the girl, making it look like an accidental drug overdose.
Keller approached Vanderhoff several times inside county prison in February to see if he was interested in acting out his plan, Vanderhoff testified.
Vanderhoff said he told another inmate and a correctional officer.
Nanticoke police Detective Capt. Bill Shultz, who arrested Keller on the rape charges, was told about Keller’s plot and asked that the state police Organized Crime Unit assist in the investigation.
Keller is scheduled to be formally arraigned on the solicitation to commit criminal homicide on Oct. 19.

7/11/2007 01:42 PM
Kingston man arrested in connection to Nanticoke armed robbery

Nanticoke police arrested a man in connection to an armed robbery at the Uni Mart on Middle Road in May.
Michael D. Johnson, 27, of South Gates Avenue, Kingston, was charged with two counts of robbery, and one count each of theft and receiving stolen property. He was arraigned by District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 19.
According to the criminal complaints:
Johnson admitted that he used a stolen .22 caliber handgun to rob the Uni Mart on May 30.
Police arrested Johnson on Tuesday after seeing him drive a car on Middle Road.
Johnson was stopped near the Hanover Industrial Estates. Police recovered a handgun from a passenger in the car.
Johnson told police that he used the handgun during the robbery.
Police said the handgun was reported stolen to Wyoming police on April 12.

7/10/2007
Man gets 14 to 28 years in rape of pre-teen girl
By David Weissdweiss@timesleader.com

Saying Christopher John Peters had “little redeeming factors,” a judge on Monday sentenced the Wilkes-Barre man to 14 to 28 years in state prison for repeatedly raping a 12-year-old girl.
Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. sentenced Peters on one count of rape of a child and one count of another sexual offense.
Nanticoke police said Peters, 39, repeatedly assaulted the girl, who was known to him, inside an Apollo Circle residence. The assaults began when the girl was 11 and occurred between December 2005 and December 2006, according to police. Peters had intercourse with the girl at least five times, police said.
Peters pleaded guilty in February.
On Monday, Assistant District Attorney Jenny Roberts asked Olszewski to level a heavy sentence because Peters was unremorseful and downplayed the offense by claiming the contact was consensual, not a case of rape.
Peters on Monday apologized and said he realized his actions hurt many people.
Olszewski deemed Peters a sexually violent predator under Megan’s Law.
The judge, at the prosecution’s request, ordered Peters to register his address with police for the rest of his life, to have no contact with the victim or any minors, stay out of public parks and pools, playgrounds, school zones, or anywhere else children congregate.
Peters was taken back to prison after court Monday.

6/28/2007
Man sought after high-speed chase
Times Leader

Police are searching for Zachary George Hallas, 24, of West Ridge Street, in connection with an early Wednesday morning, high-speed pursuit.
The pursuit, which reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, began at about 12:35 a.m. when Sgt. Joseph Guydosh was in the area of Alden Manor on Middle Road when a motorcycle passed him at a high rate of speed. There was a passenger aboard the motorcycle.
Guydosh recognized the motorcycle and the driver as Hallas, who police said has a suspended license and is not permitted to operate a vehicle.
Guydosh pursued Hallas on Middle Road with the vehicles reaching speeds of more than 100 mph. The motorcycle passed through two intersections controlled by steady yellow flashing signals.
Hallas refused to stop and turned onto Kosciuszko Street, police said.
Officer Brian Kivler joined in the pursuit, following Hallas, who turned onto East Washington Street.
Police lost sight of Hallas in the area of South Walnut Street.
Video cameras mounted inside both police cruisers recorded the pursuit, police said.
Police filed an arrest warrant for Hallas with District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke on Wednesday.
Charges of recklessly endangering another person, fleeing or attempting to elude police and four traffic offenses were filed against Hallas.

6/27/2007
Cops: Man assaulted an officer in Nanticoke
Police say Thomas Seesoltz III was going to sniff gas and he tried to disarm them.
Times Leader

Thomas Thurston Seesoltz III, 34, of West South Street, was arrested on charges he fought with officers who stopped him from sniffing gasoline early Sunday morning.
Seesoltz was charged with aggravated assault, criminal attempt, disarming law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, illegal use of solvents and public drunkenness. He remained jailed Tuesday at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $5,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Sgt. Joseph Guydosh:
Police saw Seesoltz walking with a gasoline container into the woods near the Turkey Hill on West Main Street at about 1:40 a.m. Sunday.
Seesoltz told police he was going into the woods to start a fire. He appeared intoxicated and had no wood for a fire.
Police said Seesoltz had planned to inhale the gasoline, a process called huffing.
Seesoltz fought with the officers after he refused to keep his hands on the police cruiser. He attempted to grab an officer’s baton and flashlight and managed to get a can of pepper spray from an officer during a struggle.
Police from Newport Township assisted Nanticoke police in apprehending Seesoltz.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 2 in Central Court.

6/14/2007
Nanticoke man arrested on charges linked to ‘club drug’
He was previously convicted of distributing anabolic steroids.
Terrie Morgan-Besecker - Times Leader

A Nanticoke man who was previously convicted of distributing anabolic steroids and Ecstasy was arrested Wednesday by federal agents on a charge of conspiracy to distribute a tranquilizer that’s a popular “club drug.”
Peter Sepling, 36, was among two people arraigned Wednesday afternoon on a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office. The complaint alleges Sepling and the other man, Dean Williamson, no age or address available, conspired with unnamed others to distribute Ketamine.
Sepling’s arrest comes six years after he pleaded guilty in Luzerne County Court in connection with a large-scale drug ring that sold Ecstasy, another popular club drug, throughout Luzerne County. He was sentenced in November 2001 to one to two years in prison.
Sepling also pleaded guilty in Lackawanna County Court to distributing anabolic steroids. He was sentenced in January 2001 to six to 23 months in prison for that case, court records show.
Ketamine, known by the street name “Special K,” is a tranquilizer most commonly used on animals, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Web site. The drug, popular among teens and adults and at dance clubs and “raves,” can be injected or consumed orally, most commonly by mixing it in drinks.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Houser said he could not provide any details regarding the investigation that led to the arrests of Sepling and Williamson. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Sepling and Williamson were each released under conditions following their arraignment before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Malachy Mannion. Both were ordered not to speak to any co-defendants in the case and to remain under the supervision of the federal probation office.

6/8/2007
Drug suspect still faces charges
Victor Ortiz, 34, is serving time in Lehigh County and awaits trial on other charges.
dweiss@timesleader.com

The suspected large-scale drug dealer who avoided prosecution in Luzerne County still faces a slew of drug charges in Allentown, a Lehigh County Prison official said.
Victor Ortiz, 34, is serving an 11- to 23-month sentence on drug charges in the prison and is awaiting trial on a list of other charges, the official said.
A Luzerne County judge on Monday ordered Ortiz to be taken back to the Lehigh County Prison after local prosecutors said they would not be prosecuting Ortiz on any of his drug charges because they failed to take him to trial on time.
Luzerne County prosecutors dropped a total of 20 charges – including 17 felonies – that were filed against Ortiz in connection with a Nanticoke-based drug ring. Several of the charges carried mandatory minimum jail sentences.
Police said Ortiz and Marcus Suarez were transporting large amounts of heroin and crack cocaine from Allentown to Nanticoke to sell. Suarez was sentenced in March to 14 to 28 years in state prison for his role in the ring.
But court papers filed by Ortiz, acting as his own attorney, indicate he believed his charges should be dismissed because he was not tried within 365 days of the filing of the charges, as state law requires.
Prosecutors at a hearing on Monday dismissed the charges.
District Attorney David Lupas has not returned repeated calls for comment on the case this week.
Nanticoke Sgt. Joe Guydosh, one of the key officers in the investigation, said he’s not sure who’s at fault in the case. He said it seemed like confusion developed between officials in Luzerne and Lehigh counties.
Guydosh said Ortiz was initially picked up in Lehigh County. Nanticoke police went there to pick him up and have him arraigned on the local charges. But Lehigh County officials wanted Ortiz back in their prison. Guydosh said local police took Ortiz back and that’s where he remained.
Last week, an official with the District Attorney’s Office called Nanticoke police and told them about throwing out Ortiz’s charges because of the speedy-trial issue, Guydosh said.
“It’s not like we’re mad at anybody,” he said. “It just seems like it slipped through the cracks.”
Ortiz’s case is the latest in a series of cases in Lupas’ office to encounter problems with the speedy-trial law.
Some of Ortiz’s Lehigh County charges are identical to the charges he had faced in Luzerne County.

6/7/2007
Nanticoke police seek robbery suspect
Times Leader staff

Image shows the alleged robber of the Middle Road Uni-Mart.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

City police released a surveillance picture on Wednesday of a man who they believe robbed the Middle Road Uni-Mart at gunpoint on May 30.
According to police, a man entered the store at about 10:30 p.m. with a black or dark gray revolver within his waistband. He demanded money from the store clerk and fled in a dark-colored vehicle.
The suspect is described as a black male with a thin beard, 6 feet tall with a thin build, weighing about 200 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 735-2200.

6/7/2007
Authorities allege girls, 8 and 9, were threatened and neglected in Nanticoke home
Dad and girlfriend charged with abuse
elewis@timesleader.com

A veteran detective called it one of the most horrific cases he’s ever investigated.
A father and his girlfriend were arrested Wednesday on charges they threatened to kill his two daughters for having spilled cereal and failing to clean up after their dog. The girls, ages 9 and 8, told police the two adults had stapled their hair to a wall, boarded up their bedroom windows and placed a lock on the refrigerator forcing them to feed themselves, according to arrest papers.
“It’s quite disturbing what we learned,” Detective William Shultz said.
Brian Edward Strait, 32, and Allison N. Birt, 28, of Deer Lake Drive, Hunlock Township, were arrested Wednesday after a hearing in Luzerne County Court.
Strait and Birt were charged with two counts each of endangering the welfare of children. Strait was also charged with a single count of simple assault in connection with an allegation that he punched one of his daughters causing two broken ribs.
They were arraigned before District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $75,000 bail each.
Shultz said the investigation is continuing with the possibility of more charges being filed against the pair.
Police allege the abuse and neglect occurred when the family lived on East Grand Street in Nanticoke in 2006. Strait and Birt have two children of their own, Shultz said.
According to the criminal complaints filed by Shultz and Luzerne County Detective Lt. Debbie Parker:
A child caseworker with the county’s Children and Youth Services investigated a complaint on Sept. 20 that Strait punched his 9-year-old daughter because she didn’t take the family’s dog outside. Strait told the caseworker that his daughter has a “wild imagination,” and that he doesn’t physically discipline his children. He promised the caseworker he would take his daughter to see a doctor.
A few days later on Sept. 27, the caseworker made an unannounced visit to the home and learned Strait never took his daughter to the doctor because he doesn’t have insurance. The caseworker took the child to a doctor on Oct. 13, according to the complaints.
An X-ray showed the child had two broken ribs that were in the healing process. The doctor told the caseworker that the injury was likely caused by an adult, the criminal complaint says.
Police learned that the child and her 8-year-old sister had to wake up to change and feed their infant sister because Strait and Birt refused to get out of bed in the morning.
Children and Youth Services said Strait and Birt failed to provide for their children’s needs such as medical care, dental care and nutrition.
A preliminary hearing for Strait and Birt is scheduled for June 13 at Central Court.

5/31/2007
Armed robbery suspect sought in Nanticoke

City police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred Wednesday night at the Uni-Mart on Middle Road.
According to police, a black man who had a black or dark gray revolver within his waistband demanded cash from the store clerk. The suspect got into a dark-colored vehicle, which fled east on Middle Road into the Hanover Township area, police said. The vehicle did not have headlights turned on.
The suspect is described as a black man with a thin beard. He is 6 feet tall with a thin build, weighing about 200 pounds. The suspect was wearing a bright-colored striped polo shirt and dark blue or black jeans.
Anyone with any information is asked to call police at 735-2200

5/26/2007
William Haughwout, 41, of Prospect Street in Nanticoke, was sentenced Friday to 18 to 84 months in state prison plus eight years of probation for fondling a young girl.

Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Joseph Augello sentenced Haughwout on charges of indecent assault.
Police said Haughwout from September 2004 to December 2005 repeatedly fondled a 10-year-old girl in Nanticoke and Plymouth.
Haughwout was deemed a sexually violent predator and, upon his release, must register his address with police.

4/11/2007
DA: Inmate plotted to kill girl
Victor Keller charged in child’s rape
elewis@timesleader.com

A Hanover Township man facing trial on child rape charges allegedly offered an inmate $5,000 to kill the young girl so his case would go away, Luzerne County District Attorney David Lupas said.
Victor Keller, 38, last known address as the Sans Souci Trailer Court, attempted to carry out his plan by soliciting help from two inmates at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility, the district attorney said. He offered one of the inmates $5,000 to kill the girl, Lupas said.
Keller denied he tried to have the girl killed as he was led to his arraignment before District Judge Martin Kane in Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.
Keller was charged with criminal solicitation to commit criminal homicide and sent back to the county correctional facility for lack of $100,000 bail.
Lupas said the girl and her mother were told about Keller’s plot. The girl and her mother were not harmed, Lupas said.
“(Keller) was looking for a way to get these (rape) charges dismissed,” Lupas said. “Protecting the victim is our utmost concern.”
The investigation was handled by the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Organized Crime Unit.
Keller has been in jail since his Jan. 19 arrest by Nanticoke and Hanover Township police on allegations he raped the girl multiple times, arrest papers say.
According to the criminal complaint filed Tuesday:
After his arrest in January, Keller told inmate Charles Handlin, 42, that he was worried about the rape charges against him. He told Handlin that he wanted to scare the girl and her mother so they wouldn’t testify, and offered Handlin a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette to “beat them up” if Handlin got released from jail.
Handlin, of Hazleton, was jailed on charges he stole copper pipe from a Hazleton building in early January, according to court records.
A preliminary hearing on the rape charges against Keller was held Feb. 21 in Central Court. The 12-year-old girl testified at the hearing.
In her testimony, the girl said she was afraid to tell anyone that Keller was sexually assaulting her because Keller was abusive when drunk.
Rape and related charges against Keller were forwarded to trial in Luzerne County Court.
Several days after the preliminary hearing, Keller told inmate Joshua Vanderhoff, 20, that he didn’t want to go to state prison.
Keller offered to get someone to post $1,300 bail in order for Vanderhoff to get released from jail. Vanderhoff, of Benton, was charged by Nanticoke police in December on charges he burglarized a home and endangered a police officer.
Keller told Vanderhoff the girl’s name, described her appearance, where she lived, and gave instructions to “kill” the girl and to make it look like an accidental drug overdose, the criminal complaint says.
Police said Keller offered to pay Vanderhoff $5,000 after the girl was dead, and said the money could be picked up from a residence at the Sans Souci Trailer Park.
Keller approached Vanderhoff several times at the end of February and early March to see if Vanderhoff was still interested in acting out his plan, police said.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 19 in Central Court.

4/3/2007
County official warns of scam offers to rewrite old wills

Luzerne County Register of Wills Dorothy Stankovic issued a warning Monday about potential scam artists.
An 83-year-old Nanticoke woman contacted the Register of Wills office last week saying that an undisclosed company had requested a meeting to discuss her will, Stankovic said. The company told the woman that her will must be updated because it had expired.
The woman wanted to know if there had been any changes in laws governing wills.
Stankovic said there are no changes governing wills, and she advised anyone who receives this type of call to contact police or to call 911.
“There could be scam artists working in the area looking to get into homes under the false pretense of rewriting an old will,” Stankovic said.

4/2/2007
Police are searching for a man who robbed the Uni-Mart, 14 N. Market St., at 3:48 p.m. Sunday.

Police said the man entered the store and told the clerk he had a gun. The suspect told the clerk to put the money from the register in a plastic-type bag he had. The clerk complied but took too long, police said.
The suspect then reached over the counter and assisted the clerk in removing the money from the register. He fled with an unknown amount of money in a northwest direction and crossed Access Road into a wooded area, police said.
The suspect is described as a white man in his late teens or early 20s, about 6 feet tall and weighing between 150 and 160 pounds. He was wearing a dark-gray hooded sweatshirt with red lettering across the front and red stripes down both arms, dark colored cargo pants, dark shoes or sneakers and a gray or tan colored full stocking mask.
Anyone with information is urged to call police at 735-2200.

3/27/2007
Nanticoke principal assaulted

A 16-year-old Greater Nanticoke Area High School student assaulted Principal Mary Ann Jarolen last week, city police said.
The student was suspended from school for 10 days, and police say he now faces juvenile court charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats, harassment and disorderly conduct.
Nanticoke police said the male student had been kicked out of class for throwing spitballs. School officials told officers he was trying to return to the class to verbally harass the teacher when the confrontation with Jarolen occurred, police said.
Jarolen told investigators the boy grabbed her right arm, twisted it up and backward, before pushing her out of the way, police said.
The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. on March 20.

3/27/2007

Angela Rose Chapman, 27, of Pine Street, was arrested on evidence of drunken driving charges after police said they found her in her automobile that was stuck in a snow bank on Orchard Street at 1:10 p.m. March 19.
When police approached the vehicle, Chapman locked the doors and acted as if she was not in the vehicle, police said. Chapman then shut the engine off and threw the keys on the passenger seat, police said.
After a few minutes, Chapman opened the door and exited the vehicle and became uncooperative. Police said she appeared intoxicated and on the verge of passing out. Police also said the car was not inspected.
Chapmen was charged with driving under the influence, operating an vehicle without inspection and without a registration card to be signed and exhibited on demand.

3/27/2007
School bus stop incident results in charges
rlieback@timesleader.com

A 45-year-old woman was charged with ethnic intimidation after she allegedly told a woman and her two sons “all you blacks look alike” and flicked a lit cigarette at one of the boys at their bus stop at West Main and Slope streets on Thursday, according to an affidavit filed Monday at District Judge Donald Whitaker’s office.
Mary Louise Warner, of 212 Apollo Circle, on Monday denied making any racial comments, stating that she only said the two boys look like twins because they are hard to tell apart, court papers said.
According to court papers:
Tawana Simpson reported to police that her two sons were being harassed at their bus stop because they are black. Simpson and her husband, John, went to the stop Thursday and confronted Warner, who became angry.
Warner then made multiple derogatory slurs and flicked a lit cigarette at one of Simpson’s sons, just missing his head.
Warner stuck her middle finger in Simpson’s sons’ faces, called them a racial epithet and said “all you (explicative) should die.”
Police spoke with Simpson’s two children, whose stories matched up with their mother’s. Police also spoke with two other parents at the bus stop, and both told police that they observed Warner yelling that the “black people should all die” and shouting out racial epithets to black people on street.
When questioned, Warner said she was harassed by Simpson.
Warner was charged with ethnic intimidation and harassment. She could not be reached for comment Monday.

3/22/2007
Woman gets jail time in burglary

Jessica Renee Caudill, 25, of Apollo Circle in Nanticoke, was sentenced Tuesday to two to four years in state prison for breaking into a home.
Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Hugh Mundy sentenced Caudill on charges of burglary, access device fraud, and unsworn falsifications in three cases.
In one case, Nanticoke police said Caudill in June broke into a South Hanover Street home and stole a video-game system, video games, a purse, and bonds.

3/16/2007
Police said someone armed with a BB gun targeted windows on cars and a home on Wednesday and Thursday.

Barbara Stanski, of Lincoln Avenue, said a window on her Dodge Caravan was smashed on Thursday.
Paul Seery, of Mountain View Drive, said a window on his Oldsmobile was smashed on Thursday.
Matthew Molski, of Stewart Drive, said door window at his home was smashed on Wednesday.
Robert Bray, of South Hanover Street, said a window on his Hyundai Elantra was smashed on Wednesday.
Joseph Kowalski, of South Hanover Street, reported that a window on his Chevrolet Tahoe was smashed on Wednesday.
David Gabel, of South Hanover Street, reported that a window on his Chevy Cavalier was smashed on Wednesday.

3/7/2007
Man blames whiskey-flavored tobacco in DUI arrest
Nanticoke man says Red Man Select caused alcohol odor on breath.
By elewis@timesleader.com

A man charged by police on evidence of drunken driving blamed a brand of chewing tobacco for leaving an alcohol odor on his breath.
Police said John Daniel Drury Sr., 42, of Pine Street, was involved in a two-car crash at Bliss and Pine streets in the city’s Hanover section on Feb. 22.
Drury, driving a Dodge Ram pickup, turned onto Bliss Street and struck the front of a Chevrolet Cavalier that was stopped at a stop sign, police said.
According to the criminal complaint filed by officers Brian Kivler and Brian Williams:
Police said Drury was visibly intoxicated and had an alcohol odor on his breath.
“Drury insisted that he did not consume any alcoholic beverages and that the Red Man Select chewing tobacco that he was chewing contained an unspecified amount of Tennessee whiskey,” police said in the criminal complaint.
Police said Drury failed several field sobriety tests at the crash scene. He was given a preliminary breath test that showed a level of 0.130 percent, police said.
Drury was arrested on evidence of drunken driving, and was taken to the Nanticoke Police Department, where another breath test showed a level of 0.144 percent, police said.
An adult driver in Pennsylvania is considered legally intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent.
Drury told police he would challenge his DUI arrest and wanted police to determine his chewing tobacco’s alcohol content.
Drury could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
A message to Swedish Match, the Stockholm, Sweden-based manufacturer of Red Man Select, was not returned.
But, an e-mail from the company referred questions about its ingredients in its products to its Web site.
According to the Swedish Match’s Web site, the 14 different types of ingredients in Red Man Select do not contain Tennessee whiskey or any other alcohol-based substance.

3/6/2007
Marcus Suarez, 33, of Allentown, was sentenced recently to 14 to 28 years in state prison on a host of drug charges.

Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. sentenced Suarez on charges of criminal conspiracy, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility and delivery of a controlled substance in six separate criminal cases.
Police from several agencies said Suarez and another man in 2005 and 2006 were bringing large amounts of heroin and crack cocaine from the Allentown area to Nanticoke and selling it.
Police said the men sold the drugs to confidential informants outside an apartment building near the intersection of Chestnut and Noble streets in Nanticoke and at numerous hotels in the Wilkes-Barre area, police said.

2/22/2007
Girl testifies she feared reporting sex assaults
By elewis@timesleader.com

A young girl said she was afraid to tell anyone that Victor Keller Jr. was sexually assaulting her because he was abusive when he drank.
She didn’t talk to authorities until Keller stopped drinking.
“He stopped drinking and I wasn’t afraid of him anymore,” the 12-year-old girl testified during a preliminary hearing before District Judge Donald Whittaker in Central Court on Wednesday. She was the only witness.
Whittaker ruled there is enough evidence for Keller to stand trial on two counts of rape of a child, three counts of corruption of minors, and one count each of endangering the welfare of children and indecent exposure.
Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Jenny Roberts said Keller, if convicted, faces a mandatory sentence of five years in state prison.
The girl told Whittaker that Keller began sexually assaulting her when he lived in the Apollo Circle Housing Complex in Nanticoke about two years ago. At least twice he took her into his residence, where he forced her to perform lewd acts and raped her, she said.
The girl said she couldn’t remember the exact dates of the assaults when asked by Keller’s defense lawyer, Charles Ross.
“I told him to stop once,” the girl said. “He used to drink a lot and he became aggressive when he drinks.”
The girl said she was also sexually assaulted in December after Keller moved to the Sans Souci Trailer Park in Hanover Township. She said she was sleeping over at a friend’s house when Keller entered the bedroom and assaulted her, she said.
Keller was arrested after a joint investigation by Hanover Township and Nanticoke police, and the district attorney’s office. He remains jailed at the county correctional facility. Whittaker refused to lower Keller’s bail of $100,000.

2/09/2007
Nanticoke woman faces charges for allegedly stealing lottery tickets

A Nanticoke convenience store worker allegedly stole at least $800 worth of lottery tickets and gave the winning ones to her boss in exchange for better working hours, police said.
Marcella Fletcher, 53, of Garfield Street, Nanticoke, faces charges of theft, tampering with records, and making false reports to law enforcement, police said.
According to police, Fahim Mirza, owner of the Uni-Mart on Market Street, told police on Jan. 15 that one of his former employees had been stealing from him.
Videotape from Dec. 24, 2006, showed Fletcher scratching off hundreds of dollars worth of lottery tickets, police said. Store manager Peggy Tweedly said Fletcher had scratched the tickets and thrown the losing ones in the trash. Tweedly reviewed the surveillance tape and reported it to Mirza, who fired Fletcher, police said.
Under police questioning, Fletcher said she took lottery tickets from Thanksgiving through Dec. 14, 2006, scratched them off, and gave the winning ones to Tweedly. Fletcher altered lottery sale records to conceal the thefts, police said.
Fletcher said Tweedly promised to adjust her working hours to better suit her if she did Tweedly a favor, namely give her $50 to $100 worth of lottery tickets at least twice a week, police said. Fletcher told police she scratched off at least $800 worth of lottery tickets and gave about $400 worth of winning tickets to Tweedly.
Tweedly denied participating in the theft, and said she would take a lie detector test, police said.
Tweedly asked for Fletcher to be charged with making false reports to law enforcement for telling police she was also involved.

2/3/2007
County man pleads guilty to sexually abusing girl

A Luzerne County man pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl Thursday.
William D. Haughwout, 41, of Nanticoke, will face sentencing on three counts of indecent assault for molesting the girl several times in 2005.
The Luzerne County District Attorney’s office requested an evaluation of Haughwout as a Megan’s Law offender. His next court date is set for May 25.

2/2/2007
Manhunt ends in suspect's capture
bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

The man who eluded police during an hours-long manhunt Wednesday on Alden Mountain in Newport Township was arrested later that night after fleeing on foot to Wilkes-Barre ending up in the emergency room of Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, according to the Luzerne County sheriff's department.
Adam Heppding, 20, fell a few times while cops searched for him on the rugged mountain terrain behind his mother's 78 Laurel Run home in Alden.
Authorities wanted Heppding on warrants that included theft and assault, but vigorously pursued him because
police received tips he was armed, might have been trying to make a threat at a local high school and wanted to harm his girlfriend, police said.
Sheriff's deputies said Heppding, of Wilkes-Barre, was not seriously injured, and believe he also went to the hospital because he was wet and cold.
People phoned in several tips about Heppding's whereabouts, helping police track him down at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, the sheriff's department said.
The pursuit of Heppding began around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday when police tried to serve a warrant on Heppding.
He then fled into the woods, triggering a manhunt in which authorities used a state police helicopter and a K-9 unit, police said. .
Police said they saw him from a distance a few times, but never were able to track him down until the tips led them to the hospital.
Heppding was sent to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility on charges of indirect criminal contempt, resisting arrest, simple assault, disorderly conduct, harassment, theft by unlawful taking, identity theft, forgery, unlawful use of a computer, access device fraud, and violation of protection from abuse orders.
He now also faces charges by Newport police.

2/1/2007
Alden man still at large after search
bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

Police from multiple departments scoured a wooded area of Newport Township for hours on Wednesday looking for a fugitive they believed was armed and might be trying to harm his girlfriend.
The manhunt, which included the use of a state police helicopter and a K-9 unit and caused K.M. Elementary School in Newport Township to be placed on lockdown, began around 11:30 a.m. when police went to arrest Adam Heppding at his 78 Laurel St. home in Alden, police said.
As police approached the home, the 19-year-old darted for the woods of Alden Mountain, township police said.
Heppding was wanted on theft, assault and various other charges. What concerned police more is what they heard he might have been planning, police said.
Police from another municipality notified Newport Township officers they received information Heppding was planning to call in a bomb threat at a school and possibly harm his girlfriend at the school, township police said.
The Newport cops also were advised Heppding might have a .40 caliber glock handgun in his possession, police said.
After an initial search produced no results, police went back to the station.
Later in the day, they received a 911 hang-up call from Heppding’s home, said Officer Levi Gibbon.
When cops arrived, they encountered Heppding’s mother, who said her son arrived home and said he was “freezing.”
She apparently phoned in the 911 call to alert cops, and Heppding fled again.
He was still at large Wednesday night.
Helping in the search were authorities from Nanticoke, Wright Township, state police and the Luzerne County sheriff’s department.

2/1/2007
Wanted man eludes police on foot

A wanted man led law-enforcement officers on a foot pursuit Wednesday.
According to a press release issued by Luzerne County Deputy Sheriff Donald Lasoski:
Deputies, along with Newport Township and Nanticoke police, attempted to arrest Adam Heppding at 78 Laurel St. around 11:30 a.m. on an outstanding warrant. Heppding ran from the officers and fled into a wooded area on Alden Mountain.
He is described as a white male, around 6 feet tall, weighing 170 pounds, bald, with brown hair and brown eyes.
He has tattoos that read “2K4” on his left hand, “Adam” on his left forearm, and “ASH” on his right wrist.
He was wearing a gray windbreaker and blue jeans.
He is wanted on charges of theft, access device fraud, unlawful use of a computer, fraud, forgery, disorderly conduct, simple assault, resisting arrest, harassment, identity theft and a violation of a protection from abuse order.
Township police will also be filing new charges.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s department or 911.
State police, along with police from Hanover and Wright townships, assisted in the search.

1/25/2007
Man arrested on kidnapping charges
Police say Lucas Aaron Delos-Rios used gun to force 18-year-old man out of a car.
By elewis@timesleader.com

Police arrested a Tioga County man late Tuesday night on charges he kidnapped a man at gunpoint.
Lucas Aaron Delos-Rios, 24, of Blossburg, was captured at about 11:30 p.m. in an alley near East Church and East Noble streets while walking with James Hughes Jr., the man he is accused of kidnapping.
Police said Delos-Rios accused Hughes, 18, of trying to steal $600 from him. Delos-Rios had traveled from his home to Nanticoke Tuesday night to meet a friend, Joshua Ruminski, who needed money, police said.
When Hughes left an apartment and got into a car with a woman, Delos-Rios pulled a gun and ordered Hughes from the vehicle, police said.
Delos-Rios was charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, criminal attempt, stalking and two counts each of possession of instruments of crime and unlawful restraint. He was arraigned by District Judge Paul Hadzick and is jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Capt. Detective William Shultz and Patrolman Brian Kivler:
Eva Masler told police she was inside a car with Ruminski while waiting for Hughes near the Eastside Apartments on East Noble Street. Hughes came out from the building and got into the car, and was being followed by Delos-Rios, who pulled a gun when Masler attempted to drive away.
Delos-Rios aimed the gun at the car and ordered Hughes to get out of the car. Masler sped away and called police, who found Delos-Rios and Hughes walking in the alley.
Delos-Rios told police that Ruminski called him at his home in Tioga County Tuesday morning and said he needed $1,000 or “some people were going to kill him,” the criminal complaint says.
Delos-Rios said he got $600 and drove to the CVS Pharmacy in Nanticoke where he met Ruminski and Hughes, whom he didn’t know. They proceeded to Eastside Apartments where they all got out of the car.
Delos-Rios told police he walked around the back of the apartments and saw Ruminski.
Ruminski told Delos-Rios to wait because he had to go to another apartment.
As the two men spoke, Delos-Rios said he overheard Hughes on his cell phone before he disappeared from his sight.
Delos-Rios said he then walked to the front of the apartment building where he saw Hughes get into a vehicle driven by Masler, the criminal complaint says.
At that point, the car began to drive away.
Delos-Rios told police he stopped the car because he felt he was being robbed and denied aiming the gun at the car.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 1 in Central Court.

1/19/2007
Man tried to sell stolen items to owner, police say
Nanticoke man didn’t know victims also owned comic book store.
By elewis@timesleader.com

Police said a Nanticoke man facing trial on a burglary charge didn’t know he was selling stolen collectible trading cards and comic books to the couple who actually owns the items.
Joseph Thompson, 39, of South Walnut Street, is accused of breaking into a home on East Ridge Street, owned by Joseph and Kristin Skipkoski, and stealing thousands of dollars of collectible cards and comic books on Jan. 2.
Thompson then attempted to sell the stolen items at Griffins Peak, a collectible trading card and comic store that is also owned by the Skipkoskis, police said.
“(Thompson) didn’t know (Skipkoski) was the owner of the home that he burglarized,” said Nanticoke police Capt. Detective William Shultz on Thursday.
According to the criminal complaint:
Joseph Skipkoski told police that Thompson and another male came into his East Main Street trading store later on Jan. 2 and wanted to know if they were interested in buying Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokemon and Magic the Gathering cards.
Thompson spoke to Kristin Skipkoski who told him to come back and speak with her husband.
Thompson and the other male returned to the store the next day and sold a card in a case for $30.
Joseph Skipkoski recognized the card and the case as one of the many collectibles that were stolen from his East Ridge Street home.
Police said Thompson was persistent in selling the cards and repeatedly contacted the Skipkoskis to see if they were interested in buying. Thompson said there were too many cards and invited the Skipkoskis to his home, the criminal complaint says.
Joseph Skipkoski told police he recognized most of the cards at Thompson’s home. He purchased all the cards and comic books and then turned them over to police as evidence.
Shultz said Thompson admitted to burglarizing the Skipkoskis’ home, but refused to identity the other suspect.
Police said the value of the cards and comic books is approximately $2,000.
Prosecutors dismissed charges of theft, receiving stolen property, criminal trespass and criminal mischief during a preliminary hearing before District Judge Andrew Barilla Jr. in Central Court.
A single count of burglary against Thompson was held for trial in Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.
Thompson remains jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 bail.

1/11/2007
Cops: Collectible thief tries to sell items to owner

Police said a burglar who stole collectible trading cards and comic books from a home attempted to sell the items back to the homeowner who happens to own a collectible trading card business.
Joseph Thompson, 39, of South Walnut Street, was charged with burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, criminal trespass and criminal mischief. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
Joseph Skipkoski told police that Thompson and another unidentified man came into his East Main Street trading store on Jan. 2 and attempted to sell cards that were stolen from Skipkoski’s East Ridge Street home. Thompson asked Skipkoski’s wife, Kristin, if she was interested in buying Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokeman and Magic the Gathering cards.
Thompson was told to come back and speak with Joseph.
Thompson and the other man returned to the store on Jan. 3 and sold a card in a case for $30.
Joseph recognized the card and the case was one of the many collectibles that were stolen from his home.
Police said Thompson was persistent in selling the cards and repeatedly contacted the Skipkoskis to see if they were interested in buying. Thompson said there were too many cards and invited the Skipkoskis to his home.
Joseph told police he recognized most of the cards as those that were stolen from his home. He purchased all the cards and comic books and gave them to police as evidence.
Police said Thompson admitted to burglarizing the Skipkoski home and stealing cards and other items valued at more than $2,000. Thompson also ransacked the Skipkoski home, causing nearly $1,000 in damage, police said.

2007

12/28/2006
Police charged a city man with burglary and other offenses after his tenants reported he had kicked in the door of their home and kicked their dog.

Daniel Drury Sr. of Pine Street was arrested at around 10:40 a.m. Monday after police responded to 128 Pine St. for a report of a burglary in progress.
Police said Megan Righter reported she and her boyfriend, William Ritchie III, heard someone attempting to break into the home and discovered Drury, Righter’s landlord, standing in the living room and kicking a dog owned by Ritchie.
Police said Drury smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and was unsteady on his feet. A breath test showed he had a blood alcohol level of 0.226 percent.
In addition to burglary, Drury is charged with cruelty to animals and criminal trespass.

12/28/2006
A city man has agreed to plead guilty to raping a 12-year-old girl at her Nanticoke home several times this year.

Christopher John Peters, 39, of Park Avenue, waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Luzerne County Central Court on Wednesday, telling Senior District Judge Andrew Barilla Jr. he will plead guilty to rape and a sexual assault charge.
Peters is scheduled to enter his plea in Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas on Feb. 28.
Assistant District Attorney Jenny Roberts said that if Peters changes his guilty plea, he will face trial on a long list of felony sex offenses.
Peters was arrested by Nanticoke police on Dec. 16 after the girl claimed he raped her at least five times at her mother’s apartment. She said the assaults happened when her mother was away from the apartment.
Peters, who agreed to take a voice stress test at the Wright Township police department, admitted to the allegations before the test was given, Nanticoke police said.
Attorney John Donovan represented Peters, who remains jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail.

12/28/2006
Nanticoke dog mauled to death by another dog

Police say a 3-year-old bichon frise was mauled to death by another dog outside a home at 169 Orchard St. on Tuesday afternoon.
The deceased dog, a female named “Fibee” owned by Mary Loke of West Washington Street, was attacked by an unknown, large black dog, possibly a poodle mix, that was accompanied by another black dog and a greyhound, police said.
Police said Loke’s dog had been tied to a hand railing of a porch by her leash when the attack occurred. Evidence at the scene indicated the attacking dog grabbed Loke’s dog by the neck and attempted to rip the dog from its leash.
While on scene, police said emergency crews pointed out the attacking dog, which was almost a block away. The dog fled and was last seen running through neighboring yards. Police attempted to locate the animal but were unsuccessful. Police said a copy of the report on the attack was forwarded to the state dog warden for follow-up.

12/22/2006
Nanticoke man roughed up in home invasion
By bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

Two brazen bandits forced their way inside an 85-year-old man’s home Wednesday night, choked him and then robbed him of $6,000 he had stashed for bills and Christmas gifts for his grandchildren, police and the startled victim said.
“I was sitting here and the door bell rang. As soon as I opened the door, two black guys jumped me. They choked me and drug me up to the safe in my room. I had to open it up or they would have killed me,” John Miller said at his Mountain View Drive home Thursday afternoon.
“They really cleaned me out. They rushed right in here and knew what they were doing, right for the safe,” Miller added.
Police say the 6:55 p.m. robbery was not a random act in the quiet residential area filled with well-kept, modern homes and sprawling lawns on the city’s south side.
“They targeted him. That’s the bottom line,” said police Capt. William Shultz.
Investigators are theorizing people who Miller had over his house in the past knew about the safe and told the robbers.
The robbery couldn’t have come at a worse time, said the widowed man who lives alone. He was just getting ready to fill greeting cards with money for gifts for each of his eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. The family was supposed to have a get-together on Christmas Eve.
“The kids aren’t going to get anything this year now,” the distraught grandfather said.
Miller said he hopes cops track down the crooks who ruined his Christmas. He added he wishes he was armed when he answered the door. The World War II veteran and retired prison guard is licensed to carry a gun and keeps a pistol in a drawer of his living room coffee table, and a few other guns around the house he has owned for 30 years — in case something just like this happened.
“If I took that gun down there with me, I would have killed them. I hope they get them bastards,” Miller said.
The suspects were in the home for about 15 minutes. Though shaken, Miller wasn’t injured and did not receive any medical treatment.
Several neighbors expressed sadness for Miller, and lamented that they didn’t see the home invasion occur.
Miller described one suspect as a black male, 6-feet, 2-inches tall with a large build. The other, Miller said, was a 6-foot tall black male with a medium build. Both were in their 20s and were wearing dark clothing and baseball hats, he said.
Police retrieved fingerprints from the scene, but it wasn’t immediately clear if they yielded any productive results.
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Nanticoke police at 735-2200.

12/21/2006
Police are searching for two black men who choked and robbed an 85-year-old man at his residence, 266 Mountain View Drive, at 6:55 p.m. Wednesday.

Police said the victim was going to take a shower when he heard the door bell ring. Upon opening the door, the suspects physically forced the victim into a bedroom, police said.
Police said the victim was then forced to open a safe containing an undetermined amount of cash and personal items. The victim was threatened, choked and thrown to the floor, police said.
The suspects then fled on foot, police said. It is unknown where they fled or if they had a vehicle.
The suspects are described as two black men in their early 20s, wearing black clothing and baseball caps. One suspect was 6 feet 2 inches tall with a large build. The other suspect was 6 feet tall with a medium build.
Anyone with information is urged to call police at 735-2000.

2/17/2006
A Wilkes-Barre man was arrested late Friday afternoon on charges he raped a 12-year old girl several times this year, police said.

Christopher John Peters, 39, of Park Avenue, was charged with rape, statutory sexual assault, endangering the welfare of children, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors.
He was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail.
The girl told Nanticoke police that she was sexually assaulted at least five times at her mother’s apartment in Apollo Circle. She said the assaults happened when her mother was away from the apartment.|Peters, who consented to a voice stress test by Wright Township police, admitted to the allegations before the test was given, Nanticoke police said.
Nanticoke police said Peters admitted to having sexually assaulted the girl at least four times, with the latest happening on Dec. 8 at the Apollo Circle apartment.
Nanticoke police was assisted by Wright Township police, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office and Luzerne County Children and Youth Services.

12/14/2006
Cop unhurt when picked by needle
Item in burglary suspect’s pocket did not penetrate skin, police say. Suspect denied he had object.
By elewis@timesleader.com

An officer was poked in the finger by a hypodermic needle during the arrest of a burglary suspect Wednesday morning on East Main Street, police said.
Detective Capt. William Shultz and officer Brian Kivler captured Joshua Dwayne Vanderhoff, 20, outside the home shortly after 9 a.m.
Kivler asked Vanderhoff if he had any weapons or needles, and Vanderhoff said “no,” Shultz said.
While Kivler was patting down Vanderhoff, Kivler was poked with an uncapped needle that was in Vanderhoff’s front pants pocket, Shultz said.
Shultz said the needle penetrated Kivler’s glove and picked his middle right finger.
“Luckily, the needle didn’t penetrate the skin,” Shultz said.
Shultz said Kivler did not require medical treatment.
Because Kivler was poked with a needle, Vanderhoff was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possession of drug paraphernalia. Vanderhoff also was charged with burglary, criminal attempt to commit theft and two counts of criminal trespass.
According to the criminal complaint:
Shultz and Kivler responded to the home when a neighbor saw someone lurking around outside. Wet footprints were found on concrete under a carport.
Vanderhoff was seen inside the home and attempted to flee out the front door when Shultz stopped him.
Vanderhoff said he was “just looking around” and was waiting for a friend, the complaint says.
The homeowner told Shultz that $10,000 worth of rare coins and $600 in silver certificates were moved inside the home, the complaint says.
Police said Vanderhoff had a digital camera that was found inside the home.
Vanderhoff’s arrest Wednesday happened while he is free on $1,000 bail stemming from an alleged burglary in Hanover Township in June, according to Luzerne County Court records.
Hanover Township police accused Vanderhoff of burglarizing a home in the Breslau section and stealing jewelry. Vanderhoff also is accused of stealing a gold ring from Boscov’s Department Store in Wilkes-Barre in September. Those two cases are pending in court.
Vanderhoff was convicted and sentenced to one year of probation in November 2005, for burglarizing a home in Kingston in April 2005, according to court records.
Vanderoff was arraigned before District Donald Whittaker and was taken to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail.

12/7/2006
A home at 210 E. Ridge St. was burglarized between 2 and 4 p.m. Wednesday, police said.
Police said the owners left their home at 2 p.m., and when they returned they noticed someone had entered their home through a side porch door.
The suspects ransacked the residence and stole an undetermined and jewelry and cash.
Anyone with information is urged to call police at 735-2200.

12/6/2006
Andrew Hanko Jr., 20, of Center Street in Nanticoke, was sentenced Monday to one to five years in state prison on drug charges.
Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mark Ciavarella sentenced Hanko on charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy.
Ciavarella also sentenced Hanko to one year of probation on a single count of simple assault in another case.
In the drug case, Nanticoke police said Hanko in September 2005 sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant at the East Side Apartments on East Church Street.

12/1/2006
Police said a 16-year-old was arrested on Wednesday and charged as an adult with the armed robbery of a pizza delivery employee.

