Feb 21, 2020 2 min read

A Hopewell Township man will serve one to three years in prison, with credit for time served, after a vandalism spree last fall at the Washington County fairgrounds.

Robert Vance Glass, 30, of Avella, pleaded guilty in December to felony counts of burglary and criminal mischief and a misdemeanor charge of theft after turning himself in to Chartiers Township police and confessing.

Last week, as part of his sentence, Judge Valarie Costanzo ordered Glass to have no contact with fair board members and barred him from the fairgrounds.

She ordered that he be transported to the State Correctional Institution at Greene County for classification purposes and noted he is eligible to be evaluated for the state drug treatment program.

The Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool program notified Commission Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan and District Attorney Gene Vittone, “The repairs have been finalized and we have reimbursed our insured for their loss stemming from this occurrence. The total claim was $35,297.”

The judge also ordered Glass to pay restitution. Assistant District Attorney John Friedmann prosecuted the case.

Glass’ attorney, Steven Toprani, said he did not know what triggered the overnight destruction Sept. 29. Inside the fair office, phone lines and computer connections were cut and an attempt was made to start a fire. Glass admitted to the break-in and using his vehicle to bash six garage-style doors inside the food court.

Glass also took a hammer to an ATM and loaded T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, plastic crowns and a canopy tent into his heavily damaged vehicle, which he abandoned on Arden Road. The stolen items were returned.

“He accepted responsibility. That’s all I can say,” Toprani commented Thursday.