22 fugitives nabbed in annual Valentine’s Day raids

February 14, 2012|By Peter Mucha, Inquirer Staff Writer  

                In an annual Valentine's Day roundup, regional law-enforcement officials arrested 22 fugitives wanted on outstanding warrants in a series of early morning raids today.

For 15 years, the Feb. 14 raids have focused in part on people who owe child support or are accused of domestic abuse, said Philadelphia Sheriff Jewell Williams, following the parading of handcuffed individuals - two women and more than a dozen men - into the Family Court building at 18th and Vine Streets.

One man loudly complained, while walking past officers and reporters, that he was being locked up "for restitution." He declined to explain further.

Others taken into custody are accused of robbery, burglary, armed assault and drug trafficking, Williams said.

The roundup, which began at 2:30 a.m., was carried out by Philadelphia police officers and sheriff's deputies, and sheriff's deputies from the Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Bucks counties, officials said.

"Crime is everyone's business today," Williams said. ". . . If you know anyone who is hiding in your neighborhood, feel free to call the Philadelphia Sheriff's Office, 215-686-3578 and we promise not to reveal your name, but we will do our best to follow up on any leads or tips."

Today's arrests represent just a fraction of the workload of the sheriff's office, which handles cases that come out of the courts, Williams said.

With about 2,900 people facing outstanding warrants in the city, arrests are made every day, he said.

Two drug-sniffing dogs were also used in the raids, but no contraband or illegal weapons were confiscated, Williams said.

By MICHAEL P. RELLAHAN
mrellahan@dailylocal.com

A state appeals court has upheld the convictions of a former East Marlborough man who shot and wounded Chester County sheriff deputies who had gone to his house to evict him.

A state Superior Court panel ruled the jury convictions against Walter Rosengarth did not amount to unconstitutional inconsistencies that demanded a new trial. The Common Pleas jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on some charges and guilty but mentally ill on others after an August 2005 trial.

“Contrary to the appellant’s contentions, the verdicts here do not represent that the jury found he was sane and insane at the same time,” Judge Susan Gantman wrote in a 25-page opinion issued Monday. “The verdicts of not guilty by reason of insanity on only some of the counts and guilty but mentally ill on the other counts might be facially inconsistent, but that does not undermine their integrity.

“We conclude the jury’s verdicts in this case are decidedly not mutually exclusive,” Gantman concluded, adding there was sufficient evidence to find Rosengarth guilty of the crimes of aggravated assault and attempted aggravated assault.

Rosengarth, now 72, was sentenced to serve a prison term of 18 to 40 years for the shootings, as well as being ordered to receive treatment for his mental illness.

In 2006, Rosengarth was arrested and charged with the murder of an elderly Chadds Ford couple, Miles and Mary Warner, who were found shot to death in their home. Rosengarth, who did odd jobs for the couple, reportedly believed they were poisoning him with arsenic. Since 2008, he has been housed at Norristown State Hospital after a Delaware County judge found him incompetent to stand trial on the murder charges.

The appeal came in the shooting case, which began on July 24, 2003, when two deputy sheriffs went to the house Rosengarth was living in off Greenwood Road near Longwood Gardens. Rosengarth had failed to pay property taxes on the home, which he had shared with the former owner until that man’s death, and it had been sold at a sheriff’s auction.

Deputy James J. Boyd and Deputy Joseph Smida had gone to the house that day to oversee Rosengarth’s eviction after having informed him of the proceeding a few days prior. When Boyd knocked on the front door, no one responded. Boyd went to other doors and announced that he was from the sheriff’s office but again got no response to his request for Rosengarth – who had been seen inside the house by movers earlier -- to come out. Boyd called a supervisor, Sgt. John Freas, who said he would bring backup to the house.

Freas and Sgt. Edward Clemens arrived shortly afterwards and Freas began knocking on the door to get Rosengarth’s attention. The window shades had all been pulled so he could not see inside, and only one window was open. As Freas continued to try to get Rosengarth’s attention, Rosengarth said, “Eight-hundred and fifty thousands dollars,” the amount he said the sheriffs would have to pay him to leave.

As Freas tried to convince Rosengarth to leave, he heard a clicking noise that he recognized as the sound of someone loading a bullet in a bolt-action rile. Freas asked if Rosengarth owned any weapons, and he said he did not. When Freas asked if he had any guns in the house, the answer was no. 

When Freas heard another clicking sound, he asked again about guns inside the house. “If you don’t get off my property you’ll find out,” Rosengarth said. As Freas ducked, he heard two shots being fired and bullets whizzing over his head.

