Jefferson man faces additional charges
Marko Demaske is led from a preliminary arraignment before District Judge Glenn Bates in June by Greene County Sheriff Brian Tennant. Pictured behind is Chief Deputy Sheriff Tom Nichols.
Items seized by state police investigators during a raid on Demaske’s Tavern in Jefferson June 20 line a sidewalk.
WAYNESBURG – In June, law enforcement officials descended on Demaske’s Tavern in Jefferson shortly after 6 a.m., spending the better part of that day searching the bar, a second-floor residence and surrounding property that is licensed as a junkyard. Among items police were seen removing from the building were guns, chain saws, compound bows and a power washer.
On Monday, state police filed a related criminal complaint against Marko Demaske, 52, of 1447 Main St., Jefferson, listing several of the items seized in the raid as stolen property.
Demaske’s mother, Sylvia Demaske, is listed as the owner of the license for the tavern.
An initial complaint in the matter was filed against Demaske before Greene County Magisterial District Judge Glenn Bates the day of the raid, June 20, for possessing a firearm reported stolen from a Cumberland Township residence.
Demaske was out of jail the same day after posting $25,000 bond. He is scheduled for plea court Jan. 13.
In the complaint filed Monday before Bates, Demaske is charged with 10 counts of receiving stolen property, two counts of prohibited acts under the controlled substance, drug, device and cosmetic act, and possession of firearms prohibited by anyone convicted of theft by unlawful taking, which Demaske was in 1985.
According to the complaint filed Monday by Trooper Timothy Gilbert, numerous firearms were seized from Demaske during the June search, which also yielded 29 Clonazepam tablets, 36 Buphreorphine strips, 16 Beherorphine tablets, and 2.32 grams of crack cocaine in an upstairs safe.
Demaske did not possess prescriptions for any of the substances found by police, according to the complaint.
Demaske is licensed to operate a junkyard on the property adjoining the tavern. There, police located a 2009 Yamaha Grizzly 700 ATV, confirmed to be one that was reported stolen in Preston County, W.Va., according to Gilbert.
Detective William Hammerle of the Preston County Sheriff’s Department told Gilbert that Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. paid out a claim to the victim of this theft. That ATV will be returned to Nationwide, Gilbert said.
Other items allegedly stolen by Demaske, according to the complaint, include a Stihl concrete saw belonging to the City of Cumberland, Md., a Stihl gas blower belonging to Greene County Department of Parks and Recreation, a Stihl concrete saw belonging to A.J.
Demor and Sons, Inc. of Monroeville, and a Stihl concrete saw belonging to Lane Construction of Bentleyville.
Other items listed as stolen in the complaint include chainsaws belonging to Charles Leon Jones, Ivan Robinson and James Miller, a gas trimmer belonging to John Charnock, and a concrete saw belonging to Jeffrey Sankey.
All of the items listed were identified by serial numbers.
Demaske was arraigned Tueday before Bates and freed on $25,000 unsecured bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 15.