David J. Rossi
TREMONT — A Somerset man is headed to Schuylkill County Court after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing April 14 on child pornography charges.
Jordan S. Astrove, 30, faces 10 counts of sexual abuse of children-child pornography. Magisterial District Judge David J. Rossi bound over all charges for court after Astrove waived his right to the hearing.
State police at Schuylkill Haven allege Astrove possessed the child pornography on March 13, 2015, in Tower City.
Astrove remains in prison in lieu of $100,000 straight cash bail pending further court action.
Other defendants whose cases Rossi considered on April 14, the charges against each one and the judge’s dispositions of the matters included:
John D. Atwood Jr., 58, of 20 Acorn Drive, Ashland; driving under the influence, failure to keep right, disregarding traffic lane, careless driving and failure to use seat belt; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Jerry M. Beach, 18, of 41 Beach Lane, Llewellyn; criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Travis N. Bender, 24, of 105 East St., Wiconisco; two counts each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance and one each of delivery of a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility and possession of drug paraphernalia; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Joseph A. Boeshore, 34, of 40 Wild Cherry Road, Schuylkill Haven; DUI, disregarding traffic lane, careless driving and failure to use seat belt; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Donald E. Dower, 50, of 14 Woodland Drive, Pottsville; terroristic threats and simple assault; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Barrett S. Hartman, 19, of 210 Forrest Court, Hamburg; theft and receiving stolen property; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Lacey J. Kroh, 20, of 221 W. Main St., Tremont; DUI, failure to keep right, failure to drive at a safe speed and careless driving; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Fred Scherr, 63, of 339 E. Seventh St., Mount Carmel; DUI, disregarding traffic lane and careless driving; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Mark A. Smith, 28, last known address of 717 Pinewood Circle, Pottsville; escape, theft and possession of drug paraphernalia; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge of possession of drug paraphernalia withdrawn, other charges bound over for court.
Jack D. Wilver, 26, of 559 N. Second St., Lykens; two counts each of delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
James R. Ferrier
ORWIGSBURG — A Pittsburgh man is headed to Schuylkill County Court after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing Monday on charges he broke into a West Brunswick Township business in January and stole copper wire.
Steven C. Peiffer, 36, faces charges of burglary, criminal trespass, theft of secondary metal, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief. Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier bound over all charges for court after Peiffer waived his right to the hearing.
State police at Schuylkill Haven allege Peiffer broke into B.J. Baldwin Electric, 1613 Centre Turnpike, between Jan. 24 and Jan. 27. During the break-in, Peiffer damaged a padlock hasp valued at $50, police said.
Once inside, Peiffer stole 172 pounds of braided bare bright copper wire, police said.
Police said Peiffer and his alleged coconspirator, Joeleen A. Eckert, 35, of 224 N. Second St. Apt. 1A, Pottsville, took the wire to U.S.S. Achey Inc., 355 E. Second Mountain Road, Schuylkill Haven, and sold it.
Peiffer is in prison in lieu of $5,000 straight cash bail pending future court proceedings.
Eckert, who is charged with theft of secondary metal and receiving stolen property, is free on $5,000 unsecured bail pending future court proceedings.
Other defendants whose cases Ferrier considered on Monday, the charges against each one and the judge’s dispositions of the matters included:
Daniel S. Aregood, 24, of 221 N. Liberty St., Orwigsburg; possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, operating vehicle without valid inspection and operating vehicle with unsafe equipment; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Lauren M. Deysher, 24, of 117 Coal St., Cumbola; four counts of possession of a controlled substance, two of possession of drug paraphernalia and one of possession of prohibited offensive weapon; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Joseph Etherington, 33, of 57 Main St., Mount Carbon; burglary, criminal trespass and criminal mischief; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge of criminal trespass bound over for court, others withdrawn.
Daniel N. Herrera, 38, of 1014 N. Fourth St., Reading; accident involving damage to attended vehicle or property, driving without a license, unsafe pass on left, prohibited passing, careless driving and failure to stop and give information; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Dorothy K. Kemfort, 53, of 400 Mahantongo St., Pottsville; possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Blake D. Kurten, 21, of 204 Walnut Court, Orwigsburg; three counts of conspiracy and one each of theft, receiving stolen property, theft by deception and retail theft; right to preliminary hearing waived, charges bound over for court.
Debra M. Lombel, 60, of 406 Moonhill Drive, Schuylkill Haven; hindering apprehension and receiving stolen property; right to preliminary hearing waived, charge of receiving stolen property bound over for court, charge of hindering apprehension withdrawn.