Rosengarth fired several more times. One shot hit Smida, who had been in the backyard near a shed, in the face. As Boyd crossed the yard to help Smida, he was hit in the hand. Freas called for police backup, and a standoff ensued for several hours. Ultimately, Rosengarth surrendered.

He was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of crime, and resisting arrest. He filed an insanity defense.

At his trial in front of Judge Howard F. Riley Jr., his attorney presented three mental health experts who testified that he was schizophrenic and paranoid, and that he had experienced psychotic episodes the day of the shooting. The prosecution offered its own expert, who agreed that he suffered from a mental disorder but that he knew what he was doing the day of the shooting and was not legally insane.

The jury, after a trial of six days, returned with a split verdict. It found Rosengarth guilty but mentally ill of two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of attempted aggravated assault. But it found him not guilty by reason of insanity of the remaining charges, including attempted murder.

In his appeal, Rosengarth’s attorney, Timothy Melvin of Wayne, argued the jury could not find him legally insane, and then turn around and declare him guilty, when both verdicts stemmed from the same course of conduct. In her opinion, Gantman summed up the argument as complaining that “these verdicts cannot coexist as they mean he was and was not legally insane at the same time.”

In response, however, the prosecution argued state law accommodates a wide range of jury verdicts including those involving mental health defenses. A jury can find a defendant guilty of theft and assault, but not guilty of robbery – which is the legal definition of a theft by force, said Deputy District Attorney Nicholas Casenta. The prosecution said the jury could have “parsed the verdicts by time, acts, or victims,” the judge wrote, or the jurors could also have decided some charges on the basis of clemency for Rosengarth.

“Regardless of how the jury arrived at its decision, the record contains sufficient evidence to support a finding of guilty as to the crime charged,” Gantman wrote. “Any effort to guess what was in the jury’s collective mind constitutes nothing more than an exercise in futility and is highly inadvisable.”

Rosengarth is now facing two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of the Warners, both 81, who were found dead Dec. 10, 2002, in their Chadds Ford home. He was found incompetent to stand trial in that case in 2008.

The Warners’ slayings remained unsolved for several years. In 2006 authorities focused on Rosengarth, who performed odd jobs for the victims. He became a suspect after Hilarie Showalter, who works for Riley, spotted the names “Miles” and “Mary” in statements the defendant made to doctors. Her information was subsequently turned over to state police. 

They then discovered that in writings and in statements to other prisoners Rosengarth implicated himself in their shooting deaths, according to a court document.

The first president of the group was Lester Albright, Register of Wills of Northumberland County.  The current president is Terry Adamik, Treasurer of Adams County.  Since it’s founding in 1956 elected officials have met on a monthly basis to assist the legislature with legislative pieces. There have been approximately 290 county officials who have served in this Association. 29 elected row officers have served as president of the association and were elected by their peers of the association on an annual basis.  Some have served as president several terms over the 56 years of the existence of PSAECO.

Sheriff Robert B. Failor of Cumberland County was president from 1969 to 1970.  Sheriff Raymond Krasinski of Erie County served as president from 1987 to 1988 and again in 1992.  Sheriff Harry Geiger was president from 1995 to 1996 and Sheriff Robert Wollyung was president of PSAECO from 2005 to 2006. 

Officers honored for swift, life-saving response to medical emergency

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Credit: Jonathan McVerry From left, Nittany Lion Inn employee Crisoforo Sandoval, Penn State Police Office Michelle Beckenbaugh, Deputy Sheriff Richard Smith of the Centre County Sheriff's Department and Penn State Police Chief Tyrone Parham. Beckenbaugh and Smith helped to save Sandoval's life on Nov. 8. For more photos, click on the image above.

A group of University employees attending CPR training took a break from class on Dec. 14 to witness firsthand the importance of certification. In a ceremony held on the University Park campus, Penn State Police Officer Michelle Beckenbaugh and Deputy Sheriff Richard Smith of the Centre County Sheriff's Department were honored for their quick, life-saving response in a medical emergency.

On Nov. 8, Crisoforo Sandoval, an employee with Penn State Hospitality Services, went into cardiac arrest while transporting two guests from the University Park Airport to the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. The passengers were able to stop the car and called 911.

Beckenbaugh was first on the scene. She noticed Sandoval was not responding, called for backup and immediately put her first aid skills into action. Smith arrived soon after and the two officers administered CPR using chest compressions and an automated external defibrillator. The quick response and proper care kept Sandoval, who at one point had no pulse, alive.

