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WILKES-BARRE – A city man charged with carjacking a teen’s vehicle and other crimes was sentenced Thursday to three to six years in state prison.
Brian Miller, 33, with a last known address of Scott Street, was sentenced on four counts of theft and one count each of robbery, terroristic threats, unlawful restraint, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, reckless endangerment, access device fraud and criminal conspiracy by county Judge William Amesbury.
Amesbury also sentenced Miller to five years probation to be served after his prison sentence, and gave Miller credit for 174 days of time already served in prison.
Miller’s charges stem from a case in which police say he carjacked a teen and then led police on a high-speed chase.
Police say Miller carjacked a vehicle of a then-17-year-old boy who was pumping gasoline at a Turkey Hill on North Pennsylvania Boulevard on July 27.
Miller got into the car while Mark Macosky was filling up and told him to drive. Miller said he had a gun and would kill Macosky if anyone found out Miller took the car.
As Macosky was driving, Miller told him to pull over and then shouted “Get out.” Macosky pulled over in the area of 190-192 Pennsylvania Ave. and Miller said, “Give me 10 minutes and if anyone finds out, I will return and kill you.”
Sugar Notch police encountered the vehicle and tried to stop it, but Miller sped away. The chase continued on Interstate 81 southbound with the car reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph.
Around 4:15 p.m. police from Sugar Notch, Hazleton, West Hazleton and Butler Township and the state police caught Miller in Beaver Meadows, Carbon County.
In the other cases, beginning on July 4, Melissa Kizer reported to police Miller, her ex-boyfriend, stole a video game system, diamond ring and gold necklace from her residence.
A few days later, Kizer said Miller used her debit card without her permission, and spent $389. When police questioned Miller, he allegedly said he had become addicted to Oxycontin and was trying to support his habit.
On July 18, Kizer again reported to police that Miller took a fire safe box from her residence that held a $100 savings bond.
Amesbury said Miller must undergo a mental-health evaluation and is to have no contact with Kizer.