Zireek Gardner, of East Main Street, Nanticoke, was charged with two counts each of robbery, aggravated assault, simple assault, and one count each of recklessly endangering another person and theft.
Gardner was arraigned before District Judge Joseph Carmody and sent to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
According to the criminal complaint filed by detective captains William Shultz and Kevin Grevera:
Gardner used a friend’s telephone to order $38.30 worth of pizza and wings from Pizza Bella with a request for the food to be delivered to a residence in the 600 block of East Main Street on Nov. 14.
Eric Bieski, an employee for Pizza Bella, arrived in the area and asked Gardner for directions to the home. Gardner told Bieski he didn’t know the home.
As Bieski walked away, Gardner shoved him against a wall and aimed a handgun at his chest while demanding money. Gardner fled with money and three pizzas and an order of wings.

12/1/2006
A man who went on a bank robbery spree in the Wyoming Valley in August and September pleaded guilty to federal charges in U.S. District Court on Thursday.

Keith Jeffrey Golomb, of Horizon Village, Wright Township, could face up to 100 years in federal prison and a fine of $1.2 million when he is sentenced at a later date.
Golomb, 36, pleaded guilty to five counts of bank robbery and incidental crimes before U.S. District Judge William J. Nealon.
According to the indictment filed on Sept. 26:
Golomb was accused of robbing a branch of Wachovia Bank in Plains Township on Aug. 17, attempting to rob a branch of PNC Bank in Wilkes-Barre Township and successfully robbing the Wilkes-Barre Postal Credit Union in Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 18, robbing the Vantage Trust Federal Credit Union in Nanticoke on Aug. 28, and robbing a branch of Citizens Bank in Wilkes-Barre on Sept. 5.
U.S. Assistant Attorney John C. Gurganus prosecuted.
Attorney William Ruzzo represented Golomb.

11/22/2006
Two Hanover Township men were arrested by Nanticoke police on charges they burglarized a garage on East Grand Street on Nov. 16.

Police said Robert Novak III, 19, and Bryan T. Leikheim, 29, both from Oxford Street, were charged with burglary. They were arraigned before District Judge John Hasay in Shickshinny and remained jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $40,000 bail each.
Police said the men burglarized a garage and removed various power tools and lumber. Nanticoke and Hanover Township police searched Novak’s home and recovered 18 stolen items from the garage, police said.

11/22/2006
Police are investigating a Saturday burglary at a home on Slope Street.

Police said the suspects entered the double-block home by forcing open a side door at about 2:40 p.m. The homeowner reported cash and jewelry were stolen.
Police said the suspects had been watching the home because the owner was gone for about two hours.
Police said a number of burglaries have occurred in the past month, including homes that are being renovated.
Anyone with information about the burglaries is asked to contact police at 735-2200.

11/21/2006
Drug charges result in state prison time
By Wade Malcolm , Staff Writer

A Lehigh County man was sentenced to five to 10 years in state prison for selling cocaine out of a Nanticoke home near Pope John Paul II elementary school.
Matthew Vasquez, 26, of Allentown, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver and providing false identification to police during a drug bust in January at 21 W. Noble St. Investigators allege in court documents that they found Vasquez with almost 20 grams of cocaine and bundles of cash exceeding $2,000.
Luzerne County Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. also ordered Vasquez to pay $105 in restitution to the state police and gave him credit for 303 days served as part of the sentence.

11/16/2006
Cops arrest wanted sex offender
Police investigating robbery find criminal who hadn’t reported address living near playground.By elewis@timesleader.com

A sex offender from Florida who had registered with state police as living in Mechanicsburg was actually illegally living across the street from athletic fields and a playground in the Hanover Section of Nanticoke, police said.
Frederick Jaibee Rosario, 31, was arrested Tuesday while police were investigating an armed robbery of a man delivering pizza for Pizza Bella in the 600 Block of Main Street shortly before 10 p.m., said Capt. Detective William Shultz.
Rosario was seen climbing up onto a roof of a home at 141 Loomis St., Shultz said.
Not knowing if Rosario was the suspect in the armed robbery, police detained Rosario until his identification was learned, Shultz said.
A criminal record check showed Rosario was wanted by Collier County, Fla., authorities for failing to register his address as a sex offender, Shultz said.
Rosario’s wife, Jennifer Rosario, told Nanticoke police that they had been living at 424 Front St. since July 17, according to the criminal complaint filed by officers Bryan Kata and Brian Kivler.
The Rosarios’ residence on Front Street is directly across the street from the Hanover Recreation Club Park that has a playground, Shultz said.
According to records from the Florida Department of Corrections, Rosario was convicted of two counts of lewd sexual battery of a child stemming from an incident on July 1, 1995. He was sentenced July 3, 1997, and served five years of a six-year sentence.
Rosario was released from a Florida prison on May 1, 2001, and listed his address with Florida authorities as Hendry Street, Immokalee, Fla., according to Florida DOC records.
Rosario listed his Pennsylvania address with the state police on June 3, 2003, as 5325 Oxford Drive, Apt. 118, in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, according to the state’s Megan’s Law Web site and the criminal complaint.
Under Megan’s Law in Pennsylvania, registered sex offenders are required to notify the state police within 10 days of any change of residence or establishment of an additional residence.
Nanticoke police charged Rosario with failure to comply with registration of sexual offender’s requirements, false identification to law enforcement authorities and being a fugitive from justice. He was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 21 in Central Court.
Shultz said the investigation in the armed robbery of the man delivering pizza is continuing.

9/22/2006
Three men from Nanticoke face burglary charges in Luzerne County Court for allegedly breaking into a garage and stealing musical equipment.

Micca Heppding, 26, South Hanover Street, and brothers Robert Zaremba, 20, of East State Street, and Matthew Zaremba, 19, of West Main Street, are accused of breaking a window at a garage on Orchard Street, Nanticoke, on July 5 and stealing three guitars, a guitar stand, a microphone and a synthesizer valued at more than $2,000, Nanticoke police said in arrest papers.
Police said the trio attempted to sell the guitars at a music store.
On Thursday, Senior District Judge Andrew Barilla in Central Court forwarded burglary charges against Heppding and Matthew Zaremba to trial.
Robert Zaremba faces trial on charges of burglary and criminal conspiracy to commit burglary for his alleged role.

9/20/2006
Man charged in armed robbery
Times Leader staff

Police arrested a man who they believe robbed the Variety Store with a gun earlier this month.
Ryan Nash, 27, East Grand Street, Nanticoke, was charged with robbery, theft, receiving stolen property, recklessly endangering another person, firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of instruments of crime and former convict not to own a firearm. He was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and remanded back to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
It is the second time in less than a week Nash has been charged with robbery.
Wilkes-Barre police accused Nash of robbing Regal’s Tavern on Blackman Street with a gun on Sept. 2.
According to the latest criminal complaint filed by township Patrolman Levi Gibbon:
Nash entered the Variety Store on East Main Street and told the clerk he wanted to buy a pack of cigarettes. When the clerk turned around, Nash told her, “Empty the drawer and hurry up. I’m sorry but I have kids to feed.”
Nash showed the clerk a gun. He fled the store with a small amount of cash.
The store’s owner, Beverly Banks, said the surveillance recording system was not working at the time.
Nash is also a person of interest in an armed robbery at a Turkey Hill Minit Market, Plains Township, on Sept. 12.
Nash has criminal convictions in Luzerne County Court for violating a protection from abuse order, criminal trespass and receiving stolen property, according to court records.
A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. in Central Court.

9/20/2006
More charges for suspected bank robber
By EDWARD LEWIS elewis@leader.net

A man is facing another set of charges connected to a credit union robbery late last month.
Keith Golomb, 38, allegedly told police that he robbed the Vantage Trust Federal Credit Union, South Market Street, on Aug. 28 and used the money to buy heroin, police said.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Capt. Detective William Shultz:
Golomb was seen outside the credit union urinating against a wall and a vehicle, and acting suspiciously on a front sidewalk.
Golomb entered the credit union and passed a note to a teller that said, “This is no joke and don’t alert anyone.”
The teller activated a silent alarm as Golomb fled the bank with cash. He ran to the Prospect Street Café where he gave a patron $30 to give him a ride out of town.
Police found a palm print belonging to Golomb on the credit union’s door.
Golomb was charged with two counts of robbery and a single count of theft. He was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and remanded to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
Tuesday’s arrest is the fourth for Golomb since Sept. 7.
Golomb has been accused of robbing a Wachovia Bank branch on state Route 315 in Plains Township on Aug. 17, and attempting to rob the PNC Bank branch near Blackman Street in Wilkes-Barre Township on Aug. 18.
Wilkes-Barre police accused Golomb last week of robbing the Citizens Bank branch on Kidder Street on Sept. 5.
Golomb’s total bail on all the charges stands at $645,000, according to court records.
A preliminary hearing on the different charges is tentatively set for 9 a.m. Sept. 25 in Central Court.

8/29/2006
Vantage Trust Federal Credit Union robbed

A suspect described as a white male in his mid-20s robbed the Vantage Trust Federal Credit Union around 11 a.m. Monday, police said.
The man entered the credit union, located at 158 S. Market St., and demanded $5,000 in $100, $50 and $20 bills. He told the teller he had a gun and kept his hand under his shirt.
When the teller turned over an undetermined amount of cash, he insisted on more.
He fled on foot, heading north on Market Street and cutting through a parking lot leading to Locust Street. Police found a blue-jean shirt he was described as wearing on South Prospect Street.
The suspect is between 5 feet 10 inches tall and 6 feet tall, with a small to medium build. He was unshaven and wearing blue jeans, the blue-jean shirt and a tan-and-blue baseball cap.
Anyone with information is asked to call Nanticoke police at 735-2200.

8/17/2006
Burglary at GNA
Police are investigating a burglary at Greater Nanticoke Area High School, 425 Kosciuszko St., on Tuesday night. Investigators said there were no signs of forced entry but several rooms were ransacked on the second floor and two laptop computers were stolen, one from the first floor and one from the second.
Police think the burglar or burglars took personal items from teachers’ desks, such as a tool set, CDs and change. Police think they left the school through the southeast shop doors that lead to the rear parking lot.
School officials are trying to determine what was stolen because school is not in session.

8/14/2006
Police investigating ATV thefts

Police in Nanticoke and Wilkes-Barre Township are investigating the thefts of two all-terrain-vehicles that occurred on Saturday and Sunday.
Rebecca and Jeffrey Josef of West Union Street, Nanticoke reported their 2001 Yamaha was stolen Saturday around 2:56 p.m. by two men who had come to look at the vehicle, which was for sale. One of the men took it for a test drive and drove off without returning. The other male, who was in a truck, also fled the area.
One of the men identified himself as “Adam.” He is described as a white male in his early to mid 20’s with jet black hair and a couple of tattoos on one of his arms. The other suspect is described as a white male in his early to mid 20’s, about 6 feet tall with short black hair. He has tattoos on one arm from top to bottom and earrings in his nose, ear and lip. They were driving a late 1980’s to early 1990’s truck, possibly a Ford Ranger that is maroon or brown over white.
In the Wilkes-Barre Township case, George Elko reported someone stole his 2005 Yamaha at around 3 p.m. Sunday. Details of how that theft occurred were not immediately available Monday morning. The suspect is described as a white male, about 6 feet, 2 inches tall with short black hair and a “USMC” tattoo on his left forearm.
Anyone with information is asked to call Nanticoke Police at 735-2800 or Wilkes-Barre Township Police at 208-4635 ext. 874.

8/4/2006
4 drug suspects charged

Police say they shut down two drug houses Tuesday night resulting in the arrest of four people.
Capt. Detective William Shultz said Peggy Stewart, 50, Kevin Raymond Jones, 52, both from 303 E. Union St., and Declum Sealey, 21, New York City, were arrested after police found 25 grams of crack cocaine inside the residence.
Shultz said seven packets of marijuana and $600 also were found inside the residence.
Stewart, Jones and Sealey are charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal conspiracy and criminal use facility.
Stewart is being held at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $15,000 bail. Sealey is jailed on $5,000 bail. Information about Jones’ bail was not available Wednesday afternoon.
After the drug raid on East Union Street, Shultz said officers raided the apartment of James Cobley, 24, at 76 W. Broad St. Shultz said police seized 401 grams of marijuana.
Cobley is charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and delivery of a controlled substance.
Information about Cobley’s bail was not available Wednesday afternoon.

7/13/2006
Man sentenced to prison

James Spence, 39, of Nanticoke, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbing two banks and violating his supervised release from prison.
U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Marino said Spence admitted to robbing the First National Community Bank in Nanticoke of $1,290 on April 28, 2004, and robbing the Omega Bank in State College of $1,600 on April 29, 2004.
In both robberies, Spence gave tellers a note and said he had a gun.
Spence pleaded guilty in March 2006 to two counts of bank robbery.
Spence also committed both robberies while on supervised release from a prior bank robbery conviction.
District Chief Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie sentenced Spence.

7/12/2006
Man sentenced to prison

Jason Zidek, 28, of Shickshinny, was sentenced recently to five to 10 years in state prison for robbing a Nanticoke pharmacy.
Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Joseph Augello sentenced Zidek on charges of robbery, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance in three separate cases.
Nanticoke police said Zidek in October 2004 entered Spotanski’s Pharmacy on Prospect Street and said he had a gun while demanding OxyContin. The owner said he had none, and Zidek jumped over the counter and began rooting through drawers. He grabbed some painkiller patches and ran for the door, where he engaged in a physical struggle with the store owner.
Zidek fled and was later arrested.

6/6/2006
Man sentenced to prison

Leo Jarmusik, 23, with addresses in Newport and Lehman townships, was sentenced Monday to three to six years in a state prison, followed by three years of probation on numerous charges.
Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. sentenced Jarmusik on charges of burglary, criminal trespass, theft, criminal conspiracy and receiving stolen property in five criminal cases.
In one case, Nanticoke police said, Jarmusik and another man in August 2005 broke into an East Union Street residence and stole numerous items, including a computer and DVDs, and later sold them.
In another case, Nanticoke police said Jarmusik and another man in January 2006 broke into an Apollo Circle home and stole numerous items.

6/04/2006
Man shot in racial dispute
Robert Zaremba is listed in stable condition after the West Main Street incident.
By jdavidson@leader.net

Gunshots rang out on West Main Street early Saturday morning when a racially charged confrontation turned violent, police said.
A Nanticoke man, 20-year-old Robert Zaremba, was shot three times — once in each leg and once in the left side of his chest — at about 12:46 a.m. Saturday after he and a group of friends exchanged racial slurs with a group of black men in the 100 block of West Main Street.
Zaremba was flown to Community Medical Center in Scranton, where he was in stable condition Saturday.
According to police:
Zaremba and three friends, all of whom are white, encountered a group of five black men and a white woman at the Uni-Mart on Main Street.
The groups traded racial epithets and then left the store. As the two groups walked west down West Main Street they continued yelling slurs at each other.
Near Hanover Street Zaremba wound up in the middle of the road with the gunman, who was described as a black man with beaded corn rows, approximately 20 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall and about 150 pounds.
The man, who was also wearing a black basketball jersey with the number 7 on it, pulled out a handgun and fired five or six shots, three of which hit Zaremba, and then ran away with the others in his group to the area of Apollo Circle.
During a search of the crime scene police discovered the front and back windshield of a resident of West Main Street was shattered by gunfire.
Police called the shooting racially motivated but not gang-related, saying Zaremba and his friends are not members of a gang. Police are unsure if the suspected shooter and his group are affiliated with a gang. Police are also unsure if the groups knew each other.
The owner of the Uni-Mart, where the confrontation began, said police plan to review his security tapes in hopes of identifying the shooter.

5/28/2006
Drug Deal Broken

Patrolmen broke up a drug deal at a West Church Street car wash Thursday night after they recognized a truck used in past drug deals in the area, police said.
That night, John Burton Derhammer Jr. was arrested on charges of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, corruption of minors and furnishing alcohol to minors.
According to police:
Officers saw two trucks, a Ford and a GMC, parked in car wash stalls. It was raining.
A man, later identified as Robert Gogola, got out of the Ford and quickly started toward the GMC, which police recognized as Derhammer’s vehicle. Gogola went to the driver’s side door and tried to hand something through the window but quickly pulled his hand away when he saw police approaching. Police asked Gogola what was in his hand and he revealed he was holding $80 cash.
Gogola then told police he was washing the mud off his truck. When police saw that the Ford had no mud on it and then said they knew who Derhammer was and what he was doing, Gogola told police he wouldn’t insult them and said that he was there to buy crack cocaine from Derhammer.
Inside the GMC, police found Derhammer with two teenage girls, Theresa Daniels, 18, and a 17-year-old whose name was not released. Police also found two freshly opened bottles of beer, a crack pipe, pill bottles, hypodermic needles, a digital scale and numerous bags of crack cocaine — as well as loose pieces of crack — all over the truck.
The teenagers, who police thought were under the influence of drugs and alcohol, were taken to the police station, where they said they met Derhammer at the car wash and then went around town with him as he sold crack at several locations before going to a wooded area to smoke crack and then coming back to the car wash to meet Gogola.
Derhammer resisted being interviewed by police and said only that there was no crack in the GMC and that police found nothing on him. He was taken to Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $25,000 straight bail.

5/19/2006
Cop dragged by car

Police Officer Bryan Kata was dragged alongside a car Wednesday after he reached inside the vehicle while trying to arrest a 29-year-old man wanted on an outstanding warrant.
Officers saw David Matthews, also know as “Orb,” around 9:40 a.m. near State Street. Police followed Matthew’s Lincoln Town Car and activated flashing lights and sirens, but Matthews failed to stop, police said.
According to a police account, officers then pulled a cruiser in front of Matthews’s car, and Kata approached the vehicle, reached inside and attempted to turn off the ignition.
Matthews continued driving and dragged Kata, police said. Officers eventually managed to stop Matthews in his car, and after he spent a few moments refusing to unlock the doors, he was taken into custody.
He was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, simple assault, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, flight to avoid apprehension or punishment, driving with a suspended license and other related charges.

4/14/2006
Man: I’m scapegoat for cops
Josh Hallas says Nanticoke police are using him as an example to show they are doing something in their fight against drugs in the city.
By rsweeney@leader.net

Though he has admitted to lying to police about cocaine stolen from his car, Josh Hallas said he believes he’s been unjustly targeted by a police department looking to score a public victory in its fight against drugs.
“Basically that’s how it goes,” Hallas said Thursday. “You think police officers are there to help you; sometimes they seem to be there to screw you.
“I think they might be using me as a scapegoat because there’s pressure on them … to reduce the amount of drug activity. They’re using me as an example to make it look public that they are doing something.”
According to police, Hallas reported on Saturday that a $6,500 brick of cocaine was stolen from his unlocked car.
Hallas maintains the report was “embellished” and his comment was a “sarcastic remark” while he and the reporting officer “were joking about it.”
Hallas said he really came in to report items stolen from his unlocked 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis: a portable stereo, an auto inspection sticker and Xanax, a tranquilizer for which police confirmed he has a prescription.
On Wednesday, Hallas admitted to lying about the cocaine during a second interview with police and will be charged with making false reports.
“The police officer who took the (original) report did not blow it out of proportion,” police Capt. William Shultz said. “Evidently, all he was in there to complain about was the cocaine.”
Hallas said he’s “financially screwed right now” and needs “something in the newspaper stating that I’m a decent person” before he is allowed to return to his carpentry job.
Shultz wasn’t ready to make that endorsement. “How am I to say he’s a decent person or not a decent person? He’s been arrested before. I’ve personally never had any issues with him, and he did cooperate during this investigation,” he said.
Hallas said several times to a reporter that he is not a drug user and has never been arrested before, but Luzerne County records and police reports show otherwise.
Shultz said Hallas has been arrested in Nanticoke twice before, both in 2003, on charges including assault and receiving stolen property. Shultz said Hallas pleaded guilty to the stolen property charge, but he couldn’t recall how the assault case was resolved.
He has been charged in at least seven other incidents, most recently on Jan. 16 in Wilkes-Barre in which police said he admitted to being a heroin user after an officer found a spoon with heroin residue and a syringe in his truck. Police charged him with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Shultz said the previous charges could affect Hallas’ penalty if he is convicted of the false reports charge, which carries a maximum of one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
“We’re here to do our job. We didn’t go looking for him, he came to us,” Shultz said. “We’re certainly not going to use him as a scapegoat. He’s going to say anything he wants to at this point.”

4/13/2006
Man to be charged with making false reports to Nanticoke police
Cocaine story leads to charges
By rsweeney@leader.net

Remember the joke where the carpenter walks into a police station and says he lied about a brick of cocaine being stolen from his unlocked car?
You know, the one with the punch line: And then he was charged with making false reports to law enforcement officers.
Josh Hallas’ initial report Saturday that $6,500 worth of cocaine was stolen, plus his alleged remark about it “snowing” in his car, turned out to be a snow job, according to police Capt. William Shultz.
Shultz re-interviewed Hallas on Wednesday to get to the “meat and potatoes” of the matter.
Hallas, 24, changed his statement, saying only auto inspection stickers, a portable stereo and prescription Xanax, a tranquilizer, worth an estimated total of $400, were stolen from his 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis overnight Friday.
“He gave me a statement that he lied to the police,” Shultz said.
That admission could potentially cost Hallas $2,500 in fines and up to a year in jail.
Shultz said Hallas was allowed to leave after the interview, but will be charged.
If convicted, Hallas would probably not face jail time, but he could face fines and would “definitely” be on probation, Shultz said.
Hallas couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.
Hallas said Tuesday that he’d “rather have the charges than have (the stolen cocaine story) out there” because his “a-- is on the line” with his employer, who wouldn’t allow him to return to work.
He characterized the situation as an offhand, “sarcastic remark” that police “embellished” in their report.
“I was just being a wisea--. … We were joking about it,” he said Tuesday.
Shultz didn’t get the humor.
“He refers to it as joking around,” Shultz said. “Either you lied or you told the truth.”
The drama has captured the attention of producers at CourtTV, who Shultz said called his office interested in doing a story.
Shultz said he inspected Hallas’ car and found no drug residue. He said he was trying to verify that the car had, in fact, been inspected by a garage and that Hallas has a valid prescription for Xanax.