"The training is always in the back of your mind and ready to be used," Beckenbaugh said. "It works. And to be able to see Chris stand here today, it's definitely worth it."

During the ceremony, Beckenbaugh and Smith each were awarded a certificate and a University Police department coin honoring their quick action. About 40 people were in attendance, including Sandoval's family, friends and colleagues, and University Police officers.

University Police Chief Tyrone Parham said Beckenbaugh and Smith's decisive actions and their cool, calm and collected demeanor in those first few moments were critical to Sandoval's survival.

"We've all done the training, some of us for 20 years," he said, "and it's circumstances such as this that remind us how important it is."

After the incident, Sandoval was placed into a medically induced coma and flown to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., where he was treated and recovered. Sandoval said he will be forever grateful to the officers who helped to save his life. He said he plans to earn CPR certification himself in the near future, and suggested that everyone who has the opportunity to earn certification should do so.

·       

 Delaware County Sheriff Joseph McGinn - "See & Say":

"Supplies":

"Detours":

"Salt Brine":

And as a man who stood by his principles and beliefs, even if others disagreed or found those beliefs downright offensive.

Sebring, 79, a lifelong Monroe County resident, died Wednesday morning at his Pocono Township home.

"He was one of the best sheriffs we've ever had," said retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph Kovarick of Stroudsburg, who first met Sebring in 1967, when the candidate was running for the elected position. "He set the tone for what's expected of sheriffs and their deputies today. He was truly unique."

Current Sheriff Todd Martin, who was elected in 1995 as Sebring's successor, said Sebring was a father figure to him.

"His family took me in as one of their own after I lost my father and then my mother," Martin said. "I wouldn't be where I am today if not for him."

A Pocono Township native, Sebring graduated from Pocono Township High School in 1951, the year he married the former Claribel Frailey, with whom he later raised three children. From 1953-67, he was a driver delivering milk and then a supervisor for Lehigh Valley Dairy in East Stroudsburg.

He also was justice of the peace in Stroud Township from 1962 until becoming sheriff in 1968.

Likable fellow 

During that time, Sebring was a loyal customer at the Krome family's Chevrolet dealership. The family supported Sebring in his campaign rally at the West End Fair.

"He was such a likable fellow," said Larry Krome, a director of the annual fair. "The majority of people wanted to keep him as sheriff, no matter which side of the fence they were on."

A graduate of both the FBI Academy in Virginia and U.S. Marshals Academy in Georgia, Sebring as sheriff oversaw what was then the Monroe County Jail in downtown Stroudsburg.

One of the correction officers he hired in the 1970s was Thomas Shiffer, who retired this year as Stroud Township magisterial district judge and is now a senior judge.

"Prior to his time as sheriff, correction officers were usually older retired men," Shiffer said. "After he came in, he started hiring younger, more educated people as correction officers, and some later became sheriff's deputies.

"He fought to get us higher pay," Shiffer said. "He was a good guy. If he could help you out, he would."

Other younger men Sebring hired included Martin, Stroud Area Regional Police Chief John Baujan and Lt. Brian Kimmins, Pocono Township Police Chief Phil Riley and Pocono Mountain Regional Police Chief Harry Lewis.

"Those of us he hired, who are still working in law enforcement today, all came out of the mold he set," Martin said. "He motivated us to challenge ourselves, to improve ourselves so that the quality of service we provide to our community can improve." 

Shot from the hip

Known for his sense of humor as well as for his tough-but-fair approach, Sebring also generated controversy with certain remarks.

Like telling journalism students in 1977 at what was then East Stroudsburg State College that blacks and Puerto Ricans are more prone than whites to commit crime and violence.

"Though he shot straight from the hip, it's true he made comments which offended people and that he wasn't popular with everyone," Martin said. "Not everyone agreed with everything he said or believed, but he commanded respect in how he went about his life and his work and how he treated others."

That was evident both on the job and in the community, where Sebring was active in Stroudsburg United Methodist Church and various organizations including the Free and Accepted Masons, Pennsylvania and National Sheriffs Associations and Stroud Township and Pocono Township volunteer fire companies.

"It's the community's loss, but God's gain," Krome said.

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From the Pocono Record

September 24, 2011

The Times Observer

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By JOSH COTTON

jcotton@timesobserver.com

Seventy five marijuana plants were seized and one man was arrested in a drug bust by the Warren County Drug Task Force on Friday.

The seizure is the conclusion of a month-long joint investigation between U.S. Forest Service law enforcement and the Warren County Drug Task Force.

