Pa., Ohio authorities team to arrest suspects

Two Columbiana County residents surrendered at their homes.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
LISBON -- Law enforcement officers from Pennsylvania and Ohio worked to arrest two Columbiana County residents previously questioned in a June 21 robbery in Darlington, Pa., of a teen-age girl and a woman, both from Columbiana County.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Dean Michael, leader of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service, said Lawrence Keats, 48, of state Route 164, Leetonia, and Laura Kotsch, 34, of state Route 7, New Waterford, are being charged in the robbery as well as a home burglary the same night, also in Darlington.
Both are being held in Columbiana County Jail after being arrested at their respective homes around 5 p.m. Thursday.
Michael said members of the Marshals Service task force, Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force, Youngstown police and Mahoning County Sheriff's Department and an Ohio adult parole officer made the arrests in "a good cooperative effort" among agencies in both Ohio and Pennsylvania.
"Neither of them were the principals in [the robbery], and so they wanted to cooperate," Michael said. "They surrendered with no problem."
Were questioned initially
Michael said both had been interviewed in the initial robbery investigation, then released. But Pennsylvania State Police later issued warrants for their arrests in both the robbery and the burglary.
Both are wanted by the state police for complicity to commit robbery, criminal conspiracy to commit burglary, and receiving stolen property, Michael said. They removed cash, a digital camera, and personal identification from the Darlington home, he said.
Michael said task force members arrested James V. Rhodes, 34, and Bernard Gorvet, 50, of Leah Avenue, Youngstown, last week in the robbery case.
Rhodes surrendered June 21 in front of Columbiana County Jail near Lisbon after U.S. Marshals task force and other law enforcement officers chased him through Columbiana County for about six hours, Michael said.
"We went through New Waterford and down around Rogers, and everywhere we went, we missed him by about two minutes," Michael said. "He finally got tired of running and called us to get him at the jail."
Michael said the following day they forced entry into Gorvet's home and found him hiding there. Rhodes is in Columbiana County Jail and Gorvet in the Mahoning County Jail, he said.
Pennsylvania officials want to extradite Rhodes and Gorvet to face charges of criminal attempt to commit homicide, robbery, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person.
Robbery report
A 34-year-old woman told police she and a 17-year-old female companion were forced off the road and their purses taken by Rhodes and Gorvet, who then shot at them as the females fled into nearby woods the morning of June 21.
Youngstown police found the purses over a hillside behind Gorvet's home later that day.
According to a Youngstown police report, Kotsch and Keats were at the Leah Avenue home when police arrived searching for Gorvet and Rhodes. Police said Kotsch and Keats told them they were in the vehicle when Gorvet and Rhodes assaulted the women in Darlington. Kotsch and Keats agreed to help the Violent Crimes Task Force, and Kotsch led police to the area where the purses had been discarded.
Michael said the hunt for Rhodes and Gorvet was aided by the FBI, Mahoning Valley Violent Fugitive Task Force, Youngstown police, deputies from Mahoning and Columbiana counties' sheriff's departments, Ohio State Highway Patrol and Pennsylvania State Police, Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office and Ohio Adult Parole Authority.