Judge orders former Connellsville cop to turn in firearms, wear electronic ankle bracelet prior to sentencing
A Fayette County judge has granted a motion for a former Connellsville police officer to have his firearms removed and be placed on an electronic home monitoring device as he awaits sentencing on charges of corruption of a minor.
Last week, President Judge John F. Wagner Jr. filed an order granting the modification of bail for Ryan Thomas Reese, 44, of Connellsville.
The motion requesting the modification came from state Deputy Attorney General Patrick J. Schulte, who prosecuted the case against Reese that ended with a jury finding Reese guilty of corruption of a minor, a third-degree felony that can bring a sentence up to seven years in prison.
The jury found Reese not guilty of the more serious charge of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, a first-degree felony.
The conviction stemmed from an incident in 2014 when Reese, a Connellsville police office and member of the now defunct Fayette County Drug Task Force, had sex with a then 16-year-old heroin addict.
The victim was 15 when police, including Reese, raided her home in October 2013. The teen and her boyfriend were found with two guns, a large amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
The Herald-Standard does not identify victims of sexual crimes.
Reese resigned from the Connellsville police department in 2014, before he was charged.
Reese had been free on $10,000 bond, but Wagner increased his bond to $75,000 when he was convicted, adding a provision that he have no contact with the victim.
Reese posted bond a short time later.
According to Shulte’s motion, it was brought to his attention by a person wishing to remain confidential that Reese “has made threats to harm himself and others and/or to flee the jurisdiction”; therefore, posing a risk to the safety of the community and being a flight risk.
Wagner’s order states that Reese is to surrender any and all firearms to Kent Reese of Greensburg, who will keep the firearms in his possession until they can be turned over to Kirk Reese of Erie, a lieutenant with the Pennsylvania State Police and who will keep them during the proceedings and any appeal.
Wager adds that Kirk Reese will sign an affidavit indicating that he has searched Ryan Reese’s home and found no weapons.
Ryan Reese has similar cases pending with charges of rape in Fayette and Westmoreland counties.
His sentencing hearing will take place at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 13 before Wagner.