The Forest County Sheriff's Department was on routine forest patrol in the Hearts Content area on Friday and theForest County Deputy Sheriff came into contact with a member of the public who tipped him off to the lcoation of the plants. The plants were found near a Forest Road within the Hickory Creek Wilderness Area.

Thomas Newell Houck Jr., 52, 13108 Putnam Road, Conneaut Lake, was taken into custody by Forest Service agents and arraigned before District Justice Cynthia Lindemuth and remanded to the Warren County Jail in lieu of bail.

After Houck was taken into custody, several other plots were discovered and the plants were eradicated and seized as evidence, according to Bill Mickle of the US Forest Service. Mickle said a vehicle and firearm were also seized as evidence and estimated that the total street value of the marijuana seized would be between $90,000 and $100,000.

"It is the priority of the Forest Service to combat the use, production, and trafficking of illegal drugs on National Forest lands and to work closely with out state and local law enforcement partners, and the Forest Service wants to thank the Warren County District Attorney's office and the Warren County Drug Task Force for their continued support of the Forest Service law enforcement mission," Mickle said.

The Warren County Drug Task Force is comprised of the US Forest Service, Warren County District Attorney's Office, Warren City Police Department, Youngsville Police Department, and the Conewango Township Police.

 Canadian Truck Driver, Dog Die In Fiery I-81 Crash

Truck Went Off Road Into Ravine  

POSTED: 9:19 pm EDT September 19, 2011
UPDATED: 9:31 pm EDT September 19, 2011

SILVER SPRING TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A Canadian truck driver and his dog are dead following a fiery crash along Interstate 81 on Monday.

 The crash happened just before 4 p.m. at the on-ramp to I-81 from Route 114 in Silver Spring Township.

 State police said they are not sure why the truck left the road and crashed into a ravine.

 The crash caused the truck's cab to go up in flames, police said.

 “There were a couple of deputy sheriff's that happened upon the scene shortly after the accident,” said Cpl. Todd Rudy of the Pennsylvania State Police. “The driver was still pinned in there. They attempted a rescue but they couldn't get him out because of the fire and heat. They had to back off."

 Police have not released the victim's identity but did say he was from Canada.

 Traffic was backed up for 10 miles on the interstate until one lane was reopened.

 Heavy rolls of paper had to be taken from the trailer before salvage crews could remove the wreckage and reopen both lanes of I-81.  

Nick Meyer/Staff Photo Five men found to be in the country illegally are escorted into the Schuylkill County Prison on Thursday after being detained at a construction site at Wegmans Retail Service Center in Schuylkill Highridge Business Park.

MOUNT PLEASANT - Five illegal immigrants were detained Thursday while working on the construction site at Wegmans Retail Service Center in Schuylkill Highridge Business Park.

The incident came just one day after the company announced it would double the size of its local distribution center and create more than 200 jobs.

Acting on a tip, Schuylkill County Sheriff Joseph G. Groody and his deputies, assisted by Schuylkill County detectives and police from Cass and Butler townships, went to the site about 7:30 a.m. and checked workers' personal identifications. They took seven men into custody.

The men were transported to Schuylkill County Courthouse, where two of the men were found to be legal U.S. residents and returned to the site, Groody said. Of the remaining five, Groody said one provided false identification and faces charges of false reports and false identification, filed at the office of Magisterial District Judge Carol A. Pankake, Tremont.

The sheriff said he contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who, with the help of a translator, interviewed all five by telephone and ordered them to be detained in the county prison pending deportation.

According to Groody, the investigation began Tuesday when his office received an anonymous phone call about possible illegal workers at the site.

"That's not uncommon," Groody said of the tip. "We check all of our complaints out and follow up on any information that comes in."

Wegmans officials announced Wednesday that it would invest $65 million at the distribution center, adding 500,000 square feet to its existing 415,000-square-foot facility in Cass Township. The move would create 217 new jobs. C. Alan Walker, secretary of the state Department of Community and Economic Development, was on hand for the announcement.

Valerie Fox of Wegmans Food Markets Consumer Affairs office said the company issued the following statement regarding the incident: "We are very concerned about what transpired this morning at our Retail Service Center. We immediately contacted the Stellar Group Inc., a Jacksonville, Fla.-based company that designed and is constructing our new facility. We are in the midst of gathering all the facts to better understand the situation."

Valerie Korman, director of marketing and communications with Stellar Group, simply said: "We will not comment at this time."

