LAWRENCE COUNTY Man found guilty of lesser charges

A sentencing date has not been set for Corey Kradel.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Corey Kradel likely won't see any more time in jail despite being found guilty of three charges by a Lawrence County jury, his attorney said.
Kradel, 24, of Beckford Street, was found guilty Wednesday of simple assault, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and theft by unlawful taking after a two-day trial in common pleas court.
Jurors decided that Kradel was innocent of more serious charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of another person, robbery, robbery of a motor vehicle and two other simple assault charges.
Sentencing guidelines: Defense attorney David Acker said sentencing guidelines call for his client to be sentenced to probation on the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle charge and either probation or two to three months in jail on the other charges.
Kradel, who spent seven months in jail waiting for trial, will likely be given credit for time served, he said. Kradel was released on a $1 bond last month after prosecutors failed to take him to trial within 180 days of his arraignment.
Police arrested Kradel last April after Jamie Romeo of Hillsville told police that she had been abducted as she left work at the AT & amp;T Relay Center in New Castle, beaten, robbed and then left at an abandoned quarry in Shenango Township.
Kradel said that the two met because Romeo owed him money and that they went to a nearby bank, where she opened an account, cashed a check and then left, Acker said.
Changed story: Romeo later changed her story to match Kradel's but said he abducted her after she cashed the check, Acker said.
She testified in court that she initially told police she was abducted as she left work because she did not think they would take her seriously otherwise, Acker said.
District Attorney Matthew Mangino called the verdict fair.
"Obviously the jury thought he was there and something happened. They obviously didn't think it rose the level of the other charges," he said.
John Bongivengo, an assistant district attorney, handled the case in court, and Judge Dominick Motto of common pleas court presided. A sentencing date has not been set.