4/12/2006
Police say man’s coke story no joke
By rsweeney@leader.net

Ever hear Josh Hallas’ joke about the brick of cocaine stolen from his car?
Neither had the city’s police department – which is why they weren’t laughing when the 24-year-old told them Tuesday that he was being sarcastic when he mentioned a missing $6,500 brick of cocaine in his theft report on Saturday.
“They embellished that totally; they took it out of proportion,” Hallas said, adding he had consumed “a couple” of beers before making his report. “I was just being a wisea--. … We were joking about it.”
So can the police take a joke?
“You mean a lie?” asked Capt. William Shultz.
Shultz said if the cocaine had been found, Hallas could have faced drug charges.
Shultz will give Hallas a second chance to report the thefts from his vehicle this morning.
This time, Hallas says he plans to leave out the part about the cocaine. But that might not get him off the hook.
If Hallas changes his story, Shultz said “he will be charged” with making false reports to law enforcement officers.
Hallas disputes what police have already reported.
For starters, police said he lives on West Ridge Street, but he said he resides at a house in Dallas most of the time.|
In a police report issued Sunday, Hallas told police that he had driven to Philadelphia and purchased cocaine on Friday. On Tuesday, Hallas maintained he never went to Philadelphia or bought cocaine, nor did he tell police he went to Philadelphia to buy cocaine. And he said he didn’t mention it was “snowing” in the car in reference to the stolen drugs, as reported by police.
What was really stolen from his car, Hallas said Tuesday, were his auto inspection stickers, a stereo from the back seat, and Xanax, a tranquilizer, for which he said he has a prescription.
He said his 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis, which can’t be locked, was moved slightly from where he parked it Friday night, which led him to believe someone took the vehicle and later returned it.
Hallas, who works as a carpenter for a local construction company, said the ordeal has left him “burnt out.” He said his employer hasn’t allowed him to work since police released the reports.
“I’d rather have (making false reports) charges than have this out there,” he said. “My a-- is on the line.”
Shultz chuckled at the jam Hallas got himself into.
“He’s said so many things,” Shultz said, laughing. “One way or another, maybe he’s going to be arrested.”

Nanticoke police say Joshua Hallas reported cocaine stolen from car. Hallas denies that.
By RORY SWEENEY
Joshua Hallas is waiting for a retraction from the Nanticoke Police Department, but police say he shouldn’t hold his breath.
The best he can hope for is that the department never finds property they say he reported stolen.
Police reported Sunday that Hallas, 24, of West Ridge Street, came to police headquarters Saturday to report that his 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis had been moved overnight and that some items were taken. Pressed for further information, Hallas said it was “snowing” in his car, in reference to an item stolen from the car.
Finally, according to the police report, he said a $6,500 brick of cocaine, which he had purchased during a trip to Philadelphia the previous day, was missing.
The incident was printed in the Times Leader on Monday.
Upon learning of the printed report late that afternoon, Hallas said he went to police headquarters again, but this time to complain about the article.
He says the incident “didn’t happen.”
Told that the Times Leader’s policy is to print retractions on police incident reports only after receiving an official retraction from the police department, Hallas said, “You’ll have one (Tuesday).”
According to Nanticoke police Capt. William Shultz: “It’s not gonna happen.
“The article stands as is. What he says is what he says, and there’s no way we’re going to do a retraction.”
Shultz told Hallas the most he would do was discuss the situation with Chief James Cheshinski.
Shultz said that when Hallas came to the station Monday, Hallas claimed he wanted to report a stolen stereo the first time he came, on Saturday. There was no mention of a stolen stereo in the police report.
Regarding the stolen cocaine brick, Shultz said Hallas wanted that to be confidential.
“He claims he wanted to report a stereo stolen … and in the process gave up that information about the drugs,” Shultz said.
He said Hallas is well known to the department and has been involved with them before on drug issues, but “nothing that he’s been arrested for.”
He said the confusion might have come because Hallas is often on the record one moment with his statements and then off the record the next.
He said it would be difficult to charge Hallas with drug possession without evidence and said the vehicle had “apparently not” been checked for residues. He didn’t know if it would be checked.
However, Schultz said that if, through an interview, Hallas’ story about the drugs turns out to be untrue, he could be charged with making a false report.
Joshua Hallas’ theft report might land him in trouble.
The 24-year-old, of 49 W. Ridge St., reported on Saturday that overnight someone moved his 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis, which was left unlocked.
After checking the car, he realized something was missing. He told police, in reference to the stolen item, it had been “snowing,” in his car. He then added that a $6,500 brick of cocaine was missing, which he had purchased during a trip to Philadelphia the previous day, police said.
The investigation continues and possible charges are pending, police said.

2/22/2006
Guilty plea entered in friend’s death Obaza given state prison sentence for killing Novak
BY ROBERT KALINOWSKI STAFF WRITER

A 19-year-old man pleaded guilty Tuesday to running over and killing his best friend with a Jeep last summer in a wooded area of Nanticoke, an act he reportedly once told police was a “mercy killing.”
Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella immediately sentenced Brandon Obaza to serve six to 12 years in state prison after the Nanticoke teen accepted the third-degree murder plea agreement
Investigators charged Obaza in August with intentionally driving over 25-year-old Stephen S. Novak on July 17 in a remote area off West Main Street, leaving Novak pinned underneath the vehicle. Novak died of severe head trauma.
Novak’s dad, Stephen Novak Sr., was unhappy with Obaza’s punishment.
“I thought it was weak,” the 54-year-old father said of the sentence while walking to his car. “There’s people who steal stuff that get more time. But, I’m not a lawyer, just a heartbroken dad.”
If anything good came from Tuesday’s plea, it’s that the families of the former close friends finally got some closure, Novak said.
As Obaza’s parents, David and Susan Obaza, were leaving the courtroom, his mother offered a simple comment to sum up the family’s feelings.
“Relieved,” she said, as the family stepped into an elevator.
After agreeing to accept the plea, Obaza declined an opportunity to address the courtroom prior to sentencing.
Obaza faced a maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of six years, Ciavarella reminded him.
Ciavarella took about a minute to rule that Obaza should spend six to 12 years in state prison, giving him credit for time served from mid-July when Obaza was admitted to First Hospital Wyoming Valley in Kingston after a suicide attempt following the murder.
Following the court hearing, Obaza’s other attorney, Shelly Centini, said her client is more remorseful than worried about his sentence. He could be out of jail by the time he’s 25, while his friend’s family will never get to see their loved one again, she said.
| “It’s a life sentence in his own mind. It was his best friend, his only friend,” Centini said.
Questions will likely remain in this strange case forever, she said.
Why did Obaza do it?
“I think if you asked him, he doesn’t even know,” she said.
At Obaza’s preliminary hearing in September, a detective testified Obaza called Novak’s murder a “mercy killing” and that Novak “didn’t want to continue living.” Centini said the alleged statement was taken right before her client was admitted for a mental health treatment.
When the murder occurred, police noted that items used in satanic worship were found in the homes of both men. They investigated whether the occult was a motive behind the killing. The issue was not mentioned at Tuesday’s court session. Afterward, several prosecutors said there was no need to bring up the issue.
“I don’t know why this occurred. Stephen’s family doesn’t know why this occurred. I don’t even think the defendant understands why this occurred,” Ciavarella said prior to handing down the sentence. “I can’t understand how good friends do what they do.”

2/10/2006
Nanticoke police clear LCCC student with gun
The undergrad might still face disciplinary action for violating school policy, an official says.
By kamerman@leader.net

A Luzerne County Community College student who entered a campus building with a gun Wednesday has been cleared by authorities but could be disciplined by the school.
The student, whose name has not been released, has a permit to carry a concealed weapon, said Nanticoke Detective Capt. William Shultz. But he violated a school policy that prohibits firearms in the building.
Concerned students saw the student with the gun and notified security workers, who called police, according to Shultz and the school.
When the student was located he did not have the gun on him, but admitted to unintentionally possessing it on campus earlier in the day.
He was escorted from a campus building without incident by police, according to the college.
“We take these matters very seriously and immediately responded to protect out students and staff,” said Thomas P. Leary, vice president of student development, in a press release. “A decision regarding disciplinary action will be made immediately with the primary concern being the safety of the entire college community.”
Shultz said Thursday he did not have the student’s name and even if he did, he “couldn’t, in good faith,” release it.
“The kid did nothing wrong (legally),” Shultz said. “It’s just a violation of school policy.”

1/27/2006
Nanticoke man admits his guilt in assaulting Nanticoke City police officer

A Nanticoke man who confessed to setting fires to two vehicles owned by the Ashley police chief pleaded guilty Thursday in Luzerne County Court to assaulting a police officer.
Eric Keefe, 24, East Green Street, pleaded guilty before President Judge Michael Conahan to aggravated assault, terroristic threats, loitering, criminal attempt to commit trespass. He also pleaded guilty to unrelated charges of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal mischief and harassment.
Nanticoke police accused Keefe of burglarizing Spontanski’s Pharmacy, South Prospect Street, on Oct. 8.
Keefe was taken to police headquarters, where he assaulted Sgt. Kevin Grevera and Officer Bryan Kata.
Keefe admitted to Nanticoke police that he burned two personal vehicles owned by Ashley Police Chief David Cerski.
Cerski could not be reached for comment Thursday.

10/14/2005
Newport teen to stand trial in home invasion
By:Robert Kalinowski

A 19-year-old man police say tried to rob a Nanticoke couple at gunpoint in August will stand trial in Luzerne County Court.
The couple, Jennifer Souder and Josh Kirkpatrick, testified Wednesday that David Maslar put a gun to Kirkpatrick's head and demanded money the evening of Aug. 19 at their East Green Street home.
After a 20-minute preliminary hearing, District Judge Donald Whittaker, Nanticoke, ruled to send robbery and related charges against the Newport Township man to county court.
Whittaker remanded Maslar to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in $50,000 cash bail.
In her testimony, Souder said she let a man, later identified as Maslar, into the home because he asked for her boyfriend by name and assumed he was Kirkpatrick's friend.
She said Kirkpatrick recognized the man as Maslar, before Maslar put a handkerchief over his face and pulled out a gun.
Souder said she tried to call 911 when the man pulled the gun, but the man slapped the phone out of her hand. She then went to check on her 8-month-old baby and fled to call 911 from her mother's apartment.

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

10/11/2005
Suspect: I blew up' chief's car
By Edward Lewis Staff Writer

A Nanticoke man who was arrested on burglary charges Saturday night confessed to setting two arson fires that destroyed vehicles owned by Ashley Borough's police chief, police said.
Eric Keefe, 24, East Green Street. Nanticoke, was apprehended on suspicion of burglarizing Spontanski's Pharmacy, South Prospect Street.
He was taken to police headquarters, where he assaulted Sgt. Kevin Grevera and Officer Bryan Kata, Capt. Bill Shultz said.
"Kevin has a large contusion on his head and was hit in the face by the defendant's saliva,' Shultz said. "He was treated at Wilkes-Barre General and is doing OK."
During the struggle, Keefe told police, "I have hepatitis (expletive)," and spat in Grevera's face, according to the criminal complaint.
After assaulting Grevera and Kate, Keefe continued to threaten the officers.
He also admitted to burning two personal vehicles owned by Ashley Police Chief Dave Cerski, police said.
`... I blew up Cerski's cars. I'm gonna burn your (expletive) houses down," Keefe told police, according to the criminal complaint.
Cerski said he spoke with Shultz about Keefe's alleged admission and plans to contact the Luzerne County district attorney's office.
Cerski arrested Keefe on assault charges in May 2002, for loitering near an Ashley police officer's home in October 2000, and most recently, for assaulting a man over a drug debt in August, according to court records.
Keefe was arraigned by District Judge Paul J. Roberts Jr., Kingston. He was charged with recklessly endangering
another person, terroristic threats, assault by prisoner, criminal attempt to commit burglary and related charges. He is being held at the county correctional facility in lieu of $15,000 bail.
Shultz said broken glass found on the bottom of Keefe's sneaker and a shoe print found on a door placed Keefe at the pharmacy.
Shultz said police were preparing to stake out the pharmacy because of an incident involving Keefe earlier in the day.
"Our initial contact with the defendant occurred Oct. 6 when his brother (Michael Keefe) called to report an overdose,"Shultz said. "We found him attempting to flush a large quantity of prescription pills down a toilet."
Shultz said Keefe called the police department Saturday and demanded the return of the prescription pills. When police refused to return the pills, Keefe threatened to harm the officers.
"Hours later, we found tires flattened on two police cruisers and another tire on a municipal pickup truck," Shultz said.
Shultz said the vehicles were parked behind the municipal building and the mischief occurred during the day.
"For someone like that with a violent behavior, we knew something was up," Shultz said. "We knew he lived near Spontanski's drug store, and we were getting ready to stake it out when we noticed the smashed window"
Keefe was allegedly heard behind the store attempting to kick in the door.
He ran when police spotted him and was apprehended after a brief pursuit.

9/29/2005
Majority of charges in Newport Twp. robbery withdrawn
By Edward Lewis , Staff Writer

Prosecutors withdrew most of the criminal charges against three Nanticoke men and dropped the case against a fourth for their alleged roles in separate residential robberies in Newport Township last month.
Zachary Hallas, 22, Richard Simon, 20, and Jason Demski, 22, will face trial in Luzerne County Court on a single count of criminal conspiracy to commit simple assault.
Felony charges of robbery and burglary and misdemeanor charges of theft and criminal trespass were withdrawn against the three men at a preliminary hearing before District Judge Donald Whittaker of Nanticoke on Wednesday.
Prosecutors opted not to pursue robbery and related charges against Daniel Banks, 19, for his alleged role in a home invasion on Robert Street on Aug. 29.
Carol Crane, spokeswoman for the Luzerne County district attorney's office, said the investigation was reviewed and a determination was made to dismiss certain charges against Hallas, Simon and Demski, and to dismiss the case against Banks.
"When the assistant district attorney reviewed the charges, he determined appropriately that there was no evidence to support those charges," Crane said. "For instance, they were charged with burglary, but when we listened to the 911 tape, it showed they knocked on the door and didn't force their way inside. The evidence didn't support the charges."
Newport Township police said Hallas, Simon and Banks entered the home on Robert Street and demanded money from two people. After the victims said they didn't have any money, the three men fled with six DVDs and a pack of cigarettes.
Demski was allegedly involved with Hallas and Simon in a home invasion on East Main Street the same night. Police said no items were stolen from the East Main Street home.
Hallas was released from the county correctional facility on his own recognizance after his bail was changed while Simon was released after posting $30,000 bail.
Demski remained incarcerated at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility Wednesday in lieu of $10,000 bail.

9/24/2005
Teen jailed for threats, beating up boy, say cops
Corey A. Davis of Nanticoke faces burglary and assault charges in incident with boy, his mom.
By bmalina@leader.net

A Nanticoke teen was charged with burglary and assault after beating up a juvenile and threatening to “slice” the boy’s mother at their East Green Street home, police said.
Corey A. Davis, 18, of Coal Street, punched the juvenile in the face, stomach and ribs at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, police said.
About 15 minutes later the boy told his mother, Trish Cartwright, that Davis and two other people were outside the home making threats, police said.
According to police:
Cartwright confronted Davis, who told her he was going to hurt her son. Davis then entered the Cartwright’s yard, grabbed Cartwright by the hair and slammed a fence gate into her, causing her to fall to the ground. Davis then entered their home.
Cartwright followed Davis inside and told him she was going to call police. Davis grabbed the phone out of her hand and told her “he was going to slice her up when he comes back.”
Cartwright then pushed him out of the house. Davis then left the scene, making threats to kill her family, she said.
Davis is charged with burglary, criminal trespass, simple assault and harassment. He also faces charges of criminal trespass in connection with a Sept. 16 incident on the Greater Nanticoke Area school property between the high school and the elementary school on Kosciuszko Street.
Detective William Shultz said Davis had been warned in writing in the past not to enter school grounds. He is not a student.
He was arraigned before District Justice Donald Whittaker and is held at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $25,000 bail.

9/20/2005
Arnold admits guilt in murder
By Edward Lewis , Staff Writer

Fighting back tears, Jacqueline Havard said the tragic loss of her son, Nicholas, destroyed relationships and families.
"Nick was the youngest of two boys," Jacqueline Havard said Monday in Luzerne County Court. "I'll never again enjoy his company. I'll never see him grow old. He was well liked by is co-workers.
"He is lost because of a stupid, tragic mistake someone else made," she said. "The actions of one person destroyed families. Nothing he can say or do will bring Nick back to us."
Nicholas Havard, 18, was killed when Mark Arnold, 38, shot him in the face outside a bar on Old Newport Street, Newport Township, on May 4, 2004.
Arnold pleaded guilty to third- degree murder and firearms not to be carried without a license before Judge Hugh Mundy. He was sentenced to eight to 16 years in a state correctional institution.
"What Mr. Arnold did was totally unacceptable," said Daniel Waramonski, whose daughter, Brooke, was engaged to Nicholas.
Waramonski said Nicholas was working for his construction company and knew what kind of donuts and soda he liked.
"It was such a foolish act; I still can't believe it," Waramonski said. "I still can't believe Nick is gone. May he rest in peace."
Arnold expressed his sorrow to the Havard and Waramonski families through his lawyers, Frank Nocito and Joseph Nocito.
"This was a real human tragedy and a case with human emotions," said District Attorney David W. Lupas. "What happened in this case shows how people's lives can change in an instant."
"There are no winners in this case," said Assistant District Attorney Greg Fellerman, who along with Assistant District Attorney Matt Golden, prosecuted Arnold. "Mr. Arnold used real bad judgment."
Arnold's lawyer, Frank Nocito, said, "It was a fair and just resolution to the case."
Arnold learned that a group of kids were looking for his son, Charles Arnold, who was being blamed for allegedly assaulting Luke Capie.
Arnold and several members of his family drove around the Nanticoke and Newport Township areas looking for the kids when they saw three cars drive slowly past their home on Center Street, Newport Township.
Arnold followed the cars that stopped on Old Newport Street where he confronted the group. He pulled a .22 caliber handgun from his pants and shot Havard, according to the criminal complaint.
Arnold said he only intended to scare the group of kids.
Fellerman said Havard did not threaten Arnold before the deadly shooting.

9/16/2005
Home invasion victim now charged with similar crime
Police say Leo Jarmusik, of Glen Lyon, sold items he stole to two men from Nanticoke.By kamerman@leader.net

A few weeks ago, Leo Jarmusik was listed by police as a victim of a home invasion.
Now, Jarmusik is charged with two burglaries himself, including one which resulted in his home being invaded as retaliation.
Jarmusik, 23, and Benjamin Bonczewski, 22, both of Glen Lyon, have been charged with stealing 15 fishing rods and three tackle boxes, valued at about $1,000, from a boat in the garage of George and Helyn Hallas of Nanticoke.
They are also charged with burglarizing a Union Street home, stealing DVDs, CDs, toothbrushes, a sex toy, cash, a computer, a video game system and a mini motorized bike.
Jarmusik admitted to the crimes, which both occurred last month, and said he sold many of the items to two Nanticoke men, according to Nanticoke police. Police contacted the men and they identified Jarmusik as the one who sold them the items, police said.
Jarmusik and Bonczewski have been charged with criminal trespass, burglary, criminal conspiracy and theft.
Ironically, police arrested Jarmusik on Sept. 8 while investigating claims of a home invasion made by his girlfriend. Police searched the home and found Jarmusik hiding in a closet in the bathroom. He was apparently hiding because there was a warrant out for his arrest.
Also arrested were the people who allegedly tried to break into the home on Aug. 29: Richard Simon, 20, Zachary Hallas, 22, Jason Demski, 22 and a minor.
Simon and Hallas have been charged with burglary, criminal trespass, criminal conspiracy and loitering and prowling at night.
Demski has been charged with burglary, criminal trespass, criminal conspiracy and loitering and prowling at nighttime.
Simon told police that he and Hallas wanted to break in to get back at Jarmusik for allegedly burglarizing their families’ homes. Simon believes Jarmusik has burglarized his grandparents, police say. Simon said he planned on beating up Jarmusik, and taking him and the stolen items to police, according to a police report.
Simon Hallas, and Daniel Banks, listed as homeless, were also charged with a violent burglary that took place hours before they allegedly broke into Jarmusik’s home, but those charges have been dropped.
The men were charged with kicking down the front door of a Newport Township home at about 8:45 p.m. on Aug. 29, wearing black ski masks and holding knives. A victim told police Hallas placed a knife in his face and told him to give him money. After the victim said he had no money, Hallas punched him in the face and kicked him in the chest, the victim said.
The other victim originally told police that Banks punched him and his ski mask fell off before the men left with about six DVDs and a pack of cigarettes.
But now, the victim says it wasn’t Banks, according to Newport Township police officer Levi Gibbon Jr. Police took away the charges because of the claim by the victim that he misidentified Banks. Gibbon said he could interview the suspects again and file new charges.
Gibbon said it’s possible that the victims are claiming that they misidentified Banks because they’re afraid of retaliation.