Frank J. Zukas, president of Schuylkill Economic Development Corp., said he had no further details of the incident and would not comment.

"We're going to reserve any comment until we hear from the company," he said of Wegmans.

The latest construction project at Wegmans was coordinated by the Governor's Action Team. The company received a $731,650 funding package from DCED toward the $65 million project.

State Sen. David Argall, R-29, said it is unlikely Wegmans will be in jeopardy of losing the state funding or be punished for the illegal workers at the site.

"If there were proof that Wegmans knew that there were illegal workers present, they could be penalized," Argall said.

Argall was confident Wegmans would handle the situation appropriately.

"Yesterday, we were very pleased to hear the good news that there will be 200 additional jobs on that site for local people and I am sure that Wegmans will address this issue quickly," he said.

Attempts to contact Rep. Neal Goodman, D-123, were unsuccessful.

Thursday's discovery of illegal workers is not the first in Schuylkill County.

In January, four illegal workers were taken into custody while working at a construction site for Empire Education Group along Route 61. The workers were employed by Jessup Drywall Services LLC, Pottstown, a subcontractor for the project.

In January 2007, a crash on an icy stretch of Route 309 in Rush Township led to the apprehension of 13 illegal immigrants who allegedly were on their way to work at another Schuylkill County facility. The three women and 10 men were processed and transported to Philadelphia by ICE officers to face deportation charges.

In November 2004, 120 illegal workers were taken into custody while working on the construction site of the Walmart Distribution Center, also at Schuylkill Highridge Business Park. All 120 were turned over to ICE for processing and deportation. That incident prompted the passing of legislation that would deprive companies of state funding should it be proven illegal immigrants were knowingly employed.

"The role of the sheriff's office is staggering. People don't realize what sheriffs do every day," Pike County Sheriff Phil Bueki said.  

When a person is removed from a home through an order of protection, it is sheriff's deputies who step into the volatile situation, confiscating weapons.  

Deputies are called to the gut-wrenching task of removing children from their parents.  

Sheriff's offices search for people wanted by law enforcement, guard the courthouse and decide who gets a "license to carry" gun permit. (More than 9,000 licenses are issued in Pike.)  

And they are on the front lines of the mortgage crisis, evicting people from their homes and facilitating sheriff's sales in record numbers.   It is a job that forces workers to wade knee-deep in raw emotion.

'Ridiculous' situation

The county sheriff is the state's only publicly elected law enforcement officer.

Deputies must be trained in law enforcement, but Pennsylvania's 67 elected sheriffs who manage them are not required to have any law enforcement training, "which I think is ridiculous," said Bueki, who was sworn in as president of the Pennsylvania Sheriffs' Association last week.  

"We're looking to change it. A goal of ours is to promote law enforcement training so sheriffs get the same training as deputies do."  

Some of Pennsylvania's sheriffs consider that a radical move, Bueki said, but most, like Bueki, are educated with a law enforcement background.    

Decades upholding the law

Bueki, 52, started with the Pike County Sheriff's Office 30 years ago as a deputy. The original 1814 jail in Milford, where the sheriff's office is still based, housed 38 inmates and was the only jail the county needed at one time.  

Today, the Sheriff's Department also works with inmates at the larger county jail in Blooming Grove.   Bueki was voted in as Pike County sheriff in 2001.  

Before that, he was warden at the county jail. In the 1980s, he also worked for the Milford and Matamoras police departments.    

An officer and a deputy

In Pike, 80 percent of the sheriff's deputies are part-time police officers on the weekends, Bueki said.  

"They can be a cop on the weekend, but when they put the sheriff's uniform on" there is a question about the extent of their investigative authority, he said.   It means a deputy cannot investigate a crime unless it happens in their presence.  

For example: A battered woman standing on the sidewalk tells a deputy that her attacker is still inside the house. The deputy cannot go into the house to investigate.  

Instead, the police must be called because the incident did not happen in the deputy's presence.  

The Pennsylvania Sheriffs' Association seeks to clarify and define the sheriff's role legislatively, to include investigative authority.  

It is one of the tasks Bueki will tackle as he takes over as president.  

"It is really an honor to be recognized," he said.

From the Pocono Record

"Sheriff Deputies accross central Pennsylvania never know what they will encounter when serving a warrant."

WJAC provides an inside look at the Deputy Sheriff Training Facility (video).

• Reading Eagle Press
• Turrisi Podiatry Practice
• W E E U

By Tracy Jordan, OF THE MORNING CALL

The Berks County man suspected of shooting and killing a deputy sheriff Wednesday night left a suicide note in his yard two days before heading into surrounding woods and getting into a shootout with officers, killing him, court records say.

