Barrett
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Man accused of killing wife
enters not guilty plea
WILKES-BARRE — A Plymouth man accused of bludgeoning his wife to death entered a not guilty plea in his first appearance in county court.
Daniel Barrett, 40, appeared before Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough on Wednesday for a dispositional hearing.
Barrett is facing an open count of criminal homicide after police say he killed his wife, Mary Susan Barrett, with a fireplace poker in a jealous rage. Barrett surrendered himself to Plymouth police on Jan. 11, saying he killed his wife two days earlier in their Gaylord Avenue home.
Barrett told police his wife had told him she was spending time with another man, and Barrett said he punched her in the face and “blacked out,” and he realized he was standing over her, holding the fireplace tongs over his head.
Despite what he told police previously, he entered a plea of not guilty on Wednesday. Court records show future dates for proceedings will be scheduled by Vough via order.
Barrett, who is locked up without bail, was returned to the county prison following the hearing.
Plymouth man sentenced
on child sex crimes
WILKES-BARRE — A Plymouth man was sentenced to spend at least two years behind bars after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a girl for several years.
Tyler James Cox, 27, appeared on Friday before Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough to be sentenced after he was found guilty in October of indecent assault of a child less than 13 and corruption of minors, both felony counts, along with misdemeanor counts of indecent assault.
Cox was arrested in March 2019 after the girl, now an adult, came forward with allegations against Cox in December 2018.
She told police Cox assaulted her multiple times between 2012, when she was 12, and when she turned 18 in 2018.
The woman told police the first assault occurred in a Plymouth home in 2012, when Cox picked her up, carried her to another room and forced her to perform sex acts.
The woman said that over the course of the years Cox touched her inappropriately about 50 times.
Court records show that Cox was found guilty of the above four charges in October, but he was also found not guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault.
Last week, when appearing before Vough, Cox was sentenced to spend an aggregate of two to four years in state prison, to be followed by two years probation.
Cox also will be required to register as a sexual offender. He was remanded to await assignment to a state prison.
Laflin man pleads guilty
in charges stemming from standoff
WILKES-BARRE — A Laflin man entered guilty pleas on Wednesday to charges stemming from a December standoff in Kingston.
Argenis Lopez, 22, appeared before Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough on Tuesday, pleading guilty to a felony count of aggravated assault and one misdemeanor count each of simple assault and resisting arrest.
Other charges were withdrawn by prosecutors, and the aggravated assault charges was changed from a felony of the first degree to a felony of the second degree.
Lopez was arrested after reports of a domestic incident led to a search of the former St. Hedwig’s Church. Police say when they arrived at Lopez’s home, he ordered a pit bull to attack the officers. Police used a Taser to stop the pit bull.
Officers said Lopez put up a struggle, and they had to ultimately use a Taser to restrain him.
Lopez will be sentenced on July 8. He will remain locked up until his sentencing.
— By Patrick Kernan