Cleaner's, parking thefts net jail sentence for man

One man was caught with crack cocaine while he was in jail.
MERCER, Pa. -- A Mercer man has been sentenced to a jail term for participating in an attempt to burglarize a dry cleaner's and trying to steal money from a parking ticket box.
Judge John Reed of Mercer County Common Pleas Court sentenced Richard Seelbaugh, 19, to three to 23 months in jail and one-year's probation for felony criminal trespass and criminal attempt-theft by unlawful taking, a misdemeanor. He was given an additional year's probation for possessing drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.
Court documents state Seelbaugh conspired with two other men and served as the lookout Sept. 8, 2005, when they smashed a plate glass window to gain entry to Wheaton & amp; Son Cleaners, 125 N. Diamond St., Mercer. There was $1,000 damage. They also used a hacksaw blade to attempt to cut a red parking ticket box in a parking lot.
Seelbaugh also possessed a pipe and rolling papers commonly used to smoke marijuana, court documents state.
Reed also sentenced Harvey Thompson, 32, of Perry Highway, Mercer, to one to 23 months in the jail followed by two years probation and fined him $100 for one count of arson, two counts of theft by unlawful taking/disposition, two counts of retail theft, theft by deception and fraudulent use/removal of a registration plate.
Court documents state that on Sept. 7, 2005, Thompson caused a vehicle fire at Fredonia Tire Co. Inc., 2145 Mercer Road, Delaware Township, and neither reported it to the police or fire department nor did he notify the property owner.
In addition, court documents state that sometime in December 2005, Thompson stole 52 stainless steel trays worth $29,380 and 11 ladder/bars worth $2,420 from Fairview Cheese, 1734 Perry Highway, Fairview Township; that on Sept. 23 he stole $35 worth of gasoline from Sheetz, 1931 Butler Pike, Springfield Township and on Oct. 6, he stole $35 worth of gasoline from Campbell's Camp Perry Sunoco on Pa. Route 19, Perry Township; sometime in the first six months of 2005, he possessed three Kentucky bridles worth $300 which had been stolen from the Charles Mezzara Farm on Lake Road, Jefferson Township; in September, 2005, he wrote bad checks totaling $380 at Campbell's Camp Perry store on Pa. Route 19; and in March and April 2005, he drove with an unauthorized registration plate on his vehicle which had an altered vehicle identification.
Other court actions
Several others were sentenced or given probation recently. They are:
Blake Bralich, 19, of Tamarack Drive, Sharpsville, placed on a three-year probation for criminal conspiracy/robbery, a felony. Court documents says that on Nov. 6, 2005, he conspired with another man to snatch a purse from a woman in the Shop 'N' Save Parking lot, 2199 E. State St., Hermitage.
Tahfaren Owens, 21, of Fruit Avenue, Farrell, sentenced to nine to 23 months in Mercer County Jail followed by a one-year probation for felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. Owens was arrested Nov. 3, 2005, at a Farrell address with 11 bags of crack cocaine. While a prisoner at the jail, he also was found in possession of crack cocaine.
Faith Roberts, 27, of County Line Road, Greenville, placed on one-year probation for retail theft, a misdemeanor. She stole $53 worth of clothes from Fashion Bug, 43 Williamson Road, Hempfield Township June 29, 2005, court documents said.
Anthony Baxter, 36, of Spruce Avenue, Sharon, sentenced to one to 23 months in jail for felony retail theft followed by two years' probation. He was also ordered to make restitution. Court documents state Baxter stole hair clippers worth $25 from the Family Dollar Store, 100 S. Water St., Sharon March 5, 206. The offense is a felony because it was the third or subsequent conviction.
Thomas Dovey, 21, of South Broad Street, Grove City placed on three years' probation for insurance fraud, a felony. Court documents state that in August 2005, Dovey filed a false report stating his Mitsubishi automobile was stolen and burned when in fact, he and another man set the vehicle on fire in order to collect the insurance money.
Derek Hoffman, 24, of Ridgeway Avenue, Grove City, sentenced to seven days to one year in jail for misdemeanor simple assault. Hoffman threw a beer bottle at another man and struck him on the left side of the head causing cuts requiring staples and stitches, court documents. The assault took place at a South Broad Street, Grove City, address Sept. 23, 2005.
James Hogg, 36, of Dutch Lane, Hermitage, sentenced to nine to 23 months in jail for manufacture of a controlled substance and receiving stolen property, both felonies. Court documents state that on Sept. 16, 2005, Hogg had 61 marijuana plants and 785 grams of marijuana at his home as well as drug paraphernalia. The same day he was apprehended with a stolen $400 multiple compound bow belonging to Bill's Field and Stream, 242 Pa. Route 18, Transfer.
Tyrone Offie, 39, of Trace Street, Hermitage, sentenced to six to 23 months on house arrest for two consolidated counts of acquisition of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, both felonies. In 2005, Offie wrote himself several prescriptions for OxyContin and signed a physician's name to them, then obtained the drugs at Eckerd Pharmacy, 64 N. Mercer Ave., Sharpsville, and Penn & amp; Ohio Drug Store, 830 S. Irvine Ave., Sharon.
Samuel Thompson, 57, of Perry Highway, Mercer, sentenced to six to 12 months in jail followed by one year's probation for misdemeanor receiving stolen property. He was ordered to make restitution. On Dec. 30, 2005, Thompson was found in possession of 36 stainless steel trays valued at $20,340 and one ladder bar worth $220 from Fairview Cheese, 1734 Perry Highway, Fairview Township, knowing they had been stolen, court documents state.