Court briefs
Man pleads guilty A Mount Pleasant man who set fire to a Bullskin Township woman’s home in November 2001 pleaded guilty to arson and related charges in Fayette County Court.
Edward Charles Koontz, 37, also entered guilty pleas to burglary, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. He will serve five to 10 years in prison under the plea bargain.
The plea bargain also calls for Koontz to pay approximately $100,000 in restitution to Lisa Mae Scherer. State police charged Koontz with breaking into Scherer’s 844 Kreinbrook Road home on Nov. 8.
Before he reportedly started the blaze, state police allege he kicked in Scherer’s kitchen door and entered the house without permission.
Police said Scherer hid in the basement and eventually ran out of the house and to her car with Koontz following. She drove to a neighbors and called police, and Koontz reportedly followed her there.
After Koontz reportedly yelled that he loved Scherer, he allegedly stole her car and drove back to her home, where police claim he set the home on fire.
Koontz was set to take the case to trial last month, but the case ended in mistrial after the first witness testified that she met Koontz after he got out of prison on an unrelated matter. The judge declared a mistrial because mention of prior prison time could have prejudiced the jury.
Judge Gerald R. Solomon, who accepted Koontz’s plea, will sentenced him at a later date.
Pleas entered
A 28-year-old Uniontown man entered pleas to taking part in a break-in at Pechin Shopping Village last July 29 that netted an estimated $79,577.97.
Lorin Long, of 306 Laura Lane, Uniontown, pleaded no contest to burglary and theft. He also pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and three counts of criminal conspiracy. The no contest plea mean that Long neither admits or denies the crimes of burglary and theft, but does agree to a punishment.
In exchange for his plea, Long will be sentenced to six to 23 months in prison.
Co-conspirator Deanna Patterson, 34, of the same address, pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit burglary for her part in the crime. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed theft, receiving stolen property and two counts of criminal conspiracy. She will serve a term of probation.
State police charged Long and Patterson for their parts in a break-in at the Dunbar store during which money was taken from an office safe.
Police alleged that Long, Chad A. Ringer and Thomas Rice Jr. took part in the burglary together and that Patterson drove the getaway car for the men.