MERCER, PA. Employee sentenced on retail theft charge

The employee rang merchandise at less than its value and voided purchases.
BY MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
MERCER, Pa. -- A man who stole thousands of dollars from the grocery where he was employed was sentenced to prison Thursday.
Ronald Guthrie, Jr., 21, of Cohasset Drive, Hermitage, was sentenced in Mercer County Common Pleas Court to three months to two years. Judge Francis Fornelli also ordered him to make restitution.
According to court documents, from August to November 2002, Guthrie, who was employed at Shop-N-Save, 2199 E. State St., Hermitage, deprived the store of $6,400. He pleaded guilty in June to misdemeanor retail theft.
Several others were also sentenced Thursday.
J'Mar Benjamin, 24, of North Carolina, was placed on two years' probation for a May 29, 2002, incident at Lakeway Restaurant Fuel, 490 Billy Boyd Road, New Vernon Township. According to court documents, Benjamin pounded on a counter while demanding money from a cashier, then reached toward his leg as if he had a weapon. Benjamin also refused to leave after the cashier told him to. He pleaded guilty in May to disorderly conduct and defiant trespass, both misdemeanors.
Darla Clark, 35, of Booker Drive, New Castle, was placed on three years' probation for felony retail theft for stealing $156 worth of clothing from Wal-Mart, 3300 Shenango Valley Freeway, Hermitage, in November.
Other sentencing
Jennifer Lapadat, 19, of 12th Street, Greenville, was sentenced to four days to one year in jail for misdemeanor criminal conspiracy and dangerous burning, a summary offense. According to court documents, between June 15 and 17, 2002, Lapadat conspired with another woman to start fires in three portable toilets in Riverside Park, Memorial Drive and near the Babe Ruth Field in Greenville. The toilets were leased to the Greenville Area Leisure Association. She was ordered to make restitution.
Walter Ayers, 31, of Superior Street, Hermitage, was placed on four years' probation, including house arrest and day reporting for felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor simple assault. According to court documents from Sept. 7, he kicked and hit a woman and elbowed her in the ribs at a Ridge Avenue, Sharpsville address. He also kicked a Sharpsville police officer.