Greene County court cases
Greene County court cases
A number of criminal defendants have appeared before Greene County Judge Lou Dayich recently for pleas and sentencing. They include:
Frank Ray Blackmon, 54, of 312 Sugar Run Road, Waynesburg; pleaded guilty July 10 to receiving stolen property; sentenced to 6 months of probation, 60 hours of community service. Blackmon was stopped by state police Sept. 29 in Morgan Township, and his vehicle had a stolen Ohio registration plate.
Amy Marie Hoffman, 41, of 300 E. Greene St., Carmichaels; pleaded no contest May 2 to four counts of access device fraud; sentenced July 6 to 3 years of probation, ordered to pay $1,633.03 in restitution and perform 60 hours of community service. Between Aug. 7 and 22, Hoffman used another person’s debit card to obtain cash at several automated teller machines.
Ronald Albert Pierce, 29, of 109 Parkview Knoll, Carmichaels; resentenced on burglary, criminal trespassing, theft and receiving stolen property charges July 12 due to his removal from the state intermediate punishment program; sentenced to 2 to 4 years in jail, and has served the minimum sentence. Pierce was also ordered to serve 100 hours of community service and to pay any restitution that may have previously been imposed. Pierce is not eligible for parole until completing a drug and alcohol evaluation and until a suitable residence for his release is confirmed by probation. Pierce took an Amazon Kindle, jewelry, money and other property from a residence at 244 School House Road in Carmichaels on Oct. 31, 2014.
Nathaniel Lee Chipps, 21, of Dilliner; found guilty of escape by a jury on May 15; sentenced July 26 to 1 to 2 years in prison, given credit for time served and deemed eligible for the Recidivism Risk Reduction Incentive, reducing his minimum to 9 months. Chipps was granted a conditional release from the Greene County Jail in January to participate in inpatient rehabilitation with the condition he return to jail within 48 hours if he failed to complete the program. He left rehabilitation Jan. 31 but failed to return to jail. He was arrested Feb. 8 while hiding in a closet at a home in Clarksville.
William Dale Freeman, 33, of Chester, W.Va., pleaded guilty to two counts of fleeing or attempting to elude police and DUI July 30; sentenced to 9 months to 2 years in state prison and a $1,400 fine. Freeman was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police June 20 in Richhill Township after he was involved in a police pursuit that began in West Virginia. Freeman reportedly stuck several police cruisers and entered Pennsylvania in Washington County before West Virginia State Police were able to pull him over.
John M. Demaske, 22, of Jefferson, found guilty by a jury on June 1 of seven counts of unlawfully taking or possessing big game beyond the season limits; sentenced Aug. 1 by Judge Lou Dayich to 5 days to 8 months in jail, fined $3,000 and order to pay the Pennsylvania Game Commission $3,200 for the illegally taken deer. Game commission investigators determined from DNA samples of meat taken from Demaske in November 2015 that he had illegally taken or possessed seven whitetail deer during the 2015 hunting season.
Nicholas Michael Palmer, 21, of 142 E. High St., Waynesburg; pleaded guilty Aug. 14 to four counts of both retail theft and receiving stolen property, along with a separate charge of retail theft; sentenced for both cases to two years of probation with twice-monthly reporting for the first four months, 90 hours of community service, $9.44 in restitution to Sheetz and $86.24 in restitution to BFS. Palmer took ice cream products from Sheetz April 17 and $70 worth of lottery tickets and various food and beverage items from BFS in Jefferson without paying.
Mark Allen, 34, of 230 Titus St., Bobtown; pleaded guilty Aug. 14 to two counts of DUI, driving with a suspended license, false reports, disregarding a traffic lane, careless driving, and immediate notice of an accident to police involving damage; sentenced to two years of county intermediate punishment to begin with six months of house arrest and an electronic alcohol monitor, with credit for inpatient treatment, to continue with intensive outpatient treatment until discharged, five sessions of driver improvement school, a driver’s license suspension, 100 hours of community service and a total $2,775 fine. State police arrested Allen Jan. 9 at 623 Bobtown Road after Allen had struck a tree. A blood draw showed Allen under the influence of controlled substances, including narcotics.
Wade Nicholas Blackmon, 23, of 299 McCracken Road, Wind Ridge; pleaded guilty to two counts of DUI Aug. 14; sentenced to 48 hours to six months of jail, deferred to Sept. 24 to accommodate Blackmon’s work schedule, a $500 fine, five sessions of driver improvement school, a driver’s license suspension and $1,624 in restitution to PennDOT. Additional summary offenses were previously resolved during the ARD program. State police arrested Blackmon Nov. 17, 2016, on Route 21 west of Rush Road after Blackmon had crashed into a guardrail. Blackmon had a BAC of 0.139.
Gary R. Miller, 34, of 514 Laurel Run Road, New Freeport; pleaded guilty Aug. 14 to a violation of the public welfare code; sentenced to seven years of probation and $3,946 in restitution with a requirement to pay at least $60 a month. From April 6, 2017, to Jan. 31, 2018, Miller received $3,946 in food stamps while failing to disclose wages from employment with Cleaning Staff Inc. that would affect his eligibility.
Logan Rose, 21, of 206 Cedar Ridge Road, Waynesburg; found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol and eight summary violations at a non-jury trial Aug. 16 before Dayich; acquitted of DUI, based on blood-alcohol results, and two other summaries; sentencing to be scheduled later. Rose was charged following a single-vehicle crash May 12, 2017 on Locust Avenue in Perry Township.
Eric Daniel Morris, 23, of 124 Woodside Drive, Carmichaels, pleaded guilty Aug. 13 to terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment; sentenced to two years county intermediate punishment, to remain in jail until bed becomes available in an inpatient rehabilitation program and 60 hours of community service. On May 29, Morris repeatedly threatened to kill his father.