State police in Hamburg identified the deputy sheriff as 28-year-old Kyle D. Pagerly and the suspect as Matthew M. Connor, 25, of 26 Pine Swamp Road in the Kempton section of Albany Township.

A fugitive task force was attempting to serve a warrant on Connor who two days earlier threatened his father, his sister, girlfriend and another guest at his family's home, firing several rounds from two different guns into the ground in front of them, according to court records.

When the task force arrived, Connor – armed with an AK-47 assault rifle – ran into the woods and fired at the pursuing officers, leading to a shootout near Hawk Mountain Road around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Connor was killed at the scene. Pagerly was wounded and flown by helicopter to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. He was dead on arrival, Lehigh County Scott Grim said.

Pagerly, of Shillington, was pronounced dead at 8:44 p.m. Wednesday from a gunshot wound to the body, Grim said. The manner of death was ruled homicide.

Two days before the shootout, Connor had said he wouldn't go down quietly.

According to an arrest affidavit:

Connor shot at the ground in front of his family members, threatening them, "yeah you better run," according to court records. At one point, Connor put a revolver to his mouth "acting as if he was going to shoot himself in front of his family," the records say.

Upset that he ran out of ammunition from a revolver and a handgun, Connor went back into the family's house and retrieved a bulletproof vest and a shotgun, which he fired several times before heading into the woods.

Connor's father, Maurice Connor, told police his son had acted this way before. "He has threatened in the past to want to provoke the police so they would shoot him, suicide by cop," according to an affidavit of probable cause filed Tuesday.

According to a news release from state police, a fugitive task force comprising members of the Berks County Sheriff's office, state police from the Hamburg barracks and the federal marshals service attempted to serve an arrest warrant on Connor for burglary, criminal trespass, simple assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangerment and a weapons charge for illegally possessing, selling or transferring firearms.

When the task force arrived, they were speaking to Connor's girlfriend when Connor ran out of the back of the house into the woods. Members of the detail followed him into the woods. Pagerly, a K-9 officer, came upon a rise in the terrain and Connor came up over the rise armed with an AK-47. State police said Connor ignored an order to drop the weapon, and gunfire was exchanged.

The news release from state police does not specify which officers discharged their weapons. The investigation is ongoing, and state police have scheduled a news conference for 1 p.m. today at the Reading station.

Court records show state police in Hamburg filed a criminal complaint against Connor on Tuesday, charging him with burglary, criminal trespass, persons not to use fire arms, three counts of terroristic threats, four counts of simple assault and four counts of recklessly endangering another person. Trooper Matthew S. Brady from the Hamburg barracks filed the complaint.

State police said the charges stem from incidents that occurred Monday at his home at 26 Pine Swamp Road and at a nearby residence at 43 Pine Swamp Road. Berks County tax records show both properties are owned by Maurice L. Connor and include one-story homes. The property at 25 Pine Swamp Road contains about 12.5 acres and the property at 43 Pine Swamp Road is nearly a quarter acre in size.

The Berks County Sheriff's Department website, says Pagerly was born in Reading and graduated in 2001 from Wilson High School in West Lawn, Berks County. He also was a U.S. Army Military Police graduate and served in Kosovo in 2002 and Iraq in 2002. He was promoted to sergeant in 2004.

He graduated from the Reading Police Academy in 2005, federal Bureau of Prisons basic training in 2006, Berks County Sheriff's Department in 2006 and Philadelphia Police Canine Academy in 2009. He also was a lieutenant in the Spring Township Fire Department. His K-9 partner Jynx is a German Shepherd.

State police confirmed that Kyle Pagerly, one of two K9 deputies with the Berks County Sherirff's Department, was killed while serving an arrest warrant with a group of other officers in the first block of Pine Swamp Road in Albany Township, Berks County.

Police said a joint detail of state police troopers, U.S. Marshals and Berks County Sheriff's deputies went to the house of Matthew Connor to serve an arrest warrant.

State police said they were going to arrest Connor, 25, for an incident that happened Monday. He was facing a number of charges that included burglary, criminal trespass, recklessly endangering and terroristic threats.

According to state police, the officers arrived in the area, and while they were talking to Connor's girlfriend, Connor ran out the back of the house and into the woods.

Members of the detail followed him into the woods. As Pagerly came up to the top of a hill, he spotted Connor pointing an AK 47, an assault rifle, at him.