9/8/2005
Nanticoke man gets trial in friend’s killing
Police: Brandon Obaza ran over Stephen Novak because Novak said he wanted to die.
By kamerman@leader.net

A young Nanticoke man who allegedly ran over his friend with a SUV and called it a “mercy killing” will be tried in Luzerne County court on a homicide charge.
District Judge Donald Whittaker decided at a preliminary hearing Wednesday that there is enough evidence against 19-year-old Brandon Obaza to warrant a trial.
Obaza, who has a thick black beard and shoulder-length hair, told authorities that he ran over Stephen Novak, 24, of Nanticoke, on old mine lands on July 16 after a night of drinking because Novak had asked him for years to kill him, according to the testimony of Luzerne County Detective Lt. Gary Capitano.
Luzerne County Deputy Coroner William Lisman said Novak died of “multiple trauma with crushing head injuries.”
Obaza’s attorney, Public Defender Bill Ruzzo, unsuccessfully petitioned Whittaker to dismiss Obaza’s lone charge of homicide.
“It’s plainly obvious that everyone here was intoxicated,” said Ruzzo, who, with Public Defender Shelley Centini, is defending the case. “One cannot form the specific intent to kill if one is intoxicated.”
Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Jeff Tokach said Ruzzo’s argument wasn’t relevant for a preliminary hearing. “I don’t think that’s a viable defense, but that’s for a later date. I don’t know how intoxicated he was. It’s not relevant. That’s a defense they may want to present at trial, but it’s not a defense for today.”
Obaza and Novak were drinking beer in the wooded area behind a Turkey Hill on the 400 block of West Main Street in Nanticoke with three other people who left before Novak was run over by the Jeep Cherokee owned by Obaza’s father, police said.
Obaza told authorities that Novak “didn’t want to go on living and didn’t care if he died,” Capitano said.
Obaza said “he could never see himself doing it,” but the beer he drank loosened him up, recounted Capitano.
Police obtained search warrants for the homes of Novak and Obaza, both of which are located on East Ridge Street in Nanticoke. Police found several items relating to the occult and satanic worship, according to court documents. Police said several guns were also found in the Jeep and Obaza’s house.
Obaza also told police that when he and Novak got drunk together, they did “unexplainable, impulsive and crazy things,” Capitano said.
After running over his friend, Obaza said he took a walk – which he told police seemed to last for days – then went home and loaded a handgun, Capitano said.
At about 2 a.m. on July 17, police interviewed Obaza’s father, David Obaza, telling him his son was a person of interest and giving him 15 minutes to remove all the guns from his home.
When David Obaza failed to call police back in 15 minutes, police called his home and spoke with Obaza’s mother, Susan.
Police said they heard a struggle in the background between Obaza and his father, and returned to the home to learn that Obaza had tried to shoot himself in the head before his father subdued him.
Obaza was taken into police custody and received a mental evaluation to see if his suicide attempt was “genuine,” said Capitano.
During the evaluation, Obaza admitted to the killing, police say.

9/8/2005
Mother of murder victim, suspect embrace after hearing
By Robert Kalinowski , Staff Writer

Barbara Thomas Yackimowski watched prosecutors piece together the pieces of her son's killing.
She heard testimony of an alleged confession from the Nanticoke man charged in the case.
Her son Stephen Novak's long-time best friend, Brandon Obaza, told police he intentionally ran over Novak with a Jeep on July 16 in a remote area of West Main Street, Nanticoke, prosecutors said.
Novak, 25, had a death wish and the crime was a "mercy killing," according to a statement Obaza allegedly gave to authorities.
Less than two minutes after District Judge Donald Whittaker ruled to forward a criminal homicide charge against Obaza to trial, Yackimowski and Obaza's mother, Susan, met face-to-face Wednesday in the Nanticoke courtroom.
They hugged. Then cried.
For about 45 seconds, these two grieving mothers sustained the emotional embrace as police led Obaza from the hearing.
None of the approximately 20 family members and friends of Obaza and Novak in attendance wished to comment on the case of a close friendship gone woefully awry.
Obaza, 19, was remanded without bail to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility to await trial.
Chief witness for the prosecution at Wednesday's preliminary hearing, Det. Lt. Gary Capitano, of the Luzerne County district attorney's office, focused on Obaza's alleged confession.
"Brandon Obaza indicated that for years Stephen Novak had requested him to do this -that he (Novak) didn't want to continue living," Capitano said. "As far as Brandon Obaza was concerned, he considered it a 'mercy killing.' "
Capitano also discussed other findings he says implicated Obaza and warranted an arrest.
Luzerne County Coroner Dr. George Hudock ruled Novak's death was homicide from multiple traumatic injuries, to which Chief Deputy Coroner William Lisman testified Wednesday.
Three witnesses, who said they consumed beers with Novak and Obaza prior to the incident, said they left the two friends alone in the wooded area.
Novak, 222 E. Ridge St., Nanticoke, was found pinned under the 1990 Jeep Cherokee, owned by Obaza's father, David, and primarily driven by Obaza.
Keys later seized from Obaza were successfully used to start the impounded Jeep's ignition.
Obaza was arrested and charged with Novak's death on Aug. 4 after spending more than two weeks in the psychiatric ward of First Hospital, Kingston, following a suicide attempt, police said.
Though in the early part of the investigation police highlighted the possibility of the killing having satanic and occult overtones - as items used in satanic worship were found in the homes of Obaza and Novak - the issue wasn't addressed at the hearing.
Obaza's public defender, William Ruzzo, unsuccessfully argued to dismiss the option of first-degree murder because Lisman didn't submit Novak's death certificate as evidence and both men were likely intoxicated and one can't form a specific intent to kill in such a state.
Following Whittaker's ruling that an open count of criminal homicide will move to trial, Ruzzo declined comment, saying it's too early in this stage of the case.

9/1/2005
Arrests made in two home invasions
Charged were Zachary Hallas, Richard Simon and Jason Demski, all of Nanticoke.
By kamerman@leader.net

Three men were arrested Tuesday in connection with two separate home invasions, police said.
During one incident, three men wearing black ski masks brandished knives and assaulted two men while demanding money.
Arrested were the following Nanticoke men: Zachary Hallas, 22; Richard Simon, 20; and Jason Demski, 22.
According to police:
Simon, Hallas and Daniel Banks kicked in the front door of a Newport Township home wearing black ski masks and holding knives on Monday at about 8:45 p.m. and demanded money from two men inside.
One of the victims said he has known the men who broke into the house for years. A victim told police Hallas placed a knife in his face and told him to give him money. After the victim said he had no money, Hallas punched him in the face and kicked him in the chest, the victim said .
Banks, who has not been apprehended, then punched the other victim on his head, causing a laceration. In the process, the ski mask Banks was wearing fell off. After finding no money, Simon, Hallas and Banks took about six DVDs and a pack of cigarettes. Hallas then kicked a stereo into the wall.
Less than two hours later, at 10:10 p.m., a woman called 911 to report that a group of men had broken into her East Main Street apartment. She said she locked herself in her bedroom with her 8-year-old child. Police saw four people – later identified as Simon, Hallas, Demski and a minor – run from the apartment and enter a silver car. An officer instructed the driver to stop, but the driver continued backing up. After the officer pulled out his gun, the driver stopped and the men got out of the car.
Simon and Hallas have been charged with burglary, criminal trespass, criminal conspiracy and loitering and prowling at night.
Demski has been charged with burglary, criminal trespass, criminal conspiracy and loitering and prowling at nighttime.
All three are in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of bail.

8/26/2005
Nanticoke Man Sentenced

A Nanticoke man was sentenced Monday to 31 to 75 months in a state prison for firing 10 shots at a man in Newport Township last year.
Christopher Banks, 23, of East State Street, pleaded guilty in June to aggravated assault and a firearms charge in connection with the Nov. 25 shooting at the home of William Conway on Railroad Street.
Police said Banks and Conway began arguing over the phone.
Banks went to Conway’s home and fired the shots at him as he sat on his porch. Conway was not hit, but the bullets damaged the home and a car.
Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Senior Judge Gifford Cappellini handed down the sentence.
In a separate case, Banks pleaded guilty Monday to one count of attempted robbery of a Nanticoke man and woman. Police said Banks and a juvenile confronted Michael Dickshinski and his fiancée, Patricia Shilanskis, while they were in a car parked at a doughnut shop on South Market Street.
Police said the juvenile demanded $150.
When the couple said they didn’t have any money, Banks walked to the passenger side door and kicked Dickshinski in the face.
Cappellini sentenced Banks to 31 to 57 months in prison on that charge, but ordered the sentence be served simultaneously with the sentence in the aggravated-assault case.

8/24/2005
Newport Township man charged in Nanticoke robbery
David Maslar of Alden faces several charges in incident. Juvenile also is in custody.
By kamerman@leader.net

A 19-year-old man who allegedly held a gun to a city man’s head inside his apartment and demanded money has been captured by police.
Police arrested David Maslar of Alden, Newport Township, on Monday, three days after officers say he walked into an apartment on East Green Street, pulled a red handkerchief over his face and put a gun to the head of Joshua Kirkpatrick, who he said owed him money.
Maslar was charged with robbery, criminal attempt to commit robbery, criminal trespass, carrying a firearm without a license, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats and two counts of criminal conspiracy. A 17-year-old juvenile who police say accompanied Maslar to the apartment was taken into custody on Saturday and was placed at PA Child Care in Pittston Township.
According to police:
Maslar and the juvenile approached Kirkpatrick’s girlfriend, Jennifer Souder, in front of the apartment at about 8 p.m. on Friday as she returned home from grocery shopping. The men wanted to know where Kirkpatrick lived, so she led them to their apartment, which they share with their baby.
After entering, Maslar placed the handkerchief over his face, although Kirkpatrick had already seen him, and pulled out the gun and demanded money. After checking on her baby, Souder entered the kitchen, saw Kirkpatrick holding a gun to her boyfriend’s head and instructed Maslar to leave. She reached for a phone, but Maslar took it from her and threw it on the floor. She left the room and entered a hallway where she was pushed to the wall by the juvenile, but was able to escape. She went downstairs to her mother’s apartment and called police and Maslar and the juvenile fled the apartment in a car. The juvenile was arrested at his home the next day and police took Maslar into custody without incident at his mother’s house in Alden on Monday.
Maslar was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whittaker and was remanded to Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Aug. 31.

8/23/2005
Robber holds gun to head of man
By Elizabeth Skrapits , Staff Writer

Friday, Aug. 19 was a night Jennifer Souder will never forget.
She'd planned a quiet domestic evening - some shopping, a little cleaning - but ended up in a drama that included a gun held to her boyfriend's head during an attempted robbery.
To make matters worse, the two young men who invaded their Nanticoke home were friends: David Maslar, 19, of East Kirmar Avenue, and a 17-year-old boy.
Maslar, who was arrested Monday, faces charges of robbery, criminal attempt, criminal trespass, carrying a firearm without a license, simple assault, reckless endangerment, terroristic threats, and two counts of criminal conspiracy.
Souder sat at the table in the tiny kitchen of her East Green Street apartment with nine-month-old Brandon in her lap. The prospect of harm to her boyfriend Joshua Kirkpatrick and their baby was what drove her to chase after the would-be robbers.
"I've got to protect my territory," she said, holding out a hand for Brandon to grasp with tiny fingers.
That Friday, Souder said she had just arrived at her apartment after a trip to the grocery store when two males got out of a dark vehicle that had two females in the front seat.
They asked where her boyfriend was, she said. Souder, who didn't recognize Maslar at first, told them he lived with her and let them in. Kirkpatrick opened the door. Souder told him he had company, then went to check on Brandon, who she said was asleep in another room.
According to Nanticoke police, Kirkpatrick recognized the juvenile and Maslar, who pulled a red handkerchief from around his neck and placed it over his nose and mouth. Maslar then reached into the front of his pants and pulled out what Kirkpatrick told police was a silver or gray semi-automatic handgun.
Maslar allegedly pointed the gun at Kirkpatrick and repeatedly demanded money, but Kirkpatrick told him there wasn't any, police said.
At that point Souder came into the kitchen, saw Maslar holding the gun to her boyfriend's head, and screamed for the intruder to get out of her home.
Kirkpatrick told Maslar "nobody is going to shoot anybody here, my girlfriend and baby are here," while Souder started to reach for the phone on the counter next to her, police said.
Maslar pointed the gun away from Kirkpatrick's head, then took the phone from Souder and threw it on the floor, police said.
Souder left the apartment. When she tried to get past the juvenile in the hallway, he pushed her into the wall, but she didn't let that stop her. She went straight to her mother Sandy Krasowski's apartment downstairs and told her there was a man with a gun upstairs.
While the women were standing on the sidewalk outside, Maslar and the juvenile came out of the building and ran north on Walnut Street towards the alley.
Maslar and the juvenile got into the vehicle with the two blonde females and sped off towards South Prospect Street. Souder called Nanticoke police at about 8:05 p.m.; they arrived within three minutes.
The juvenile was taken into custody at 1 a.m. Saturday, but police did not say how, or whether he will be charged.
Maslar was arraigned before Magisterial District Justice Donald Whittaker, then lodged in Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 cash bail. His preliminary hearing is set for 10 a.m., Aug. 31 in front of Whittaker.
Investigators in the case were Nanticoke Det. Capt. William Shultz, Sgt. Kevin Grevera, and Officers Brian Williams, Joseph Kosch, and Lee Makowski, along with the office of Luzerne County District Attorney David Lupas.

8/16/2005
Alleged beer-demanding thief faces variety of charges
By Elizabeth Skrapits , Staff Writer

Nanticoke police have filed new charges against a man they say tries to enter homes under false pretenses, in order to steal money and drink beer.
Charges of criminal trespass and theft by deception were filed Monday with Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker against Timothy Allen Prizniak, 34, of Jones Street, Nanticoke, Sgt. Kevin Grevera said.
On Sunday, Prizniak went to two separate Nanticoke residences at 8 and 8:40 p.m., police said. At the first home, he asked a woman for money, telling her his car had broken down in Hazleton. She refused and closed the door on him.
Prizniak knocked on the door of the second residence and asked to use the bathroom. He walked in without being told to enter and said he wanted to borrow money to get his vehicle out of impound. The man refused, told Prizniak to leave, and called police.
Prizniak, who is on bail from previous charges including criminal trespass, theft, stalking, harassment, and loitering and prowling at nighttime, has not yet been arraigned on the latest ones, Grevera said.
According to police:
On April 4 at 10:04 p.m., Prizniak went to a Nanticoke man's home, falsely claiming he was responding to a job ad in a newspaper. He entered the home without permission, overpowered the man, and stole $25 from a dresser drawer.
During an April 8 interview with police, Prizniak admitted to the act, saying he needed money for drugs, Grevera said. Prizniak was charged with burglary and theft.
On April 19 at 1:07 a.m., Prizniak knocked loudly on the door of a Nanticoke woman and entered, brandishing a metal object the woman was too frightened to identify, and demanded a beer.
He went into her kitchen, opened the refrigerator, took out a can of beer and drank it. The woman's boyfriend then awoke and scared Prizniak off. He was charged with criminal trespass.
On April 30 at 11:54 p.m., Prizniak knocked on the door of a man's residence and again demanded a beer. The homeowner said no. Prizniak pushed at the door while the man held it trying to keep him out, saying what the man described to police as "nasty things."
The man told police it was the third time Prizniak tried to enter his residence in April. Prizniak was charged with harassment and stalking.
An obviously intoxicated Prizniak was observed May 1 walking in the area of Jones and Pine streets by Nanticoke police Officer Lee Makowski, who arrested him for public drunkenness.
On May 5 at 12:29 a.m., Prizniak went to the home of a Nanticoke woman and asked to use the phone. She told him no. He persisted, but left when she closed the door.
During August, Nanticoke police received several other complaints about Prizniak going to homes and making phone calls to city and Newport Township residents.
He also has been asking residents to use their bathrooms, or telling them his vehicle was impounded and he needs money to get it out, but police said he does not own a vehicle.
Police are asking Nanticoke residents to be cautious when answering the door, advising them to avoid letting unknown people in because they could be potential thieves.
"They rely on kindness, especially of the elderly," Grevera said. "They might ask to use the phone or the bathroom or for a glass of water, and that's how many people become victims."

8/5/2005
Nanticoke homicide arrest
Police: Friend says killing act of mercy
Brandon Obaza is charged in slaying of Stephen Novak, 24. Link to occult being probed.
By dweiss@leader.net

Police said Brandon Obaza admitted he used a Jeep to run down and kill his close friend in a wooded area last month.
He called it a “mercy killing,” police said.
But they still haven’t said whether the slaying of 24-year-old Stephen Novak is definitely connected to the occult or satanic worship, as has been investigated.
“That is one avenue we are looking at at this point in time,” Luzerne County Detective Lt. Gary Capitano said after the 19-year-old Obaza was arraigned on a single count of criminal homicide Thursday afternoon before District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke.
Whittaker sent Obaza to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility to be held without bail pending a preliminary hearing set for Aug. 10.
Capitano, city police Detective Capt. William Shultz and Sgt. Kevin Grevera have been exploring a possible satanic connection in the case since Novak was found pinned underneath a Jeep owned by the Obaza family at about 7:30 p.m. July 16 in a wooded area off West Main Street.
Novak was found several hundred yards from an area where police previously investigated a pile of about 25 to 30 burned and mutilated animal remains found in a “circular-type altar.” Grevera in April 2004 said he could not speculate if the animal slayings were related to any type of satanic rituals.
Police, in prior court papers filed in the homicide, have said their investigation in the case uncovered numerous items in the Obaza and Novak homes, both of which are located on East Ridge Street in Nanticoke, related to the occult and satanic worship.
Thursday’s arrest papers did not reveal much additional information, only Obaza’s cryptic description of the death being a “mercy killing” and that it occurred after Obaza and Novak drank Coors Light in the woods with friends.
Police said Obaza made the “mercy killing” comment the day after Novak was found.
The criminal homicide charge means prosecutors could try to convict Obaza on either first-, second-, or third-degree murder, or manslaughter.
The Obaza family had no comment.
According to Thursday’s arrest affidavit and prior court papers:
Police interviewed John McClellan, who told police he and his boss, Modesto Padilla, took some waste materials from a construction job to the wooded area to burn July 16.
Shortly after they arrived, another man, Frank Markiewicz, arrived before Novak and Obaza arrived.
All five of them drank beer before Padilla, McClellan, and Markiewicz left, leaving Obaza and Novak alone at the fire site, which was “immediately adjacent” to the homicide scene.|
After the body was discovered, police, knowing the Jeep belonged to the Obaza family, spoke to Obaza’s father, David, at about 2 a.m. July 17 at headquarters. Brandon Obaza had not been home since early July 16 and police were trying to find him.
Police knew he had numerous weapons at his home and asked David Obaza to secure the weapons when he went home. They also wanted him to call police when he secured the guns or if he saw his son.
When Obaza failed to call police within 15 minutes of leaving the station, Shultz called the Obaza residence and overheard David and Brandon Obaza arguing over a gun.
Shultz dispatched officers to the home.
David Obaza told police he went home and saw Brandon on a bed with a .45-caliber pistol in his hand.
Brandon immediately stood up and put the gun to his head. David tried getting the gun from Brandon, but Brandon resisted.
The two had a confrontation for several minutes, with Brandon repeatedly putting the gun to his head, one time pulling the trigger.
David heard the “firing mechanism” click, but the gun did not fire. David then subdued his son. Brandon was taken into custody but not charged at the time.

8/5/2005
Nanticoke teenager charged with killing his friend
By Edward Lewis , Staff Writer

A Nanticoke man allegedly told authorities that he intentionally killed his close friend, 24-year old Stephen Novak, describing the act as a "mercy killing," according to the criminal complaint.
Brandon Obaza, 19, of 408 E. Ridge St., was arrested Thursday by Luzerne County Det. Lt. Gary Capitano and Nanticoke police Det. Capt. William Shultz and Sgt. Kevin Grevera for Novak's murder.
Novak, 222 E. Ridge St., Nanticoke, was found dead under a 1990 Jeep Cherokee in a remote area off West Main Street, Nanticoke, on July 16. He would have turned 25 years old on Aug. 8.
Authorities named Obaza as a person of interest in the case; however, he allegedly admitted just hours after Novak's body was found that he intentionally killed his friend.
"Obaza stated that he intentionally ran over Stephen Novak with his vehicle," according to the criminal complaint. "Obaza referred to this act as a mercy killing."
Obaza was taken in to custody upon his release from Mercy Hospital, Wilkes-Barre, where he was involuntarily committed July 17 when he attempted to kill himself inside his home.
He appeared before Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and was charged with an open count of criminal homicide.
An open count of criminal homicide allows prosecutors to seek first- or third-degree murder against Obaza. He was sent to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility without bail.
Det. Capitano said items of satanic worship recovered from Obaza's and Novak's homes are part of the investigation that is continuing.
According to the complaint, Obaza and Novak joined John McClellan, Modesto Pedilla and Frank Markiewicz at the remote area, where the group was drinking a 30-pack of beer in front of a fire. When all the beer was consumed, McClellan, Pedilla and Markiewicz left while Obaza and Novak stayed behind.
Sometime after the three left, Obaza allegedly ran over Novak with his Jeep. Novak sustained severe head trauma that caused his death, according to the autopsy conducted by county Coroner Dr. George Hudock Jr.
Authorities said McClellan and Pedilla purchased the beer at 5:20 p.m. on July 16. Novak's body was found at about 7:21 p.m., according to the criminal complaint.
Obaza left the area leaving behind the Jeep that remained on top of Novak.
Authorities traced the Jeep to Obaza's father, David J. Obaza.
David J. Obaza allegedly told authorities that his son mainly drove the Jeep. After an interview at the Nanticoke Police Department in the early morning hours on July 17, David Obaza encountered his son holding a Glock .45 caliber handgun to his head.
Obaza pulled the trigger, but the gun failed to discharge a round.
David Obaza struggled with his son. That struggle was allegedly heard by Capt. Shultz over the telephone.
Authorities responded to the Obaza home and secured numerous firearms and seized items of satanic worship that Susan Obaza had found in her son's bedroom and had thrown out.
Authorities said keys that were seized from Brandon Obaza's pocket matched the ignition to the Jeep.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively set for Aug. 10 at 11 a.m. before Whittaker.

