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Georges man sentenced to 6 months house arrest

By Jennifer Harr 2 min read

A Georges Township man who pleaded guilty to his role in a standoff with state police last year was sentenced to six months of house arrest on Thursday in Fayette County Court. John A. Smaniotto, 52, was also sentenced to 23 months of intermediate punishment, which is a probationary-type sentence, for simple assault.

State police charged Smaniotto after he held authorities at bay during a five-hour standoff at his home on Sleepy Hollow Road on Sept. 3, 2007.

Police said he pointed a gun at troopers and refused to come out of his home. They took him into custody after authorities fired several canisters of a chemical agent into the house, police said.

Smaniotto had been charged with aggravated assault, but that charge was dismissed as part of the plea deal.

Judge John F. Wagner Jr., who sentenced Smaniotto, sought assurances that police were in agreement with the plea deal.

Assistant District Attorney Eugene Grimm and Smaniotto’s attorney, Daniel Webster, called the barracks to ensure police agreed to the arrangement.

Before sentence was imposed, Webster said Smaniotto is a lifelong resident of the county, who served in the military and is a registered nurse.

He also noted that the gun Smaniotto had was not discharged, and said police weren’t threatened during the standoff.

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