Judge continues teen’s bond on charges
At the start of a hearing to revoke her 16-year-old son’s bond because he was involved in an alleged criminal act, Annie Fletcher was in tears. She held her son, Antonio T. Lanko, in her arms before the Thursday proceeding, and the two sobbed about the possibility of his going to a state prison on two separate robbery charges – one of which allegedly resulted in a homicide.
But their angst ended when Fayette County Judge Ralph C. Warman denied an emergency petition presented by Assistant District Attorney Phyllis A. Jin and sent Lanko home with his mother.
In his denial, Warman said that fleeing and eluding – the latest crime Lanko is charged with – was not serious enough to revoke the teen’s bond in two pending cases since no one was hurt.
Uniontown police officer Wayne Brown testified that he saw Lanko run a stop sign at Varndell Street and Searights Avenue around 10 p.m. Monday night and tried to pull him over in a marked patrol car.
Lanko, testified Brown, fled and drove recklessly through about six city blocks. He took one corner so severely, Brown testified the car “was literally on two wheels on the right side.” Lanko stopped at the corner of Trader and Elwood streets, said Brown.
Police found that the car Lanko was driving was stolen, and he was initially charged with receiving stolen property, but the owner of the car indicated she did not want to prosecute Lanko.
Since he was taken into custody Monday night, Lanko had been housed in a Westmoreland County juvenile facility. He remained in juvenile custody because he was scheduled for a court appearance on one of his robbery cases Thursday.
But prosecutors prepared the petition to revoke his bond, and that court appearance was continued.
Since the fleeing and eluding charge was a misdemeanor, and juveniles are typically not held for lesser charges, Lanko was free to go once Warman denied the revocation motion.
Although Lanko was charged as an adult in both robbery cases, the fleeing and eluding charge will go through juvenile court. Under state law, juveniles are automatically charged as adults when certain serious offenses are alleged. Fleeing and eluding is not one of those offenses.
Lanko, of 40 Millview St. in Uniontown, was first charged with robbery on Nov. 8, after he allegedly held up a man at gunpoint along Austin Street in the city.
Court records indicate that Kenneth Stimmel was walking toward his Coolspring Street home around 12:21 a.m. when Lanko approached him, pulled out a hand gun and took his wallet, which had $300 inside.
Stimmel gave police a description of the man who robbed him and authorities went to Lanko’s home. When they talked to him, Lanko reportedly confessed to the crime.
In addition to robbery, Lanko was also charged with aggravated and simple assault, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, reckless endangerment and firearms not to be carried without a license. He was released on $5,000 straight cash bond posted by a bondsman in that case.
Nearly two months later, on Dec. 29, state police allege Lanko was again involved in a robbery. This time, authorities initially alleged that his involvement contributed to the death of another man also involved in the robbery.
Lanko, David “Taboo” Sims and Charles “Cha Cha” Lendell allegedly went into a Lemon Wood Acres apartment to rob the occupants. While inside, Lendell was shot by James Simon Thompson.
While Thompson was not charged in the shooting because police determined it was in self-defense, Sims and Lanko were since the law says that their criminal conduct attributed to Lendell’s death.
Lanko and Sims were both charged with criminal homicide, robbery, burglary and criminal conspiracy.
The homicide charge against Lanko was dismissed, however, when he agreed to testify against Sims. Last month, Sims pleaded guilty in the case.
After Lanko agreed to testify against Sims in April, his attorney, Mark F. Morrison, came before Warman and asked the judge to set bond for that case.
Warman agreed, and set Lanko’s bond at $35,000 ROR, meaning he did not have to post any money. In his instructions to Lanko, Warman ordered that the Uniontown Area High School sophomore attend school every day, and not get into additional criminal trouble.
During that hearing, Lanko told Warman that his goal in life was to get an education and good job to provide for his family. He also told the jurist he was an A-B student.
At the start of the bond hearing, attorney Charles Gentile, who was filling in for Morrison, told Warman that Lanko was willing to accept a plea on the two robbery cases, but wanted to stay in the county jail to do his time.
Jin had offered one to two years in the boot camp program for both cases.
When the revocation request was dismissed, no further action was taken on the plea.