State police said Pagerly ordered Connor to drop the gun, and he refused. The two started shooting at each other and they were both hit.

Connor died at the scene; Pagerly was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital near Allentown, where he later died.

69 News interviewed Pagerly in January. He spoke about the donation of K9 bulletproof vests to the K9 Assistance Program

June 3, 2011 12:59pm EDT A man who was arrested by police when he tried to carry a loaded gun into the court of a Centre County district judge court in September 2008 was convicted by a jury on Thursday of the crime of firearms not to be be carried without a license, a felony.   According to charges filed by police and testimony at his trial, Hobson McKown, 26, of State College, entered the court of District Judge Jonathan Grine Sept. 2, 2008 with a loaded semi-automatic pistol conealed in his pocket.   Court staff had noticed McKown acting strangely earlier in the day -- he went in and out of the lobby and took pictures of the front door and posted signs and called the court several times. They alerted police, who searched him when he showed up in court for a summary hearing and found the weapon.   The Centre County District Attorney’s office said McKown’s license to carry a concealed firearm had been revoked the previous April by the Centre County sheriff, and the privilege had never been reinstated, making it illegal for him to carry a concealed firearm anywhere in Pennsylvania.   McKown will be sentenced by county Judge Thomas King Kistler at a date to be determined.

Sgt. Thomas Ochs to Lieutenant

Lt. Thomas Ochs is a 20 year veteran of the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office.  He is married with two children.  Lt. Ochs is in charge of all security apparatus at the Beaver County Court House.  He prepares Federal and State grants for obtaining equipment for the Sheriff’s Office.  Lt. Ochs handles all payroll and scheduling as well as Administrator of gun permits issued.  He is a member of the Beaver County Records Improvement Committee and the Administrator of the computer reporting system as well as J-Tac supervisor for the J-Net program.  His memberships include:  Beaver Valley F.O.P. Lodge 4 and the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of PA.  Lt. Ochs also works as a part-time patrolman for the Baden Police Department.

Lt. James P. McGeehan to Captain

Captain James P. McGeehan is a 30 year veteran of the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office.  He is married with one child.  He is the Administrator of PFA orders, Supervising Officer of Evidence and Responsible for Sheriff’s Office weapons and ammo.  Captain McGeehan is also the Officer for Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) for the Sheriff’s Offices and Sheriff’s Liaison Officer with the Beaver County Court Administration. His memberships include:  Court House Safety Committee, Beaver County Public Safety Commission, Beaver County Chiefs of Police Association, Vice President of the Beaver County F.O.P. Lodge 4 (life member), Veterans of Foreign Wars (life member), Vietnam Veterans of America (life member), St. James F.A. & M. Lodge 457 and the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association.  Captain McGeehan served with the 118^th Assault Helicopter Co, 1^st Aviation Brigade in Vietnam.

CONGRATULATIONS to both of these distinguished and deserving Officers of the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office.

Pennsylvania Sheriff’s Association

Eighty women signed up for a class on how to safely handle handguns this weekend.

The sheriff’s office held one class Saturday and another one will be held today. They ranged from ages 18 to 80.

Women taking the class spent the morning in verbal instruction with Sheriff John Mankey and his deputies.

Then deputies took a look at the attendees’ firearms and gave them individual instruction on their particular guns.

During the afternoon, the class went to the state game commission range along Plank Road for shooting practice.

“There was tremendous interest in this class from the women of the county. There are women who have hand gun carrying permits, but have never learned to safely use them,” Mankey said.

The same class was held in October and drew a waiting list.

Some attendees confided that they had never before fired guns, but others had more experience.

“I’m not nervous, exactly, but there’s always that ‘I’m holding a gun’ sensation,” Tiffany Landis of  Berlin said.

“You can tell people are already more comfortable with their guns. This morning, they were definitely more hesitant about handling their weapons.”

Sheriff Mankey said he feels a responsibility to hold the class, because his office handles weapons permits.

The class is informational only, and has no connection to gun permits.

“(The class) is for safety and confidence. Safety is number one,” he said.
“That means no carelessness. If they have to ever take their guns out, they will know what to do,” Mankey said.

Safety measures stressed in the class included safe handling and safe storage.

“We were told (while handling a gun) to keep your finger off the trigger, so if you hear a sound, you don’t jump and shoot your foot,” Landis said.

“I think your first instinct is to keep it on the trigger, but that’s not what you should do.” Lynn Simmons said.

Some attendees said they were interested in the class because of burglaries and other crimes in the area.

