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WILKES-BARRE — A Pittston man was sentenced to up to five years in prison for his guilty plea to charges he fired a shot through a car window and fled barefoot through the snow before police caught him last March.

Craig Reiss, 22, was given credit for the 229 days he’s been held in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $500,000 bail since March 23. Judge David Lupas this week sentenced Reiss to 30 to 60 months in a state prison for a felony charge of firearms not to be carried without a license.

Lupas also ordered that Reiss serve six to 24 months each for two other misdemeanor charges — simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. All sentences run concurrent to one another.

Wilkes-Barre police responded to a report of shots fired around 3:15 p.m. March 22 outside the Denny’s restaurant on Kidder Street.

According to police: Reiss was in a car with a woman as they were dropping off their roommate at the restaurant. The woman struck Reiss in the face. He retaliated by punching her in the face and choking her. Reiss got out of the car and fired a round through the rear window and fled on foot.

Police searched the snow-covered area along the Cross Valley Expressway and later found Reiss barefoot on North Wilkes-Barre Boulevard trying to hitch a ride from passing motorists.

Prosecutors added a simple assault charge in June and withdrew an aggravated assault count when Reiss pleaded guilty Aug. 29.

Judge Lupas ordered that the gun used by Reiss during the incident be destroyed after the expiration of his appeal period and that he not own or possess firearms.

Craig Reiss, of Pittston, was taken into custody by Wilkes-Barre police after he fired a shot through a car window near Denny’s restaurant on Kidder Street and fled in March. He was recently sentenced to up to five years in a state prison.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TTL032317shots-1.jpg.optimal.jpgCraig Reiss, of Pittston, was taken into custody by Wilkes-Barre police after he fired a shot through a car window near Denny’s restaurant on Kidder Street and fled in March. He was recently sentenced to up to five years in a state prison.

By Jerry Lynott

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Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.