Man gets 10-year term for assault

Judge Reed sentenced 10 people for a variety of offenses.
MERCER, Pa. -- An Edinburg man will serve up to 10 years in prison for injuring two women while fleeing police in a stolen car last fall.
Judge John Reed of Mercer County Common Pleas Court recently sentenced Edward Palmer, 41, of Westly Lane, Edinburg, to 45 months to 10 years in prison for aggravated assault by vehicle, fleeing and eluding, recklessly endangering another person and his second conviction for driving under the influence.
He was also sentenced to five years and five months of probation consecutive to the prison term for receiving stolen property. He was ordered to pay a total $4,339 restitution and fined $750.
About the case
On Oct. 17, 2005, according to court documents, Palmer stole a car from Bill McCandless Ford-Mercury, 8416 Sharon-Mercer Road, East Lackawannock Township. He drove onto Sharon-Mercer Road from the parking lot without yielding and nearly struck a vehicle.
Police officers began pursuing him and he fled, finally crashing into two vehicles at U.S. Route 62 and Sharon-Mercer Road. April Richardson and Dora Clark, who were in the two vehicles, were injured. Richardson suffered a broken shoulder and head trauma, and Clark was treated at a local hospital for injuries. When apprehended, Palmer resisted the four officers who tried to arrest him. He was driving on a suspended license. He was given 199 days credit for time served.
Also sentenced
Several others also were sentenced:
Leonard Fox, 50, of Maple Drive, Greenville, was placed on three years' probation and ordered to make $4,460 restitution for welfare fraud, a misdemeanor. In July and August 2003, court documents state that he obtained food stamps from the Mercer County Assistance Office, 2236 Highland Road, Hermitage, but failed to disclose wages paid to him.
Xzabian Savage, 28, of Wallis Avenue, Farrell, was sentenced to eight to 23 months in the Mercer County Jail followed by two years' probation for corrupting the morals of a minor, a misdemeanor, for a July 19, 2005, encounter with a 15-year-old girl at a Sharon apartment.
Joseph Jones, was sentenced to six to 18 months in jail for felony burglary. He entered an Otter Creek Township residence in June 2005 and took items with a combined value of $775.
Tera McClure, 19, of Prindle Street, Sharon, was placed on 15 months' probation for acquiring or obtaining a controlled substance, a felony. Court documents state on Oct. 10, 2005, she went to a Sharon pharmacy falsely claiming she was picking up prescriptions for hydrocodone and promethazine for her aunt when, in fact, she had no such permission.
James Messer, 33, of Shenango Park, Transfer, was placed on six months' probation for passing bad checks, a misdemeanor. On Sept. 25, 2004, he passed a $225 check at a Hermitage retailer.
Barbara Strange, 62, of South Center Street, Grove City, was placed on two years' probation and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service for two misdemeanor counts of bad checks. Court documents state that on Dec. 7, 2004, she gave a $1,000 check to a man, knowing it would not be honored. Again, on Jan. 3, she passed a bad check for $5,000. Both incidents took place in Grove City.
Harlan Shaffer III, 28, of Shenango Park Drive, Transfer, was placed on 15 months' probation for forgery. On June 30, 2005, court documents state he changed a prescription from 20 to 80 Darvocet pills and tried to have it filled at a Greenville pharmacy.
Tonya Diefenderfer, 35, of Fourth Street, Fredonia, was sentenced to one month to one year in jail for possessing drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor. She had a glass pipe Sept. 12, 2005, at the Farrell police station.
Laura McGaughey, 23, of Grace Street, Grove City, was sentenced to one week to two years' incarceration, then placed on parole and ordered to make $750 restitution for forgery, a felony. Court documents state that on Sept. 27, Sept. 30 and Oct. 3, 2005, she cashed checks from another person's account for a total of $750.