Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

First Posted: 6/25/2014

WILKES-BARRE — A man suspected to be the getaway driver in an armed robbery at a floral business last month was arraigned on Wednesday.

Jason Brill, 31, of Plymouth, was spotted on Hazle Street by City Wide Towing proprietor Robert Kadluboski Tuesday night.

Kadluboski said he kept Brill under surveillance while police moved in for the arrest.

Brill’s Ford Ranger pickup truck was seized by police.

City police obtained an arrest warrant for Brill on Friday charging him with criminal conspiracy to commit robbery of Decker’s Flowers on Blackman Street on May 18.

Shaun Butler, 32, was charged with committing the actual robbery with a knife, according to the criminal complaint.

Butler has been jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility since his arrest by city police in Plymouth on June 18. At the time, Butler was wanted by police in Kingston and Wilkes-Barre Township, which featured Butler as their “Warrant of the Week” on their Facebook page on unrelated retail theft offenses.

Brill was jailed Wednesday for lack of $25,000 bail.

According to the criminal complaints filed by city police with District Judge Rick Cronauer in Wilkes-Barre:

Police believe Butler entered Decker’s Flowers just before 1:30 p.m. on May 18 with a knife and told Chaz and Melody Decker, “Give me all your money or I’ll stab you.”

Butler waved the knife at Chaz Decker and walked behind the counter, where he ransacked a cash register and took checks and paperwork. On his way out, police allege Butler bumped into the counter and dropped the knife, which police said was a large kitchen knife, the complaints say.

Butler was chased on Loomis Street where he jumped into the rear of a Ford Ranger pickup truck, allegedly driven by Brill.

Police said the Ford was spotted by Kadluboski several days later parked nearby on Hazle Street.

Police traced the Ford to a residence on Reynolds Street in Plymouth where Butler and Brill were located on June 18. Butler and Brill attempted to escape but were captured after a foot chase, the complaints say.

Police said in the complaint Butler admitted to robbing Decker’s Flowers for money to purchase drugs. Brill admitted to driving the Ford but did not want to take part in the robbery, according to the complaints.

Butler has not been arraigned on the latest charge of robbery.