Man convicted of threatening judge has sentence adjusted
A Mount Braddock man who was sentenced last week to up to 48 months in prison for threatening a Fayette County judge and others who were involved in his 1998 rape trial was back in court to have his sentence adjusted.
On Jan. 7, visiting Westmoreland County Judge William J. Ober sentenced 34-year-old Robert Ray Shaner to 16 to 48 months in jail plus two years’ probation for four counts of harassment based on threats he made in 2011 against Senior Judge Ralph C. Warman, District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr., Trooper James A. Pierce and the woman he was convicted of raping.
Ober removed the two years’ probation from Shaner’s sentence on Monday in Fayette County Court, leaving Shaner with the 16 to 48 month sentence to be served consecutively with the six to 20 years he’s already serving for the rape charges.
The judge also reiterated the special condition of Shaner’s sentence, stating that Shaner cannot have any contact with Warman, Heneks, Pierce or the rape victim, nor can he contact any other court personnel connected with the harassment or rape cases.
“The two years’ probation was more than the law allows,” said attorney Dianne Zerega, who is one of the county’s conflicts attorneys. She was appointed to represent Shaner.
Ober was called in to take the plea because all of the members of the Fayette County bench recused themselves from the case.
The state Attorney General’s office handled the case because Heneks was one of the victims in the matter.