Apr 24, 2002 By Amy Karpinsky 3 min read

State police at Uniontown on Tuesday became the fourth Fayette County police agency to file robbery and related charges against a Redstone Township man who allegedly committed four similar robberies in four different municipalities within a five-hour period. Barry K. Persichitti, 22, of Tower Hill 2, who has a Merrittstown mailing address, was charged by state police with robbery, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property for allegedly taking $80 from the Dairy Mart at 22 Dixon Blvd. in South Union Township. The incident occurred at 11:30 p.m. on March 17.

Trooper Thomas B. Broadwater filed the charges in the office of District Justice Rick Vernon. According to the criminal complaint, clerk Jennifer Marie Wilson said a white male entered the store and placed a pack of Juicy Fruit gum and a quarter on the counter. After Wilson took the quarter and opened the cash drawer, she said the man “grabbed money from the cash drawer and fled the store,” the complaint states.

Police obtained the videotape from the surveillance camera in the store and identified Persichitti as the person who allegedly grabbed the money.

Broadwater said an arraignment for Persichitti will likely be held today on the charges.

Persichitti is currently incarcerated in the Fayette County Prison and is facing similar charges filed by Uniontown City Police, Redstone Township Police and Brownsville Borough Police. The incidents occurred between 9:55 p.m. on March 17 and 3 a.m. on March 18. Police allege that Persichitti netted approximately $249 in the robberies.

The first incident occurred at the Texaco Hawkeye Food Mart at the interesection of routes 166 and 40 in Redstone Township at 9:55 p.m. on March 17, Redstone Township police said Persichitti allegedly entered the store and asked the clerk for change for a dollar. When the cash register was opened, he grabbed about $25 and fled, police said.

Less than two hours later, at approximately 11:30 p.m., police allege that Persichitti committed the Dairy Mart robbery.

At 2:12 a.m. on March 18, police allege that Persichitti went to the A-Plus Mini Mart at Broadway and High streets in Brownsville.

In that case, Brownsville police said Persichitti entered the store presumably to pay for gasoline but again grabbed a handful of cash out of the open drawer and escaped with about $64.

Finally, Persichitti is facing charges for allegedly taking $80 from the cash register at the Speedway on West Fayette Street in Uniontown at 3 a.m. Uniontown police allege that Persichitti took the money after clerk Jeanette Howell opened the cash drawer to give him change for a dollar.

Persichitti is currently incarcerated in the Fayette County Prison in lieu of bond. The four cases are spread out to four District Justice offices and preliminary hearings for two of the cases are scheduled for June. Attorney Jack Connor represents Persichitti.