Kristi L. Zimmerman, 34, of 8 Pine View Drive, Orwigsburg; conspiracy; charge held for court after preliminary hearing that defendant did not attend. Ferrier asked the court to issue a bench warrant for Zimmerman.
Stephen J. Bayer
TAMAQUA — A Kline Township man charged with writing a bad check to a woman in October had charges against him held for court during a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Stephen J. Bayer.
Fred Welsh, 60, of 16 Fifth St., Apt. B, Box 86, Kelayres, was arrested by Kline Township police Chief John Petrilla and charged with one count of bad checks. Bayer determined the commonwealth proved a prima facie case and ordered the charge against Welsh held for Schuylkill County Court.
Petrilla charged Welsh with writing a check to Sandra Logan on Oct. 15 in the amount of $720 for rent on an apartment he was renting from her.
The woman tried to deposit the check on Oct. 16 but was advised that Santander Bank would not cash it despite it being drawn on a Santander account, Petrilla said. Welsh said he would remedy the matter with the bank but when Logan went to deposit the check on Nov. 12 she learned the account was closed.
Other court cases included:
Kayla M. Cook, 23, of 124 Penn St., Tamaqua; waived for court: conspiracy and receiving stolen property.
Matthew L. Plieth, 27, of 721 E. Patterson St., Lansford; withdrawn: retail theft. Waived for court: conspiracy, theft by deception and receiving stolen property.
Shane Evans, 29, of 243 W. Broad St., Tamaqua; withdrawn: materially false written statements and statements under penalty.
Michael J. Harley, 54, of 317 Schuylkill Ave., Tamaqua; withdrawn: materially false written statements. Waived for court: statements under penalty.
William W. Skeans, 28, of 921 E. Mahanoy Ave., Mahanoy City; withdrawn: criminal attempt to commit possession of a firearm prohibited. Waived for court: materially false written statements and statements under penalty.
Robert N. Pupko, 23, of 8 North St., Box 12, Kelayres; withdrawn: theft, receiving stolen property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
Derek A. Shellhamer, 29, of 558 State Road, Barnesville; waived for court: possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Dominic B. Asquith, 31, homeless; waived for court: false identification to law enforcement, possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Monica Russup, 50, of 216 Owl Creek Road, Tamaqua; withdrawn: forgery. Waived for court: theft by deception and receiving stolen property.
Christina E. Hale
FRACKVILLE — A 23-year-old Lost Creek man charged with assaulting a woman at 427 Pershing Ave. in Frackville on March 2 waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Christina E. Hale.
Dylan D. Jones, 18 New Road, was arrested by Frackville police Patrolman Tyler Dissinger and charged with simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, harassment and disorderly conduct. By waiving his right to a hearing, Jones will now have to answer to the four charges against him in Schuylkill County Court.
Dissinger charged Jones with assaulting his girlfriend, Samantha Teaschenko, by punching her in the face and breaking her nose. While committing the assault, Dissinger said, Jones put his one-week-old son in danger because the child was being held by Teaschenko at the time.
Other court cases included:
Christian. Fernandez, 36, of 419 W. Maple St., Mahanoy City; waived for court: theft and receiving stolen property.
Tonia Lynn Brennan, 25, of 24 Swanks Grove Road, Ringtown; withdrawn: burglary and conspiracy. Waived for court: theft, receiving stolen property and criminal trespass.
Cody M. Church, 28, of 1024 Walnut St., Ashland; dismissed: terroristic threats.
Joseph M. Kline, 21, of 1705 Centre St., Ashland; dismissed: theft and receiving stolen property.
Kelsey Ann Anderson, 23, of 66 Grier Ave., Barnesville; dismissed: possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license.
Jeffrey D. Roberts, 22, of 629 Lee St., Orwigsburg; withdrawn: defiant trespass and possession of drug paraphernalia. Moved to non-traffic citations: public drunkenness and disorderly conduct.
Jason P. Fanelli, 36, of 308 W. Centre St., Ashland; withdrawn: theft and receiving stolen property. Moved to a non-traffic citation: criminal mischief.
Brett M. Kline, 22, LKA 128 W. Mahanoy Ave., Mahanoy City; dismissed: possession of drug paraphernalia.
William J. Thomas Jr., 21, of 2406 Railroad St., Mahanoy Plane; waived for court: criminal mischief.
James C. Evans, 51, of 302 W. Main St., Girardville; waived for court: DUI and DUI-highest rate.