“The big thing is, you can never be too safe. You hear about what’s going on, and you want to make sure you know how to protect yourself,” Sandy Crawford of Rockwood said.

“I’m hoping if (intruders) see the gun, that would be enough. I hope to God I never have to use it,” Carole Kolesko of Stoystown said.

At the range, deputies lined up with class members.

Deputy Joe Goss said attendees handled their guns safely and shot well, but was disappointed by the quality of guns.

He recommended name-brand handguns. “You buy a cheap gun, you get a cheap gun.”

Four days after last fall’s Take-Back Day, Congress passed legislation amending the Controlled Substances Act to allow the DEA to develop a process for people to safely dispose of their prescription drugs. DEA immediately began developing this process after President Obama signed the Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act of 2010 on October 12.

“The amount of prescription drugs turned in by the American public during the first two Take-Back events is simply staggering—309 tons—and represents a clear need for a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired prescription drugs,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “DEA is hard at work establishing a drug disposal process and will continue to offer take-back opportunities until the proper regulations are in place.

“With the support and hard work of our local law enforcement and community partners, these events have not only dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion and abuse, but have also increased awareness of this critical public health issue,” said Leonhart.

“Responding to our Nation’s prescription drug abuse epidemic requires a sustained effort from government, the private sector, the medical community, as well as families and individuals,” said Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy. “The unprecedented amount of prescription drugs turned in by citizens last week will keep dangerous, addictive drugs from being abused. I commend the DEA for its successful nationwide prescription drug take-back day and for their work to make it easier for communities to stay healthy, while safeguarding the environment.”

Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high—more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined, according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Studies show that teens who abuse prescription drugs often obtain them from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.

The DEA’s Take-Back events are a significant piece of the White House’s prescription drug abuse prevention strategy released last month by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Purging America’s home medicine cabinets of neglected drugs is one of four strategies for reducing prescription drug abuse and diversion laid out in Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis. The other strategies include education of health care providers, patients, parents and youth; establishing prescription drug monitoring programs in all the states; and increased enforcement to address doctor shopping and pill mills.

Numerous national organizations joined the DEA and its state and local partners in putting on last weekend’s Take Back Day, including the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; the American Association of Poison Control Centers; the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America; D.A.R.E. America; the Federation of State Medical Boards; the U. S. Health Resources and Services Administration; the International Association of Chiefs of Police; the National Association of Attorneys General; the National Family Partnership; the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives; the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy; the National District Attorneys Association; the National Sheriffs’ Association; and The Partnership at Drugfree.org.

By Kathleen Brady Shea

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

More than 100 years after a popular, newly-elected Chester County sheriff lost his life on the job, he was remembered at a ceremony at the historic courthouse in West Chester this morning.

The memorial for Benjamin F. Irey marked the seventh gathering of the county's Hero Plaque program. Modeled after a Philadelphia tribute created by attorney James Binns, the program will eventually honor all nine of the county's law-enforcers killed in the line of duty, said Tredyffrin Township Det. John Bailey.

The ceremony, which includes the unveiling of a commemorative 18-by-15-inch bronze plaque that is displayed outside the West Market Street side of the courthouse, typically involves the decedent's relatives.

Chester County Sheriff Carolyn "Bunny" Welsh said the effort to locate Irey's next of kin was exhaustive but came up empty. When research and news reports failed to produce descendants, she said she enlisted the services of Louis B. Kupperman, a Phoenixville lawyer, who often searches for heirs in estate cases.

Kupperman said he eventually termined that Irey's five sons all died before producing any children.

Surveying a crowd that included local politicians, honor guards from Sheriff's Departments in Chester and Delaware Counties, and dozens of police officers, Binns said the program ensures "these heroes will never be forgotten."

Attorney William Lamb, one of the plaque sponsors, echoed that theme, pointing out that Irey is the first known law-enforcer to have died in Chester County.

According to Welsh, Irey's tenure as sheriff was short, but it followed a varied and distinguished career, according to research by the Chester County Historical Society.

Welsh said Irey was born in 1830 in West Nantmeal Township and attended local schools before becoming a carpenter. He also ran a store for 21 years, did some farming, and served on the East Coventry school board.

Irey lost his first bid to become sheriff by 56 votes in 1883, Welsh said. He succeeded in his second try, and was sworn in Jan. 2, 1887. On his second day in office, he was rushing to Phoenixville to serve court papers when he was fatally struck by a milk-delivery train at the Frazer station, Welsh said.

His funeral was so crowded that people had to be turned away from an East Coventry church, she said.