7/29/2005
Occult still big part of Nanticoke murder probe
By Elizabeth Skrapits , Staff Writer
Satanic elements might be involved in the murder of 24-year-old Stephen Novak, but officials can't say for sure. "They came across items involving the occult and things of that nature as part of the investigation," said Luzerne County District Attorney David Lupas. Novak and a fellow Nanticoke resident, a close friend police have described as a person of interest in the case, both had enough guns, bayonets, and ammunition to outfit a small army. But the devil was in the details.
Police found many occult-related items in the home of Novak's friend, according to an inventory of seized property filed with Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker of Nanticoke. There were candles, a metal statue of the Grim Reaper, a "666" sticker, a ceremonial dagger, two dolls, a metal coffin with a gargoyle on it, and a black box containing various religious items such as a crucifix and holy water bottles. Police also found literature including Clive Barker's Hellraiser and underground magazines, HeXen II and Malice video game boxes, and a calendar featuring the art of H. R. Giger. "(Authorities) are not commenting right now on what role it plays, but obviously they're interesting items they came across during the investigation," Lupas said. Ever since Novak was found dead under a Jeep Cherokee in a wooded area off West Main Street in Nanticoke July 16, investigators have been trying to gather background information on him and anyone associated with him, Lupas said. In a request for another search warrant from Whittaker, police stated that on July 20 investigators searched Novak's residence and found numerous publications and CDs related to the occult and satanic worship, as well as what appeared to be animal skulls. Lupas said authorities are not sure what Satanism or the occult might have to do with the case, but investigators are looking into it. So far they have made a lot of progress, compiling a timeline and piecing the case together, Lupas said. Asked if authorities may be making an arrest soon, Lupas replied, "Hopefully, if they keep progressing. Obviously their goal is to build a case to where an arrest may be made, but they are not to that point yet."

7/29/2005
More items fuel cops’ occult hunt in fatality
Friend of homicide victim Stephen Novak denies group involved in satanic rituals.
By dweiss@leader.net
A crucifix, bottles of holy water, a 666 sticker, a medal of the grim reaper, and a coffin with a gargoyle were among the 45 items police seized from Brandon Obaza’s home last week, court papers say.
The items, which police say could be related to the occult or satanic worship, were detailed in an inventory sheet related to a search warrant in the investigation of Stephen Novak’s homicide.
Investigators from the city, state and Luzerne County executed the warrant for Obaza’s East Ridge Street home on July 22, six days after the 24-year-old Novak was found pinned under a Jeep owned by the Obaza family in a wooded area off West Main Street July 16.
No one has been charged in the death, but police said they believe Obaza left the homicide scene to return to his home.
The inventory sheet also said police seized a gold-colored ceremonial dagger, spikes, a star-shaped candle holder, a black box containing religious items, syringes, bibles, two dolls, six guns, and a pistol crossbow .
Police said they want to examine any items related to the occult or satanic worship to see if it is a link between the two close friends.
But that’s nothing more than a stereotype, said a friend of Obaza and Novak.
The friend, Josh Jones, said he’s known both men for years. And he can assure people Obaza and Novak, along with other friends in their group, did not dabble in satanic worship.
“We’ve been stereotyped,” the 24-year-old Wilkes-Barre resident said. “Brandon and Steve were inseparable. They were like brothers.”
Police have been pursuing the satanic aspect of the case since finding Novak’s body.
It was found several hundred yards from an area where police investigated a pile of 25 to 30 burned and mutilated animal remains found in a “circular-type altar” in April 2004. Police, at the time, could not speculate whether the animal slayings were related to any type of satanic rituals.
And, in the days after the death, police found various items, including compact discs and literature related to the occult and satanic worship, animal skulls, and weapons at the Obaza and Novak homes, they said.
Jones admits he and his friends, at times, dress in all black, hang out in the popular wooded area near where the animal bones were found, and listen to dark metal music such as Cradle of Filth and My Dying Bride. But the group was never into rituals, he said.
“We listen to it,” Jones said. “We like music.”
The group, with Novak and Obaza, had a “good time” together, Jones said. They would congregate like most other friends, having pizza or sometimes going out in the wooded area just to get away from everyone, go for a walk, or sit around and have a few beers, he said.
Jones spoke Wednesday, a day before police revealed what they found at the Obaza home. Jones could not be reached Thursday after police filed the inventory report.
Police also secured two additional search warrants Wednesday at District Judge Donald Whittaker’s office to examine contents of four garbage bags given to police by Obaza’s mother, and to examine contents of two computers. Obaza’s mother found some “disturbing” items in Obaza’s room and put them in the bags to be thrown out, police said.
Police believe there might be forensic evidence in the bags and computers, the warrants state.
They also want to examine the computers to see if Obaza frequented Web sites “associated with the occult and/or satanic worship” or see any electronic communications between Obaza and Novak.

7/27/2005
Few details available about Nanticoke homicide
By Elizabeth Skrapits , Staff Writer
The man identified by authorities as a person of interest in the homicide of Stephen Novak of Nanticoke was involuntarily committed to Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre July 17.
The man, who police identified as a close friend of Novak's, was committed after an apparent suicide attempt, according to a search warrant filed last week. It could not be determined whether he remained at Mercy on Tuesday.
Nanticoke police requested the warrant from District Judge William Amesbury of Wilkes-Barre to obtain the clothes the friend was wearing at the time he entered Mercy.
Novak's body was found beneath a Jeep Cherokee parked in a wooded area behind the Turkey Hill store on West Main Street in Nanticoke at approximately 7:21 p.m. July 16.
The friend's father left an interview with police at 3 a.m. July 17, almost eight hours after Novak's body was found.
About 15 minutes later, when police called the friend's residence, they could hear what sounded like the father and son arguing over a gun.
On arrival, police saw the father trying to subdue the son. The father told police his son had just placed a loaded handgun to his head and pulled the trigger.
Based on information provided by the father, Nanticoke police seized a Glock .45 caliber handgun with a 13-round magazine and one live .45 caliber bullet the friend allegedly used in his suicide attempt.
Earlier in the day of Novak's death, he and his friend visited three gun shops together. Owners and employees were interviewed by police and cautioned not to talk to the media.
Store personnel at two of the gun shops did confirm the men had been there and were previous customers.
Ken Piestrak of Piestrak's Gun Shop in Nanticoke did not notice anything unusual about Novak and his companion's visit that Saturday.
"They seemed like good kids," Piestrak said.
Nanticoke police were aware Novak's friend owned several weapons. Police requested Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker issue a search warrant for them.
The friend's family Jeep, under which Novak's body was found, contained two rifles and a total of seven boxes of ammunition, police discovered after a search.
In the neatly kept brick-front single-family home on East Ridge Street where Novak lived with his aunt, police found a Remington rifle, a handgun, and a canister containing 47 .50 caliber Browning machine gun rounds.
Novak's death was ruled a homicide, the cause multiple traumatic injuries.
Coroner Dr. George E. Hudock Jr. said Novak died from head injuries, but could not say what caused them.
Law enforcement officials are being tight-lipped about the ongoing investigation. Nanticoke police and District Attorney David Lupas would not comment about the case.
Novak's body was found in the same wooded area where 25 to 30 sets of animal remains were discovered on April 4, 2004.
The area is on the border between Nanticoke and Newport Township, and the police departments conducted a joint probe. No arrests were made in the case, Nanticoke police said.
Cindy Starke of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Luzerne County, which assisted in the investigation, said the Pennsylvania Game Commission was called in to identify the bones.
The game commission believed they belonged to game animals, but couldn't state definitively if there were cat, dog, or even human bones in the mix without a forensic test, Starke said.
Police said last year there was a possibility the placement of the remains could be related to ritualistic activity. They had received complaints about peculiar behavior in the area, including of people dressed in black standing around a fire.

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7/27/2005
Incident uncovered in probe
Affidavit reveals Brandon Obaza put gun to his head after Stephen Novak’s death.
By dweiss@leader.net
Hours after a Jeep Cherokee he drove was found atop his dead friend, Brandon Obaza put a .45-caliber pistol to his head and pulled the trigger, trying to shoot himself, according to a search warrant affidavit.
His father, David, watched, and heard the gun click before he was able to subdue his son until police converged on their East Ridge Street home early July 17.
That event, which unfolded nearly eight hours after police found 24-year-old Stephen Novak pinned underneath the Obaza Jeep led to police uncovering various occult and satanic materials, along with animal skulls, that could be connected to the homicide investigation.
The details were released in a search warrant filed at District Judge Donald Whittaker’s Nanticoke office.
The warrant, filed by city Detective Capt. William Shultz, said investigators believe Obaza left the homicide scene after the death and went to his home. Investigators needed to search the Obaza home for forensic evidence at the scene, the warrant said.
No one has been charged in the death. Police have said they have a person of interest in the case; however, they have not identified that person. They could not be reached for comment Monday.
Novak was found dead around 7:30 p.m. July 16 in a wooded area off West Main Street near where police previously investigated a pile of about 25 to 30 burned and mutilated animal remains found in a “circular-type altar.” City police Sgt. Kevin Grevera in April 2004 said he could not speculate if the animal slayings were related to any type of satanic rituals.
Novak was found dead several hundred yards from that site.
An autopsy showed he died of multiple traumatic injuries with a crushing injury to the head. The death was ruled a homicide.
Police have been investigating the death and filed the search warrant in connection with the case.
According to the warrant:
Police, knowing the Jeep at the homicide scene belonged to Obaza’s father, spoke to his father, David, around 2 a.m. July 17 at police headquarters.
Brandon Obaza had not been home since early July 16 and police were trying to find him. But they knew he had numerous weapons at his home and asked David Obaza to secure the weapons when he went home.
They also wanted him to call police when he secured the guns or if he saw his son.
When Obaza failed to call police within 15 minutes of leaving the station, Shultz called the Obaza residence and overheard David and Brandon Obaza arguing over a gun.
Shultz dispatched officers to the home.
David Obaza told police he went home to secure the weapons, as police asked, and entered Brandon’s bedroom.
That’s where he saw Brandon on the bed with the pistol in his hand. Brandon immediately stood up and put the gun to his head. David tried getting the gun from Brandon, but Brandon resisted.
The two had a confrontation for several minutes, with Brandon repeatedly putting the gun to his head, one time pulling the trigger.
David heard the “firing mechanism” click, but the gun did not fire. David then subdued his son.
The warrant said Brandon Obaza was taken to police headquarters, but it does not say if he was jailed.
His mother later told police she found a number of “disturbing” items that she put in garbage bags to throw out. She described the items as “literature and compact discs related to death, the occult,” and/or satanic worship.
The items, along with Brandon Obaza’s personal journal and laptop computer, were given to police but were not immediately examined. Police also recovered two guns, three knives and ammunition from the Obaza Jeep.
Police searched Novak’s home at 222 E. Ridge St., on June 20 and recovered two guns, a sword and bayonet, ammunition for a machine gun, animal skulls and material related to the occult and/or satanic worship, the warrant said.
It also said Novak and Obaza went to at least three gun dealers on July 16 and bought weapons and ammunition.
The Novak and Obaza families had no comment Monday.
But neighbors of each of the families said they were surprised by the homicide and the satanic revelations.
“They were always nice to me,” said one Obaza neighbor who asked not to be identified. Occasionally, though, she would see Obaza and some friends dressed in all black. She stressed she did not want to judge them on that aspect.
Novak and Obaza both seemed like typical people who never created problems in their neighborhoods, other said.
“He was a nice guy,” a Novak neighbor said.

7/23/2005
Satanic items found in search of homes
By Edward Lewis , Staff Writer
Authorities recovered items used in satanic worship from the Nanticoke homes of Stephen Novak, who was found dead under a Jeep last Saturday, and a male friend police described as "a person of interest" in a search warrant application filed Friday with Magisterial District Judge Donald Whittaker of Nanticoke.
Luzerne County District Attorney David W. Lupas would not confirm if the person of interest is a suspect in Novak's death.
"I don't use any of those terms," Lupas said. "You could read it (search warrant) for what it is. It is still an ongoing investigation.
"Investigators continue to build a case. Hopefully, they can reach a point when charges can be filed. But there is still work to be done."
Novak, 25, East Ridge Street, was found dead at about 7:30 p.m. July 16 in a wooded area off Main Street, Nanticoke, that is popular with all-terrain vehicle riders and target shooters.
An autopsy by Luzerne County Coroner Dr. George E. Hudock Jr. determined Novak's cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries, including a crushing head injury. Hudock ruled the manner of death a homicide.
According to the search warrant, the mother of the person of interest, who also lives on East Ridge Street, discovered numerous items in her son's bedroom that disturbed her.
The mother told authorities she found literature and compact discs relating to death, the occult and satanic worship.
The mother placed the items in four garbage bags with the intention of throwing them out. She voluntarily gave the bags to authorities, along with a personal journal and a laptop computer belonging to the person of interest, who police described as Novak's close friend.
Four days after his body was found, authorities searched Novak's bedroom and recovered numerous publications and compact discs relating to satanic worship and the occult, animal skulls, a 2-foot sword, a bayonet, several firearms and ammunition.
Authorities learned Novak and his friend had visited three gun dealerships in the Nanticoke area, where they purchased firearms and ammunition the day Novak was killed.
Several hours after Novak's body was found, authorities interviewed his friend's father at the Nanticoke police station.
The father allegedly told authorities he hadn't seen his son that day and refused to allow a search of his home to secure his son's firearms. The father told police he would contact them when his son returned home.
The father left the police department at about 3 a.m. About 15 minutes later, Nanticoke police Det. William Shultz called the father and overheard the father and son arguing.
Det. Shultz, county Det. Lt. Gary Capitano and other officers responded to the home where they heard screaming. Police entered and found the father attempting to subdue his son.
The father told police when he returned home, he encountered his son holding a loaded .45 caliber Glock handgun to his head. A struggle ensued between the two, and the father led his son into a different room and kept him there until police arrived.
Police recovered the handgun along with other firearms and ammunition belonging to the son.
Lupas said the Jeep, which is owned by the father of the person of interest, was impounded and searched by the state police Forensic Services Unit. In it were two rifles, three knives and ammunition, according to a search warrant for the Jeep filed Wednesday.
The search warrant authorized by Whittaker on Friday permits authorities to search Novak's friend's home.
A section of the application lists items to be searched for and seized. These include photographs, weapons consisting of firearms and knives, blood, blood spatter, saliva, DNA, hair, fingerprints, cell phones, and items relating to satanic worship such as literature and compact discs, animal or human bones, teeth, carcass parts and props used in ritualistic occult activity.

7/20/2005
Police have 'good handle' on homicide case
By Robert Kalinowski, Staff Writer
Stephen S. Novak Sr. slowly exited Earl W. Lohman Funeral Home on Tuesday afternoon to get some fresh air.
For nearly two hours, he had watched dozens of people pass through the Nanticoke funeral parlor to pay their final respects to his son.
"I don't even know what to say," the 54-year-old dad said before returning for the final minutes of the wake. "I am just shocked."
Three days earlier, his son, Stephen S. Novak Jr., was found dead beneath the wheels of a Jeep along a dirt road in a remote area off West Main Street, Nanticoke.
Authorities say the 25-year-old was run over by the vehicle and left there to die.
He died from multiple traumatic injuries, including a crushing head injury, the coroner's office said.
Novak Sr. said his quiet and mild-mannered son didn't deserve such a fate.
The killing has the family in agony, he said.
"It is truly a tragedy," Novak Sr. said. "I'm just confused about the whole thing."
Novak Sr. is hoping police will eventually catch the person responsible, "but right now I just want to bury my son."
"Investigators have a good theory on what occurred, and they are trying to piece it together," said Luzerne County District Attorney Dave Lupas.
Lupas said he and members of his staff met with investigators from Nanticoke and state police for about two hours Tuesday to discuss the case.
Nanticoke previously said investigators had a "person of interest," but Lupas wouldn't say if there is a suspect or if an arrest is near.
He reaffirmed previous comments that investigators "have a good handle on the situation."
Police have not revealed the Jeep owner's identity, only saying it wasn't Novak.
"There's a lot of things we know," he said. "But, there's a lot of details we don't want to release at this time."
The unique nature of the killing prevents authorities from being more specific, he said.
"What's different about this case is the method of the killing - the way the vehicle was used to kill the victim," Lupas said. "Most of our information points to the fact of him being run over and dying at the scene."
Police have spoken to several people, but they would still like to speak with more individuals who might be able to better corroborate the timeline and chain of events that led to Novak's death, Lupas said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Nanticoke police at 735-2200 or state police at Wyoming at 697-2000.

7/19/2005
DA: Death probe progressing
Police eye a “person of interest” in Stephen Novak case.
By dweiss@leader.net
The tire marks imprinted in culm and leading to the embankment where police found the body of 25-year-old Stephen Novak three days ago were still visible Monday afternoon.
Meanwhile, investigators from the city, along with officers from the state police and Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office continued trying to figure out who killed the East Ridge Street resident.
City Detective William Shultz said police have a “person of interest” in the case; however, Shultz said he could not release specifics of the investigation, including the person’s name.
“They have a good handle on the situation right now,” Luzerne County District Attorney David Lupas said of the investigators.
Novak was found pinned under a Jeep Cherokee along a dirt road off West Main Street around 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
An autopsy showed Novak died from a crushing injury to his head. He also suffered deep lacerations and puncture wounds from trees, Coroner Dr. George E. Hudock said.
He ruled the death a homicide.
Police returned to the scene Monday to further examine the scene. Trees, bent and with bark scraped from them, stood near where Novak was found.
Shultz said the Jeep did not belong to Novak. The detective would not release the name of the Jeep’s owner.
Shultz said Novak likely knew his assailant, and the death was not a random act.
The area where Novak was found is littered with garbage and other debris. The road runs on abandoned coal mining land several hundred yards behind West Main Street businesses.
The area is a popular spot for off-road vehicles and drinking parties.
Lupas asked that anyone who saw Novak around the time of the incident contact Nanticoke police at 735-2200.

7/18/2005
Nanticoke death ruled homicide
A man found Saturday night pinned under a Jeep died from a crushing head injury, coroner says.
BY kkopec@leader.net
Luzerne County Coroner George Hudock has ruled a man who was found pinned under a Jeep along a dirt road in Nanticoke on Saturday night is a homicide victim.
The male, identified according to televised reports as Stephen Novak, 25, of Nanticoke, died from a crushing injury to the head, Hudock said.
Initial reports were that the man was shot, but Hudock said the autopsy revealed otherwise.
“I’m still waiting for more information from police, but right now I’m presuming he was run over by the Jeep.”
In addition to the head injury, the victim suffered several deep lacerations to the head, facial abrasions and two deep puncture wounds to the body.
“He had branches and pieces of trees stuck into him,” Hudock said.
The jeep was turned on its side, he said, with the victim pinned beneath it when emergency personnel responded Saturday evening at about 7 p.m.
“They had to use air bags to release the body from under the vehicle.”
Nanticoke police did not return several calls seeking comment Sunday.
Luzerne County District Attorney David Lupas could not be reached for comment.

7/17/2005
Unidentified Body Found
An unidentified body was found Friday evening in a wooded area near the Turkey Hill Minit Market on West Main Street.
Investigators arrived at 7 p.m. and were still on the scene at 11:30 p.m.
Luzerne County District Attorney David Lupas, Pennsylvania State Police, Nanticoke police and a county coroner were among officials at the scene.

6/30/2005
Nanticoke teen injured in bike crash
A 19-year-old man was hospitalized after he drove his bike into a truck Tuesday evening, officer Joe Guydosh of the Nanticoke police department said.
According to Guydosh:
Chad Fullerton of Nanticoke was riding his bike in the 100 block of Church Street at about 6:30 p.m. when he crashed into a truck driven by James Bates, also of Nanticoke.
Fullerton appeared to have suffered a head injury and was flown ton Scranton Community Medical Center, police said.
On Wednesday, a spokeswoman for CMC said Fullerton is in satisfactory condition.
Police said Fullerton was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and no citations are expected to be issued.

6/25/2005
Drugs reported stolen from Nanticoke pharmacy
By Robert Kalinowski Staff Writer
Crooks broke into Nanticoke's Spotanski's Pharmacy early Thursday morning and stole a still-unknown amount of prescription drugs, Nanticoke police said.
It was the second burglary at the family-owned 243 E. Prospect St. store since May 10, Capt. William Shultz said.
In both break-ins, thieves pried open the front door with an unknown device, he said.
The pharmacy's owner, Joseph Edmundowicz, and his staff were still conducting a store-wide inventory by closing time Thursday to determine how much was stolen, Shultz said.
Shultz was unsure how much was taken in the May burglary.
"At this point, we're just looking for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious," he said.
Spotanski's Pharmacy has been the target of criminals before, Shultz noted.
The evening of June 7 a brick was thrown through the store's front window, which faces the city's hub, Patriot Square, he said.
On Oct. 7, 2004, an armed bandit entered the store during business hours demanding the powerful drug, OxyContin, and fled with the drugs.
That 2004 robbery occurred just two days before another
Nanticoke family-owned drug store's entire stock of six powerful painkillers was swiped in an overnight burglary.
Because desperate people will take desperate measures, pharmacy operators must enhance their security systems to prevent becoming targets and victims, Shultz urged.
There are no suspects.

6/9/2005
Auto Accident between a motor vehicle and pedestrian
Michael Simone had parked his pick-up-truck in front of his home located on East Spring Street in Nanticoke. Pedestrian Barbara Walk was seated in the L.C.T.A. Bus Stop Shelter across from East Main Street. Simone's truck jumped out of gear and rolled forward in a North-Easterly direction for approximately 95 feet crossing Spring Street and down an embankment to the Bus Stop Shelter. The truck struck and destroyed the Bus Shelter with Walk still inside the Shelter. Walk was able to crawl from under tht truck.
Walk was transported to CMC Hospital in Scranton by Nanticoke City Ambulance.

