Man faces additional charges
A Bentleyville man already facing charges for stealing from vehicles in the borough was arrested by Southwest Regional police on new charges last week when he appeared before the district judge for a preliminary hearing.
Cory Wayne Thomas George, 24, of 138 Pittsburgh Road, had been scheduled for the Nov. 27 hearing before District Judge Curtis Thompson on charges of theft and theft from motor vehicles.
That is when Southwest Regional police served him the arrest warrants on charges of receiving stolen property and carrying an unlicensed firearm in connection with two stolen guns found in his home by Southwest police after he was taken into custody on the theft charges.
Southwest Regional police Chief John Hartman said when police contacted the owner of the guns, he was not aware they had been stolen.
George is not a suspect in the theft and Hartman said the investigation into how the guns were stolen is continuing.
Southwest police also served him with a warrant on charges of burglary, criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property.
Hartman said George admitted during questioning to burglarizing a home at 321 Beallsville Road Oct. 1.
George waived the theft charges as well as the new charges to court. Thompson set bond at $20,000 for the new charges against George, who was in Washington County jail on $250,000 bond on the theft case.
George is also awaiting trial on charges of theft, criminal mischief and receiving stolen property for allegedly stealing ground wire owned by First Energy.
Police said the wire had been stolen from almost every pole in Bentleyville. Police found the wire while on an unrelated call to George’s home in July.
He also faces trial on drug-related charges.