Wilkes-Barre man pleads guilty to riot, running to avoid arrest

WILKES-BARRE — A man who once swiped a package of underwear from Boscov’s Department store pled guilty to a variety of offenses, including resisting arrest when he intentionally banged his head against a rock and participating in a riot inside the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.

Gerald Brian Hotchkiss II, 42, last known address as North Washington Street, Wilkes-Barre, was accused by Wilkes-Barre police of initiating a struggle with officers following a domestic dispute on July 19, by Wyoming Borough police of stealing checks from a residence he endorsed and cashed at a credit union, and by county detectives of taking part in a riot.

Court records say Wilkes-Barre police investigated a domestic dispute on North Washington Street when Hotchkiss ran away on foot. Officers chased and caught up to him in the 800 block of North Pennsylvania Avenue where he headbutted a rock several times during his arrest, court records say.

Wyoming police alleged Hotchkiss endorsed checks stolen from a residence on East Sixth Street and cashed five checks at branches of a credit union receiving a total of $3,032, according to court records.

Hotchkiss allegedly attempted to cash a sixth check in the amount of $755 but was denied.

County detectives in court records say Hotchkiss was one of seven inmates who caused a disturbance throwing chairs and hot water in the minimal offenders building on Dec. 5, 2021.

Hotchkiss pled guilty to riot, forgery, theft, flight to avoid apprehension and resisting arrest before Judge David W. Lupas.

Hotchkiss is scheduled to be sentenced June 13.

As for the underwear theft in February 2016, Hotchkiss was initially sentenced to one year probation but a violation of his probation resulted in a prison sentence of 16 months to three years.