5/21/2005
Police have no suspects in Newport Township drive-by shooting
By Robert Kalinowski , Staff Writer
Police investigating the May 5 drive-by shooting in Newport Township interviewed a person Thursday they hope could help solve the case, Newport Township Police Chief Carl Smith said Friday.
The unidentified person,
Smith said, is one of several "names we're checking out" in connection with the incident.
More than two weeks since 10 bullets were fired at 1250-1251 Center St., Wanamie, in the middle of the night, there are no suspects and an arrest is not imminent, the chief said.
"We're not magicians. We can't just snap our fingers and find the suspect," he said.
Due to a lack of evidence, investigators have been leery to speculate on a motive for the shooting, though many others have made public their theories, the chief said.
From the moment the shots rang out, Lisa Arnold, who lives next door at 1252 Center St., has maintained the shots were meant for her. The shooting came exactly one year to the day her husband, Mark, allegedly shot and killed 20-year-old Nicholas Havard.
She thinks it was payback for the fatal shooting and the bullets just happened to strike the wrong house.
Mr. Arnold, who remains locked up on murder charges, has said the 2004 shooting was accidental and he merely was trying to scare a group of kids harassing his son.
Mrs. Arnold said that during the past year, she and the couple's three children have been the victims of threats motivated by Mr. Arnold's alleged role in the shooting.
The threats, she said, forced her to pull her 15-year-old daughter from Greater Nanticoke Area High School and place her on "homebound," a program where students are instructed at their homes by district teachers.
Tom Kubasek, principal, confirmed Mrs. Arnold's daughter is now on "homebound" at the request of her mother and approval of medical professionals; however he couldn't say why due to privacy issues.
He did say that the are no documented threats against the girl at school.
On Friday, Smith said his department has gotten numerous complaints from Mrs. Arnold about "perceived threats" since the 2004 shooting, but nothing to warrant an arrest.
She requested additional patrols in her neighborhood and officers tried to "keep a close eye" on her house, he said.
Mrs. Arnold had her own way to monitor her home - four closed-circuit video cameras mounted on the sides of her home.
On the night of the shooting, though, the one atop the front porch was down for repairs.
There are no known witnesses.
Police have nearly a dozen casings of .22 caliber stored as evidence they will try to match with a weapon if a suspect is nabbed, Smith said.
Two people - including a sleeping 10-year-old girl - inside 1250-1251 Center St. were nearly struck by bullets. Eight members of the Zaborney family who share the double block are still in shock over the shooting and are looking for answers.
"Someone is definitely sitting back laughing about this. I hope they get caught," said Mrs. Arnold.
That will be easier said than done, Smith said.
"With no witnesses we got to scratch for everything we could get," he said.
Smith wasn't able to say if the person interviewed Thursday offered any helpful information.
More interviews will be conducted future with a list of people investigators think could have critical information to solve the case, he said.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call police at 735-2000 or state police at Wyoming at 697-2000.

5/16/2005
Car smashes into Kanjorski Center; two injured
By Nichole Dobo , Staff Writer
A car smashed into the Kanjorski Center seriously injuring two women Sunday afternoon.
Lynne Small, 44, the driver, and passenger Lorraine Della Penna, of Nanticoke, were flown to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, said Sgt. Kevin Grevera, of the Nanticoke Police Department.
Nanticoke Fire Department Deputy Chief Jay Munson said the passenger was unconscious when they arrived. The driver had cuts, bruises and a broken leg, he said. The women were not wearing seat belts, he said.
A nursing supervisor at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville could not comment on the condition of the women.
The car - a rental - was northbound on Prospect Street when it blew through a stop sign, hopped the curb and plowed into the Kanjorski Center's concrete exterior, Grevera said. There were no visible skid marks from the stop sign at Main and Prospect streets to the crash site.
No other injuries were reported.
It was not clear if the car had a mechanical failure or if it was a driving error, Grevera said.
"They never stopped," said John Senchak, a witness to the accident. "It was like, pow, and then there was stuff flying everywhere. They hit hard."
Bits of metal and specks of glass covered the sidewalk surrounding the car were swept up by emergency crews after the gray Toyota was towed. The car's four silver hubcaps - hurled off from the impact - were tucked under the arm of a firefighter.
Senchak said he was sitting on a bench at the Uni-Mart across the street from the building when he saw the car fly down the road into the building. The first on the scene, he cradled the unconscious passenger's hand between his while trying to console the driver who was screaming for help, Senchak said.
"She was screaming 'Get me out of here,'" he said while gazing at the crumpled car atop a tow truck. "Her legs were trapped under the steering column."
Marie Smith, of Nanticoke, said she was out window shopping when she saw the car drive straight through the intersection, barely missing a van before hitting the building.
"I was at the flower shop and the next thing I know this car is flying down the road and hits the Kanjorski Center," she said.

5/6/2005
Woman: Shots at neighbor’s house meant for me
Newport Twp. home is next door to man accused in fatal shooting
By kwernowsky@leader.net
The wife of a man accused of shooting a 20-year-old believes she was a target of a drive-by shooting that struck her neighbor’s house early Thursday morning.
“I think they got the wrong house,” Lisa Arnold said.
Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Nicholas Havard, 20, of Nanticoke, who was shot in the face with a .22-caliber pistol at point-blank range after an argument outside a Newport Township bar.
Arnold’s husband, Mark Arnold, is accused of the shooting and is scheduled to go to trial on homicide charges on Sept. 19.
It was just after 1:30 a.m. Thursday when a string of gunshots stirred Lisa Arnold’s neighbor, Albert Zaborney Sr. of 1251 Center St., from his sleep.
“It sounded like fast, rapid gunfire,” he said. “My wife yelled ‘get down, get down.’ She tried to call 911 but she was shaking and she couldn’t dial the phone.”
Bullets pierced a car and a truck in the driveway and several shots broke windows and damaged the home’s vinyl siding – 10 shots in all. One shot struck about 15 inches above the couch where Zaborney’s granddaughter Samantha was sleeping in the adjacent apartment where Zaborney’s son and daughter-in-law live.
Zaborney has lived in the same home since 1973, and he said things on his stretch of Center Street aren’t usually so tense.
“Everything is usually quiet,” he said. “Everybody minds their own business.”
The Zaborney family did not get a description of the car or of the shooter, but Albert Zaborney Sr. said they fled south on Center Street.
Lisa Arnold, who lives next door to the Zaborneys, said she has no doubt the bullets that damaged her neighbor’s house were meant for her. She wouldn’t say outright that the shooting was a retaliation for Havard’s death, but she said Thursday being exactly one year after his death made her suspicious.
“I think they were targeting this house,” she said pointing to her home. “But they didn’t know where we live.”
Investigators are aware of the possible connection.
“Obviously we are,” said officer Stanley Drevenak of the Newport Township Police Department. “It could only be a fluke, but we’re really not sure at this point.”
Detectives from the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office and the state police, along with Newport Township officers, are all investigating the shooting. However, no arrests were made as of Thursday night.

5/6/2005
Woman says gunmen targeted wrong house
By Robert Kalinowski , Staff Writer
Looking at her neighbors' bullet-riddled Newport Township home, Lisa Arnold kept dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
A feeling of guilt, she said, was driving the endless flow of tears.
The shooters, who pumped 10 shots - one that came an arm's length from striking a sleeping 10-year-old girl - in and around the double-block residence early Thursday morning, missed their target, Arnold believes.
Investigators have yet to comment on a possible motive, but Arnold doesn't think the drive-by shooting at 1250-1251 Center St., Wanamie, was a random act in the normally quiet section of town.
The flurry of 1:30 a.m. gunshots from a .22 caliber gun, she contends, were meant for her home next door - just several feet away from the double-block occupied by eight members of the close-knit Zaborney family.
It was payback gone awry, Arnold said.
Thursday's shooting came exactly one year to the day Arnold's husband, Mark, allegedly shot and killed 20-year-old Nicholas Havard on May 5, 2004.
The deadly shooting occurred approximately one-half mile from the Arnolds' home, in a parking lot outside Savitsky's Edge bar.
Mrs. Arnold, police say, drove Mr. Arnold to and from the 2004 shooting, which Mr. Arnold claims was accidental. Mr. Arnold has said he was merely trying to scare a group of kids threatening his son.
Police have yet to launch a thorough investigation into Thursday's shooting, and have released few details so far. They did interview Mrs. Arnold early Thursday. She alleged to them that threats, including of shooting, have been made against her in the last year.
Authorities did not comment on a motive or a possible connection to Havard's death on Thursday night; however, they have not ruled it out.
Newport Township police and state police are in charge of the investigation. Detectives from the Luzerne County district attorney's office join the investigation today.
While investigators search for clues, Mrs. Arnold said she is left with a sense of guilt that two of the eight people sleeping in the neighboring home were nearly hit by the spray of bullets that were likely meant for her.
"I heard the gunshots about 1:30 in the a.m., rapid fire. I came down the steps from my house and my wife said, 'Get down, get down, the windows are shot out,'" said Al Zaborney, who lives in 1252 Center St.
His wife, Linda, was lying on a front room couch, and his sons, 18 and 36, were in their rooms, when the shots rang out.

Linda, who missed being hit by about six feet, called next door, to see if her son, Jason, and his family were OK.
Jason's wife, Sue, answered the phone, not aware the noises were gunshots. They became frantic, knowing their 10-year-old daughter, Samantha, was spending the night on a first-floor couch because she's getting a new bed.
Just as her parents were rushing downstairs, a frightened Samantha was running upstairs to her parents' room, still unaware of what the loud bangs were.
"I thought it was just firecrackers," said the Nanticoke Educational Center fourth grader, who was still visibly shaken Thursday night.
"We couldn't find the bullets in the house, so I looked to see if she got hit and then she sort of knew what was going on," said Sue.
Officers from Newport Township police, whose station is less than a quarter-mile from the shooting, arrived quickly. They were following by officers from Nanticoke and state police.
It wasn't until officers shone their flashlights in and around the home that the tally of 10 bullets was made.
Most frightening for the Zaborney family was the one that pierced a wall one foot above the couch Samantha was sleeping on inside 1250 Center St.
Three bullets traveled inside 1251 Center St. and three inside 1250 Center St. Three were fired into a truck and one into a tree in front of the home.
Though Mrs. Arnold tells the Zaborneys they were not the targets, they are still afraid.
"They shot once. What's to say they're not going to come back again," Sue said.
"Everybody's hysterical and afraid. You don't know what to do or where to go," Al said. "You don't know what the person looks like, what his motive was."
Police did not say if they had any witnesses Thursday.

4/27/2005
Accidental Fire
A man was hospitalized Tuesday after a fire at his home that officials blamed on wiring in an aquarium.
According to Nanticoke fire department Line Chief Chet Prymowicz:
William Grabowski arrived home at 109 Loomis St. at about 2:30 p.m. just as the fire began.
None of his other family members were inside the residence, but Grabowski went into the house anyway in an attempt to save the family cat.
Grabowski was taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation and complaints of chest pains. His condition was not available as of Tuesday night.
The cause of the fire was deemed an accident and no further investigation is expected. The cat was not injured.

4/27/2005
Woman Bitten By Dog
A woman was taken to the hospital after police say she was bitten by a dog outside the gas station where she worked.
According to Nanticoke police officer Bryan Kata:
Marie Natalini, 42, of Nanticoke, brought two dogs, a golden retriever and a boxer mix, to the Turkey Hill gas station at 460 W. Main St. shortly before 4 p.m.
Store employee Wendy Peters, 44, of Alden, came outside to pet the dogs.
A friend took Peters to Wilkes-Barre Mercy Hospital for treatment. Police are not expected to file charges.

4/8/2005
Devins expresses remorse during sentencing hearing
By Edward Lewis , Staff Writer
Turning toward the families of two victims killed in an alcohol-related car crash, Eugene William Devins, the driver, said he was the one who should have been killed.
"I can't say how sorry I really am," Devins, 42, said tearfully. "I've said every day, it should have been me."
Devins of Saranac, N.Y., was convicted of vehicular homicide by a Luzerne County jury on Jan. 21. He caused a crash with his 2003 Honda on Lower Broadway Street, Nanticoke, that killed his wife, Verna, 37, and 19-year-old Donna Roushey on Oct. 30, 2003. They were passengers in the rear seat of Devins' vehicle.
Prosecutors claimed Devins' blood alcohol content was 0.136 percent when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a 1994 Jeep Cherokee after crossing the West Nanticoke Bridge at a high rate of speed.
At his sentencing hearing before Judge Thomas F. Burke Jr. on Thursday, the families of the victims and Devins, who filled the courtroom, cried.
Devins' family, including his son Eugene W. Devins Jr., asked Judge Burke to impose a lenient sentence, saying they needed him to be home.
"It's bad enough my mom is gone," Devins Jr. said. "Now you're taking away everything I have left. It was an accident and I know for a fact he would take both their places."
"We all miss her very much," said Myra Nesbitt of Warrior Run, who is Mrs. Devins' sister. "He knows he did wrong. He needs to be home with his children."
"I can't say how many times he said to me if he could change places with Donna and Verna, he would," said Devins' defense lawyer, William Urbanski. "Eugene Devins can't change what happened.
"There are no winners here; there are only losers," Urbanski said.
Judge Burke imposed the mandatory minimum sentence of three to six years on each separate count of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol. He was also sentenced to concurrent terms of 18 to 36 months on separate counts of homicide by vehicle, 16 to 32 months on a single count of aggravated assault while DUI, and 48 hours to one year on separate counts of DUI.
He was also ordered to pay $405 in fines for several traffic offenses, and $57 in restitution to Nanticoke police.
Devins' sentence amounted to six to 12 years in a state correctional institution.
During the three-day trial in January, Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Michael Vough presented several witnesses, including state Trooper Todd Norton.
State Trooper Norton, an accident reconstructionist, estimated Devins was driving 59 miles per hour when he lost control. The posted speed limit in the area is 25 mph.
Vough alleged Devins and his wife were drinking alcohol at the American Legion in Nanticoke on Oct. 29, 2003. They left the Legion at about midnight and arrived at the Poplar Street, West Nanticoke, residence of David Romanowski, a nephew of Mrs. Devins.
Romanowski and Roushey were dating and went with Devins and his wife to get food.
While driving across the bridge, Devins lost control and struck the Jeep, operated by Edward Stavetski, who suffered broken bones in his foot and hand and torn ligaments in his leg.
Urbanski presented a defense that speed and the contour of the bridge caused the crash, not alcohol. He also claimed headlights from Stavetski's Jeep had blinded Devins.
The bridge is angled, with one section crossing the Susquehanna River and another spanning ground on the Nanticoke side.

3/26/2005
Arson suspected in house blaze
Ex-tenants’ furniture was at site of suspicious fire, says cop.
By rlieback@leader.net
Police suspect a fire that gutted an Oak Street home early Friday morning was set intentionally.
“I believe the (state police) fire marshal will list it as arson,” Capt. William Schultz said of the fire at Rear 108 Oak Street.
City officials have visited the building multiple times in the past month:
On March 3, the structure was condemned. More recently police shot and killed a pit bull on the porch after the dog charged 10 people.
Schultz believes the fire started in the living room of an apartment where the previous residents, Eric Winters, 33, and his fiancée, Lisa Bolmer, 28, had furniture stored.
Winters and Bolmer were forced from the home when it was condemned, and reside in Edwardsville. They have been collecting their personal belongings from the dwelling since they moved.
“I’m surprised they were keeping their stuff in there that long,” Schultz said.
He said the home had electricity, but he suspects it played no role in the fire because there were no electrical outlets where the fire started.
“The only other way it could have been accidental is if somebody was in the home Thursday night or early Friday,” he said. “All parties (owner and previous tenants) were nowhere near the structure before the fire.”
Fire Chief Mike Bohan said the department received a call to the fire at 3:53 a.m. and had it under control by 7 a.m. Thirty firefighters were on the scene and no injuries occurred.
“Half of the roof was burned off and the structure was completely gutted,” Bohan said.
Schultz said he contacted the owner, Gerald Altavilla, by telephone, but Altavilla was in the Poconos and would not be available for an interview until tonight or Monday.
The owner and previous tenants could not be reached for comment Friday.
“For now it is just a wait and see deal,” he said.
Hanover Township firefighters assisted in fighting the blaze.

3/16/2005
Nanticoke crashes occur near each other
By kwernowsky@leader.net
Back-to-back crashes kept authorities busy Tuesday evening.
According to officer Joe Kosch:
The first crash occurred at about 5:30 p.m. when Celia Rominski, 73, of Nanticoke, was driving west in the 200 block of West Main Street.
Rominski said she was blinded by the sun’s glare and drove her car over the curb and stuck a tree. The car rolled on its side. She wasn’t seriously injured.
As rescue crews were leaving, a second crash occurred about 100 yards away. Daniel Kotsko, 53, of Nanticoke, was driving east on West Main Street when his vehicle was struck by a vehicle driven by Donald Dougherty, 36, of Nanticoke.
Kotsko was taken to Scranton Community Medical Center after he blacked out. Dougherty, his wife, Susan, and their children, ages 2, 4 and 10, were taken to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. Their injuries were not considered serious.

3/12/2005
Accused killer, wife named in civil lawsuit
By Ed Lewis , Staff Writer
A murder suspect was named in a wrongful death civil action lawsuit filed in Luzerne County Court on Friday by the victim's parents.
Mark Arnold, 38, Newport Township, is criminally accused of killing Nicholas Havard, 20, Nanticoke, on May 5.
Arnold learned that several kids were looking for his son because of an altercation. He and several members of his family followed three cars that drove slowly past their home on Center Street.
The cars stopped on Old Newport Street where the kids began yelling at Arnold.
Arnold got out of his vehicle and engaged in a confrontation with the group when he allegedly pulled out a .22 caliber handgun from his pants and shot Havard, according to the affidavit.
Arnold allegedly told authorities he only wanted to scare the kids.
Arnold is charged with first-degree murder and firearms not to be carried without a license. His criminal trial is set to begin April 25.
Havard's parents, David Havard and wife, Jacqueline, and their son, Derek, as administrators to their deceased son's estate, filed the four-count wrongful death civil lawsuit against Arnold and his wife, Lisa Arnold.
According to the civil suit, Mr. Arnold allegedly carried a firearm and accosted Havard while under the influence of narcotic medications, which impaired his judgement and failed to properly secure the firearm to prevent any accidental discharge.
Havard's family is seeking $50,000 on each count, including the victim's loss of future earning power, retirement benefits, Social Security income and funeral expenses.
Attorney Matthew D. Dempsey filed the lawsuit on behalf of Havard's family.

3/11/2005
‘Vicious’ dog shot, killed in Nanticoke
Police say the pit bull charged 10 people Wednesday night.
By jfox@leader.net
Police shot and killed a pit bull Wednesday night after trying to corral the dog for nearly two hours in the city’s Hanover section.
Officers who attempted to pacify the animal described it as the most violent they had encountered in their combined 40 years of experience.
The 90-pound male dog charged six residents and four police officers during the standoff, police said.
According to police reports:
Just after 6 p.m., Gerald Altavilla, the apparent owner of a recently condemned home at Rear 108 Oak St., called emergency dispatchers to report that the former tenants of the residence had abandoned a “vicious dog” in the house, and he was concerned the animal would “get out and attack someone.”
When police arrived, they found neither Altavilla nor the dog at the residence. The dog, police believe, escaped the home through a cellar door that had been blocked with plywood.
About 30 minutes later, police received a second call from a resident near the Oak Street home reporting that a pit bull had chased him.
When police returned, Sgt. Kevin Grevera found the dog unchained in an alleyway near the home. As the dog charged the resident who tipped police, the officers yelled, trying to distract the animal. The dog then leapt onto the driver’s side of the police cruiser, growling, snarling and scratching, Grevera said.
Grevera sprayed the pit bull with mace and it moved back to the porch of the home. Grevera then contacted the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the dog warden and the state Game Commission asking for assistance in controlling the dog.
Grevera also called Capt. William Schultz and asked him to bring a shotgun.
After the animal charged at five more residents and the officers had not received assistance from animal control officers by 8:30 p.m., Schultz shot and killed the animal in front of the home, police said.
Eric Winters, 33, the dog’s owner who was forced from the home when it was condemned on March 4, was stunned to learn of the shooting Thursday morning.
Blood still marked the spot of the shooting on porch of his former home, he said.
“I had him for three years,” Winters said. “He’s just like a kid to me.”
Winters said he was periodically checking in on the dog as he and his fiancée, Lisa Bolmer, 28, looked for alternative housing.
Bolmer said the “dog wasn’t vicious” but was “protecting his property,” according to police reports.
Police say the animal is the same dog that bit a resident Feb. 18, and that the resident was treated for puncture wounds and underwent rabies shots.

3/6/2005
Police have suspect in attempted robbery
Nanticoke police have a suspect in an attempted robbery Saturday at a Uni-Mart convenience store.
Around 1:20 a.m., police said a man entered the store at 61 E. Main St., walked behind the counter and grabbed the clerk, pushing her out of the way. The man then attempted to access a drawer as the clerk yelled for a customer to call 911. At that point, the man fled on foot. No money was taken during the robbery.
Although the robbery is still under investigation, Nanticoke police interviewed a "person of interest" and an arrest is expected, police said.

