COURT BRIEFS

SUGARLOAF – A man charged by Butler Township police with sexually assaulting a teenage girl waived his right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge Daniel O’Donnell on Wednesday.

Charles Wilfred, 36, of South Hunter Highway, waived charges of simple assault, indecent assault and terroristic threats to county court.

Butler Township police allege Wilfred picked up a teen girl in Hazleton on the pretense of giving her a ride home. The girl said that after she got into his vehicle Wilfred drove her to his residence, where he grabbed her and attempted to remove her clothes, police allege.

Police said Wilfred grabbed the girl around her throat and threatened to harm her if she got mad at him. She escaped when Wilfred fell asleep.

KINGSTON – A Dallas man who Kingston police allege performed a lewd act near a middle school waived his right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge Paul Roberts on Wednesday.

Mark Mascioli, 34, of Shaver Avenue, waived two counts each of indecent exposure and open lewdness to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.

Police allege three teen girls, while walking to school at the Wyoming Valley West Middle School, observed Mascioli performing a lewd act inside a parked vehicle on Chester Street on Nov. 25.

KINGSTON – A man accused by Edwardsville police with stealing packages of meat from Redners Warehouse Market waived his right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge Paul Roberts on Wednesday.

Matthew J. DiFebo, 31, of Tobin Lane, Edwardsville, waived charges of recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, retail theft, driving with a suspended license and criminal conspiracy to county court. Police withdrew charges of kidnapping and unlawful restraint against DiFebo.

Police allege DiFebo and Todd Junevitz, 31, of Bradley Street, Plymouth, ran out of Redners Warehouse Market with packages of meat on Oct. 27. A store security officer, Mark Reilly, chased the two men and was pulled into their vehicle, which sped away on Route 11.

Reilly was let go when DiFebo, the driver, stopped on Route 11, according to the criminal complaint.

KINGSTON – A man accused by Edwardsville police and Luzerne County detectives of possessing child pornography waived his right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge Paul Roberts on Wednesday.

Tor Durham, 31, of Roosevelt Street, Edwardsville, waived 10 counts each of possession of child pornography and dissemination of child pornography, and a single count of criminal use of communication facility to county court.

Authorities allege they found a video and nine pictures of child porn on Durham’s computer in June.

HAZLETON – A man accused by city police of stealing items from parked vehicles waived his right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge Joseph Zola on Wednesday.

Zachary John Hanes, 22, of Weatherly, waived two counts of receiving stolen property, and one count each of theft, criminal mischief and loitering and prowling at night to county court.

Police allege Hanes stole two global positioning system units from a government vehicle on West Broad Street, and a cell phone cord from another vehicle. Hanes was also loitering in the parking lot near a tavern on West Broad Street, according to the criminal complaint.

HAZLETON – A man accused by city police of smashing a vehicle window and attempting to steal a car battery in November waived his right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge Joseph Zola on Wednesday.

Steven C. Fisher, 40, of South Laurel Street, Hazleton, waived two counts of theft, and one count each of possessing instruments of crime, resisting arrest and public drunkenness. Police withdrew a single count of criminal trespass against Fisher.

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Crime & Courts

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