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Several plead in Greene County court

4 min read

WAYNESBURG – Six criminal defendants pleaded guilty Wednesday before Greene County Judge Farley Toothman. They included the following:

Robert Louis Shaffer, III, 27, of 109 Clarksville Road, Clarksville; offenses – Driving under the influence, second offense, and one summary traffic violation. Shaffer was involved in an accident on Dec. 16 at Route 1010 in Rices Landing Borough and Millsboro Road. Police said Shaffer was traveling at a high rate of speed on a wet road when he lost control of his vehicle and skidded into the driver’s side door of a vehicle pulling out from a stop sign. His blood-alcohol content was 0.174 percent; sentence – Shaffer was sentenced to 5 years in the county intermediate punishment program, deferred until Sept. 15, 225 hours of community service, fines of $1,525 plus all court costs and fees.

Charles Otto Kowalczyk, II, 31, of 406 S. Market St., Carmichaels; offenses -DUI and one summary traffic violation. Kowalczyk was involved in a one-vehicle accident on Dec. 23 along East Greene St. in Carmichaels. Police said Kowalczyk lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a utility pole. A witness who stopped to render aid was struck in the face by Kowalcyzk, according to police. According to the complaint filed against him, when police questioned him about the accident, Kowalcyzk told them he wasn’t involved in an accident. His BAC was 0.185 percent; sentence – 72 hours to 6 months in jail, 50 hours of community service, and $1,025 in fines plus court costs and fees.

Melissa Ann Hines, 33, of 119 Mountain Ridge Road, Morgantown, W.Va.; offense – retail theft. Police said Hines was seen on surveillance video taking cosmetics from the Waynesburg CVS Store April 3. She later returned to exchange the products for cash without a receipt. A manager placed the items on the counter and went into an office to view the video. Hines picked the products up and left the store before he returned to the registers. Trooper Forrest Allison watched the video and recognized Hines’ vehicle April 5. Allison stopped her in the Greene Plaza parking lot. When he ran her information, Allison learned that Hines had a prior conviction for shoplifting in West Virginia; sentence – 10 days to one year in jail to be served on weekends deferred until Sept. 20, 150 hours of community service, restitution of $48.55 to CVS and $150 in fines plus court costs and fees.

Jason L. Fuller, 25, of 380 Willowbrook Road, Holbrook; offenses – possessing an instrument of crime, theft by unlawful taking and criminal mischief. When Waynesburg Borough Police stopped Fuller and another man June 23, they noticed copper wire and a pair of bolt cutters protruding from Fuller’s backpack. Officer Asa Winters determined the men were cutting the wire off of utility poles throughout the borough. Winters said the copper seized came from 10 or more utility poles and weighed 16 pounds; sentence – 9 days to 23 months in jail, 175 hours of community service, restitution to West Penn Power of $1,351, fines of $500 plus court costs and fees.

Steven Ray Sharpnack, 30, 300 Fish and Game Club Road, Masontown; offenses – DUI second offense and two summary traffic violations. Police said they received a call about a man drinking a beer in the parking lot of the Sheetz Store in Carmichaels. When police arrived at Sheetz, they saw a car matching the description with inoperable tail lights. They pulled Sharpnack over and an open can of beer was visible in the center console. His BAC was 0.149 percent; sentence -30 days to 6 months on weekends, 75 hours of community service, $775 in fines plus court costs and fees.

Jacqueline Lynn Keller, 41, of 45 Reeseman’s Mobile Home Park, Waynesburg; offenses – theft by unlawful taking and theft by deception. Keller entered the Rent-A-Center store in Waynesburg on Feb. 2, 2012, with two males requesting to rent a pair of televisions. They were told they could only rent one. Keller completed the rental agreement and took possession of the set. Later in the day, store management noted a 50-inch plasma display television was missing. The manager of the Waynesburg Gold, Coin and Electronics pawn shop came into RAC the same day. The manager asked him if anyone had brought a 50-inch plasma in to his shop that day and he said, yes. They compared the serial numbers and it was the missing display set; sentence – 8 days to 23 months in jail with credit for time served, 75 hours of community service, $300 in fines plus court costs and fees.

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