3/4/2005
Man charged in Newport Twp. shooting
Christopher Lee Banks, fired 10 shots at William Conway, but did not hit him, police said.By kwernowsky@leader.net
State police arrested Christopher Lee Banks on Thursday afternoon on multiple charges stemming from a November shooting in Newport Township and an unrelated attempted robbery in Nanticoke.
According to state police in Wyoming:
William Conway was watching television at about 7:45 p.m. on Nov. 25. Moments later he got into an argument on the telephone with 23-year-old Banks.
Banks told Conway he wanted to meet somewhere to fight. Conway hung up the phone and Banks called back to let him know he was coming to Conway’s house on Railroad Street in Newport Township.
Fifteen minutes later, Conway was standing on his front porch when Banks showed up pointing a gun at Conway.
“What’s up now, you want to holler at me?” Banks said as he fired 10 shots from a .22 caliber handgun. The gunfire missed Conway and damaged his porch and a neighbor’s vehicle.
Conway grabbed a shotgun he kept inside his front door and fired two shots toward the woods across the street as Banks and an unknown male fled the scene.
Police also linked Banks to the attempted robbery and assault of a Nanticoke couple.
According to Nanticoke police:
On September 18, Michael Dickshinski and his fiancée, Patricia Shilanskis, were driving home from a friend’s house when a vehicle began to follow them.
They pulled into the Curry Donuts parking lot at 185 S. Market St. Christopher and Daniel Banks and a male juvenile got out of a gold vehicle.
Daniel Banks ran over to the passenger-side door and ripped it open, damaging the hinge. The juvenile demanded money.
Dickshinski said he didn’t have any, so the juvenile leaned inside the vehicle and began punching Dickshinski, who leaned over to protect Shilanskis, who was five months pregnant at the time.
The couple asked the juvenile how much money he wanted. He told them “$150.” The couple said they didn’t have any money.
Christopher Banks walked around to the passenger-side door and kicked Dickshinski in the right side of the face and all three fled the area in an awaiting gold vehicle.
Dickshinski received five stitches above his nose at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
Daniel Banks and the juvenile were arrested on charges related to the attempted robbery.
Christopher Banks faces numerous charges including: firearms not to be carried without a license, simple assault in the shooting; and criminal attempted robbery, criminal conspiracy, simple assault, harassment, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief in the robbery.
He was arraigned by District Justice Donald Whittaker Thursday afternoon and is being held in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $125,000 bail in both cases.
Police arrested Banks’ ex-girlfriend, Eva Maslar, 19, Thursday, on a charge of hindering Banks’ arrest.

2/17/2005
Moscow man charged in fatal mishap that occurred in Rice Twp.
By Robert Kalinowski , Staff Writer
A Moscow man was charged Wednesday in connection with a fatal vehicle-versus-pedestrian accident that occurred nearly five months ago on Interstate 81 in Rice Township.
State police at Hazleton said William R. Sullenberger Jr., 35, was driving under the influence when his vehicle struck and killed Edward B. Ash, 35, of Nanticoke, near the Nuangola exit, on Sept. 23.
Sullenberger was charged with felony counts of homicide by vehicle while DUI and homicide by vehicle. He was also charged with two counts of DUI, along with several traffic citations, such careless driving.
State police did not say what Sullenberger's blood alcohol content was at the time of the incident, but said it "exceeded the legal limit of 0.08 percent."
According to state police, Sullenberger was traveling in the right southbound lane of I-81 when he allegedly failed to negotiate a left curve and traveled off the roadway.
His 2002 Ford Explorer then struck Ash, who was standing on the berm of the road, state police said.
Luzerne County Deputy Coroner Tom Moran pronounced Ash dead at the scene from multiple traumatic injuries.
Following the incident, Sullenberger, who was traveling with three passengers, ages 22 through 25, exhibited signs of intoxication. He was then taken to Hazleton General Hospital for blood analysis, according to state police.
The incident occurred between mile markers 160.7 and 160.6 on I-81, about one mile away from the Nuangola exit, at approximately 7:45 p.m.
Until now, there has been no ruling on the manner of Ash's death.
State police did not indicate why it took nearly five months for charges to be filed.
Sullenberger was arraigned Wednesday in front of Magistrate Ronald Swank, Wright Township.
He was released on $10,000 unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing is set for Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 9 a.m. in front of Magistrate Swank.

2/10/2005
Nanticoke man sentenced for robbery
A Nanticoke man was sentenced in Luzerne County Court Wednesday for his role in a robbery in September.
Judge Michael Toole sentenced Jason Demski, 21, South Hanover Street, to 111/2 months minimum to 23 months maximum on a single count of robbery.
Jason Demski was permitted to serve his sentence at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Eric Karvaski was walking in the area of Washington and South Hanover streets, Nanticoke, on Sept. 5 when he was approached by Jason Demski, his brother, Gary Demski, 23, and Christopher Powell, 20, who demanded money
Karvaski said he had no money and walked behind a church where the three assaulted him.
Nanticoke police said $70 was taken from Karvaski's pants pocket. He suffered minor injuries.
Judge Toole denied a request by Jason Demski for work release. He was given credit for 156 days time served.
Attorney Shelley Centini represented Jason Demski.
Gary Demski, South Hanover Street, was charged with simple assault, and Powell, West Union Street, Nanticoke, was charged with robbery. Their cases have not been disposed.

2/10/2005
Alden Shooting Suspect Sought
State police at Wyoming have arrested one man and are looking for two other people in connection with a shooting on Nov 25 in Newport Township.
Police said David Maslar, 18, Alden, is charged with hindering the apprehension or prosecution of shooting suspect Christopher Banks.
Maslar was arraigned before Magistrate Donald Whittaker of Nanticoke and is incarcerated at Luzerne County Correctional Facility after failing to post $50,000 bail.
Banks, 23, Nanticoke, allegedly fired nine rounds from a .22 caliber handgun at William Michael Conway.
Conway, 19, who was not injured, was standing on the front porch of his 49 Railroad St. residence at 7:45 p.m. when the shots were fired.
Banks fled the scene and remains at large. He is facing charges of aggravated assault, firearms not to be carried without a license, criminal mischief, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
Banks is described as lightskinned black male, 5 feet 10 inches, 185 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. He was last seen wearing a black leather jacket.
A woman, Eva Maslar, 19, also is facing a charge of hindering apprehension or prosecution.
No physical description of Eva Maslar was available from police.
Anyone with information regarding the location of Banks or Eva Maslar is asked to contact state police at Wyoming at 697-2000.

2/5/2005
Bloomsburg man charged in robbing pharmacy
Jason Zidek, 27, is accused of taking Duragesic-Fentanyl patches.
By KRIS WERNOWSKY kwernowsky@leader.net

A man who police say held up a pharmacy in October and stole prescription narcotics is being held in the Columbia County jail.
According to Nanticoke police:
Jason J. Zidek, 27, of Bloomsburg, was arrested on a parole violation there, but also faces charges in the Oct. 7 robbery of Spontanski’s Pharmacy, 243 S. Prospect St., Nanticoke
Zidek entered the pharmacy shortly before 1 p.m. and demanded OxyContin, a highly addictive painkiller used in cancer treatment, from owner Joseph Edmundowicz.
Workers told Zidek they didn’t have the 80 mg pills he wanted, so he demanded a smaller dose.
A frustrated Zidek went behind the counter and workers noticed he had a gun inside his sweater.
He began opening drawers and took a handful of Duragesic-Fentanyl patches, a highly addictive morphinelike painkiller, valued at almost $4,000.
Police said Zidek was friends with Nicol M. Anderson, who used to work at the pharmacy. She told police that the two used to talk about where the drugs were located in the store.
On Oct. 7, Zidek demanded that Anderson get him a gun, but she could only supply him with her child’s toy gun.
After he robbed the store with the toy pistol he came back to Anderson’s apartment and bragged about the robbery. He gave Anderson and her husband, John, a couple of patches and went to the bathroom and got high, Nicol Anderson told police.
Zidek faces charges of robbery, taking property by force, robbery by threatening bodily injury, theft by unlawful taking or disposition, possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver and two conspiracy counts.
Zidek’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23.
Detective William Shultz said he expects to make more arrests on conspiracy charges later.

1/28/2005
Settlement in DUI death brings small relief to grieving family
Relative of teen settle suit against Scott Stobodzian, who got probation in criminal case.
By DAVID WEISS-dweiss@leader.net

Probation was not enough punishment for the man who supplied beer to the driver in a crash that killed 16-year-old Mehgan Hanko, the girl's mother said.
She hopes a settlement she recently reached in a lawsuit against Scott Stobodzian will make up for that lost justice.
"I do feel a little bit more of justice has come," Betsy Hanko said Thursday, a few days after reaching the settlement. "But what justice could you get in this?"
Hanko and her attorney, Joseph Mariotti, would not reveal the amount of the out-of-court settlement reached late last week, citing the family's privacy.|
Hanko and her husband filed suit against Stobodzian for buying the beer for an underage drinking party in Hanover Township in June 2001.
One of the partygoers, Eric Papp, gave Mehgan Hanko, of Nanticoke; Kenneth Williams, 17, of Ashley; and two others a ride from the party.
Papp lost control of his speeding vehicle on Middle Road and crashed into a ditch, killing Hanko and Williams.
Papp pleaded guilty in 2003 to charges of homicide by motor vehicle while driving under the influence. He was sentenced to seven to 14 years in state prison.
Stobodzian pleaded guilty to supplying the alcohol and was sentenced to six months probation, Mariotti said.
That, Hanko said, was like a "little slap on the wrist" for the amount of grief Stobodzian created for Hanko's family and friends.
The death spurred the family to start a $1,000 scholarship fund through Greater Nanticoke Area High School for a graduating student.
Hanko hopes her daughter's death will remind youths that they are not invincible, and the same thing that happened to Mehgan can happen to them, she said.
Hanko still becomes emotional talking about her daughter. Luckily, she said, family has guided her through rough times.
"I've had a lot of support from family and friends," she said.

1/26/2005
Drug Charges
Two men and a juvenile were arrested on drug charges late Monday night after a traffic stop on Main Street.
State police said a substance, believed to be marijuana, was found inside the vehicle.
Kevin Jones, 20, and William Pampus, 22, both of Nanticoke, will be charged at a later date, state police said. A 17-year-old juvenile, also of Nanticoke, will be charged.
Additional information was not immediately available.

1/22/2005
Devins found guilty of fatal DUI crash on Nanticoke span
By Edward Lewis , Citizens' Voice Staff Writer

A New York man was found guilty by a Luzerne County jury Friday of crashing his vehicle while driving drunk.
That accident in Nanticoke more than a year ago killed his wife and a 19-year-old woman.
Eugene William Devins, 42, of Saranac, was convicted of two counts each of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle, and driving under the influence, one count of aggravated assault while driving under the influence and several traffic violations.
The jury deliberated for three hours, 30 minutes before reaching the verdict following three days of testimony before Judge Thomas F. Burke Jr.
Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Michael T. Vough said Devins' blood alcohol level was probably higher than 0.136 percent that was recorded an hour after the crash on Oct. 30, 2003.
Devins was driving his 2003 Honda at a high rate of speed across the West Nanticoke-Nanticoke Bridge when he lost control and crashed into a 1994 Jeep Cherokee, operated by Edward Stavetski, on Lower Broadway Street.
Devins' wife, Verna, 37, and Donna Roushey, Nanticoke, died in the crash. They were passengers in the rear seat of Devins' vehicle.
Devins testified he was looking at his front seat passenger, David Romanowski, as he approached an angle on the bridge. When he looked back to the roadway, Devins said he was blinded by an oncoming vehicle's high beams and lost control when he applied his brakes.
State Trooper Todd Norton, an accident reconstructionist, estimated Devins was driving 59 mph when he lost control.
The posted speed limit in the area is 25 mph.
Vough and Devins' defense lawyer, William C. Urbanski, used the same argument but in different styles during their closing statements to the jury.
Both attorneys said Devins had driven over the bridge a few times without incident.
However, Urbanski said speed and the angle of the bridge caused the accident, not alcohol.
"There was nothing he could have done, alcohol or no alcohol," Urbanski said. "At 59 miles per hour, anyone traveling at that speed would have had the same result."
"He drove over that bridge twice before, once sober and once drunk," Vough said. "When he was stone sober, he didn't kill anybody."
Prosecutors claimed Devins and his wife consumed alcohol at the Nanticoke American Legion the night of Oct. 29, 2003.
Devins and his wife left the legion the next day shortly before 12:30 a.m. and traveled two miles across the bridge to Romanowski's apartment on Poplar Street, West Nanticoke.
Urbanski said Devins, despite leaving the legion after consuming beer, managed to safely drive across the bridge and arrive at the Poplar Street address.
Romanowski and Roushey were dating and went with Devins and his wife to get food.
While driving across the bridge shortly before 1 a.m., Devins lost control and struck Stavetski's Jeep.
Stavetski was traveling west on Lower Broadway Street and was just about to cross over the bridge when the crash occurred. He broke a hand and foot and damaged ligaments in his left leg.
Romanowski broke a bone in his neck and injured his face.
Judge Burke set Devins' bail at $150,000 straight. Devins was sent to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility. He had been free on his own recognizance.
He is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday, April 7, at 9:15 a.m.

1/21/2005
Closing arguments today in fatal crash trial
By Edward Lewis , Citizens' Voice Staff Writer
A Luzerne County jury will hear closing arguments Friday morning in the trial of Eugene William Devins, 42.
Devins is charged in a vehicular accident that killed his wife and a 19-year-old woman more than a year ago in Nanticoke.
Prosecutors alleged Devins had a blood alcohol content of 0.136 percent when he lost control of his 2003 Honda and crashed into a 1994 Jeep Cherokee on Lower Broadway Street on Oct. 30, 2003.
Devins' wife, Verna, 37, and Donna Roushey, Nanticoke, were killed in the crash. They were passengers in the rear seat of Devins' vehicle.
Devins of Saranac, N.Y., and his wife consumed several alcoholic drinks at the American Legion in Nanticoke on Oct. 29, 2003. They left the legion at about midnight and arrived at the West Nanticoke residence of David Romanowski on Poplar Street.
Romanowski was a nephew of Mrs. Devins.
Romanowski and Roushey were dating and went with Devins and his wife to get food.
While driving across the West Nanticoke-Nanticoke Bridge at a high rate of speed, Devins lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the Jeep driven by Edward Stavetski.
Upon questioning by Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Michael T. Vough on Thursday, Nanticoke police Det. William A. Shultz testified that the roadway the night of the crash was dry.
However, Devins' lawyer, William C. Urbanski, pointed to an aerial photograph taken by the state police Forensic Services Unit that showed a puddle of water near the crash site that could have affected driving conditions.
Det. Shultz said the puddle of water was off the berm of the roadway and had no impact to drivers traveling on Lower Broadway Street.
Dr. Jack Snyder, a toxicology expert from Washington, D.C., who testified for the prosecution, said alcohol was a contributing factor to the crash. He said a person with a BAC level of 0.136 percent would be impaired to drive a vehicle.
On cross-examination by Urbanski, Dr. Snyder said he had no knowledge of Devins' driving habits or alcohol consumption.
Urbanski claimed Devins lost control while being forced to steer his vehicle with the angle of the bridge.
The bridge is in two sections: A section spans the Susquehanna River, and the other section angles over ground.
Devins' trial began Tuesday before Judge Thomas F. Burke Jr., who scheduled closing arguments by Vough and Urbanski to begin at 9:30 a.m.

1/21/2005
Man Arrested on Assault charges
Kevin Karl Atkinson was arrested on assault charges after he bit his girlfriend and slammed her head on a steering wheel at her home on Shea Street on Tuesday morning, police said.
Atkinson, 36, of Sharpe Street, Alden, Newport Township, has been living with his girlfriend, Christina Lamoreaux, since September, police said.
According to court papers:
At 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, Atkinson stole Lamoreaux's vehicle and she reported the theft to police.
Atkinson returned at her residence at 4 a.m. and Lamoreaux entered the vehicle and attempted to leave, police said.
Police said Atkinson became angry and started banging her head off the steering wheel of the vehicle.
When Lamoreaux arrived at the police station at 11:30 a.m., she had a bite mark on her left hand that was bleeding, bumps on the back of her head and a swollen bruise on her forehead, police said.
She told police all of the injuries were caused during the fight with Atkinson.
Atkinson is charged with simple assault, harassment and stalking. He was taken to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $25,000 bail.

1/20/2005
Passenger: Driver in fatal crash ignored warnings
The trial of Eugene Devins in a crash that left two people dead continues in county court.
By DAVID WEISS-dweiss@leader.net

A drunken Eugene Devins ignored pleas by his passengers to slow his speeding vehicle as it neared a sharp curve off the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke bridge in 2003, witnesses said.
Instead, the 42-year-old from New York accelerated to nearly 90 mph as the vehicle approached the Nanticoke side of the bridge, passenger David Romanowski testified Wednesday.
Romanowski's fiancee, 19-year-old Donna Roushey, grabbed his arm as Romanowski told Devins he'd never make the turn at that speed, the passenger said.
It was too late. The vehicle spun out of control and struck another vehicle, killing two of Devins' passengers, Roushey and Romanowski's aunt, 37-year-old Verna Devins.
Romanowski blacked out, but awoke to see the other passengers, including his unconscious fiancee and aunt, who was also the driver's wife.
"I looked at my aunt ... she was dead," Romanowski said, bringing tears to some family members.
Romanowski's statements came during the second day of testimony at Devins' trial in Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas on two counts of homicide by motor vehicle while driving under the influence and other charges.
Nanticoke police and Luzerne County prosecutors said Devins had a blood-alcohol level of 0.136 percent when his vehicle spun out of control at 59 mph after it crossed the bridge early Oct. 30, 2003.
Wednesday's testimony from Romanowski, 22, and Melissa Dillon, Verna Devins' daughter, at times supported the prosecution and the defense.
Under questioning from Assistant District Attorney Mike Vough, Romanowski and Dillon, who was tending bar at the American Legion in Nanticoke where Devins drank before the collision, said they both knew Devins had beer prior to the wreck.
He had four mugs of beer during his three hours at the bar, Dillon, 22, said.
But Devins' attorney, William Urbanski, established that Devins showed no signs of intoxication and appeared capable of driving safely.
Until Devins sped across the bridge, he had no difficulties driving, Romanowski said.
Dillon said she had no reservations about Devins' ability to drive as she said goodbye to Devins and her mother when they left the bar shortly after midnight Oct. 30, 2003.
"Was that the last time you saw your mother?" Vough asked Dillon.
"Yeah," she said. "I gave her a kiss goodbye."
Urbanski has argued Devins wrecked his vehicle because of speed and the contour of the road, not because of alcohol.
Testimony will continue before Judge Thomas Burke. Vough is expected to call a witness to explain to tell jurors how a blood-alcohol level of 0.136 percent hampers the ability to drive.

1/20/2005
Officer says he smelled booze at accident scene
By Edward Lewis , Citizens' Voice Staff Writer

Nanticoke police Officer Lee Makowski testified Wednesday he detected an odor of alcohol on the breath of Eugene William Devins, 42, upon his arrival to the scene of a two-vehicle crash.
Devins' wife and a 19-year-old woman were killed in that collision in October 2003.
Devins of Saranac, N.Y., is on trial before a Luzerne County jury on charges of two counts each of homicide by vehicle while under the influence, homicide by vehicle, DUI, a single count of aggravated assault and several vehicle code violations.
Prosecutors alleged Devins had a blood alcohol content level of 0.136 percent when he crashed head on with a Jeep Cherokee on Lower Broadway Street, Nanticoke, on Oct. 30, 2003.
Devins' wife, Verna, 37, and Donna Roushey, 19, Nanticoke, were killed. They were passengers in the rear seat of Devins' vehicle.
Officer Makowski testified he was helping Edward Stavetski, who was injured and trapped inside his Jeep, when he was summoned by paramedics to remove Devins from the area.
Devins was interfering with paramedics who were tending to Verna Devins and Roushey, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Officer Makowski said that when Devins was escorted from the area, he detected an odor of alcohol on his breath.
Officer Makowski said Devins had told him that while he was driving across the West Nanticoke-Nanticoke Bridge, he looked at his front passenger, David Romanowski.
When Devins looked back at the road, he told Officer Makowski he was blinded by headlights of an oncoming vehicle, applied his brakes and lost control of his vehicle.
Under cross-examination by Attorney William C. Urbanski, Officer Makowski said Devins was not administered a field sobriety test at the scene.
Urbanski claimed the bridge, which is in two sections, caused Devins to lose control of his vehicle. A section crosses over the Susquehanna River and the other section is angled over ground.
Devins lost control while being forced to steer his vehicle with the angle of the bridge, Urbanski claimed.
Testimony ended before noon when Judge Thomas F. Burke Jr. excused the jury for the day due to slippery road conditions.
Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Michael T. Vough will continue to present his case Thursday morning.

1/19/2005
Unsafe bridge, not alcohol, caused deaths, says lawyer
By DAVID WEISS-dweiss@leader.net

A man accused of being drunk when he killed two people in a collision would have wrecked his vehicle even if he had not been drinking, the man's attorney said.
The attorney said his client, Eugene Devins, could not avoid the 2003 wreck just off the Nanticoke/West Nanticoke bridge because the bridge is like an "airport runway" with a sharp curve at the end.
"We will show there's absolutely nothing Gene could have done, alcohol or no alcohol in his system, to prevent this collision from happening," attorney William Urbanski told a jury Tuesday.
Urbanski made the plea to jurors during his opening statements at the start of Devins' trial on two counts of homicide by motor vehicle while driving under the influence and other charges. A conviction of the two homicide charges would result in a mandatory sentence of at least six to 12 years in prison.
Police said Devins, 42, of Saranac, N.Y., was drunk Oct. 30, 2003, when he lost control of his car and struck a Jeep driven by Edward Stavetski on Lower Broadway, near the bridge.
Two passengers in Devins' car - his wife, 37-year-old Verna Devins, and friend, 19-year-old Donna Roushey, of Nanticoke - died in the crash. A third passenger, David Romanowski, of West Nanticoke, survived. Stavetski was injured.
Luzerne County Assistant District Attorney Mike Vough told jurors testimony from police and experts will show Devins, his wife, and Romanowski were drinking at the Nanticoke American Legion before traveling across the bridge to pick up Roushey.
They left the home and were traveling back across the bridge when Devins, with a blood-alcohol level of 0.136 percent, accelerated the vehicle to at least 59 mph. That's when he lost control of the vehicle on a curve at the end of the brid