Student charged in Cal U shooting jailed on unrelated charges
A 22-year-old California University of Pennsylvania student accused of shooting another student during a dispute at a bar in California May 5 will serve 3 1/2 years in federal prison on unrelated charges. Vikram Yamba of Turtle Creek, Allegheny County, was charged earlier this month before Magisterial District Judge Jay Dutton in Claysville with criminal attempt homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and several firearms violations, California police said.
Yamba, a freshman at Cal U, turned himself in to police in Churchill, Allegheny County, several days after the shooting occurred.
Yamba was sentenced to federal prison Thursday on unrelated charges from 2004 as well as violating terms of his probation.
According to California police Chief Rick Encapera, Marc Morris, 22, of Elizabeth suffered a gunshot wound to his leg in the shooting.
Encapera said the incident occurred at McMonagle’s Bar on Union Street at 2 a.m. when Yamba and Morris, a junior at the university, started to fight. During the altercation, Encapera alleged Yamba pulled a handgun from his pants and shot Morris in the leg.
Yamba was initially placed in the Washington County Jail on $25,000 straight cash bond on Monday. After Yamba posting bail, federal officials issued a warrant for his arrest, alleging he violated a prior bond agreement with the federal court.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond ordered Yamba to two years in federal prison for violating the terms of his probation and an additional 18 months for a prior sentence for wire fraud.
In that case, federal court records indicate that police found Yamba with more than 70 credit card numbers he was using without authorization to make purchases of furniture and other goods from a retail outlet in 2004.
He was free on bond while awaiting an appeal of the federal court’s ruling in the wire fraud case, records indicate, before being taken into custody earlier this month by federal officials.