Meadville Tribune

Local News

August 31, 2010

Ten nabbed in bench warrant sweep

MEADVILLE — Lee Coolidge never expected it — a set of handcuffs and a ride to jail.

“I didn’t know this was (expletive) happening,” Coolidge, 20, of Meadville yelled after the handcuffs had been placed around his wrists as he stood outside a mobile home in Asbury Manor East.

“Don’t cop an attitude with me,” his mother said to him. “You already owe me $400 from the last time.”

Coolidge was arrested Monday afternoon by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office Bench Warrant Task Force for not paying child support ordered by Crawford County Court of Common Pleas.

As of 11 p.m., he was one of 10 persons arrested as part of a bench warrant sweep at 19 locations.

Lt. Neil Fratus of the county Sheriff’s Office coordinated Monday’s sweep and called it a success. Everyone apprehended was taken to Crawford County jail and incarcerated there until they attend a scheduled court appearance.

“It shows we’re out serving the warrants and we’re serious about it,” Fratus said. “We’re going full force.”

Earlier this month, Crawford County President Judge Anthony Vardaro and Sheriff Nick Hoke publicly warned there would be an unannounced warrant sweep coordinated by the sheriff’s office sometime after “amnesty week” offered by the court had concluded.

From Aug. 16 through 21, Crawford County Court of Common Pleas had offered amnesty to approximately 175 individuals who were non-violent offenders with outstanding bench warrants filed against them.

Those on the list were permitted to appear any time in court that week without being arrested or jailed in order to make arrangements to either pay in full or agree to a payment plan for outstanding fines, costs and restitution owed. County court even stayed open until 7 p.m. on Wednesday of that week to accommodate persons who worked during normal weekday hours.

But only 10 non-violent offenders took advantage of the program, clearing only 12 of the bench warrants.

Late Monday afternoon and into the evening, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office Bench Warrant Task Force took to the streets in and around Meadville, Titusville, Conneautville, Springboro and Linesville to enforce a list of 27 bench warrants.

The task force was briefed at the courthouse in Meadville by Sheriff Nick Hoke and Chief Adult Probation Officer Nick Loiacona before dividing into three teams — Meadville, Titusville and western Crawford County.

“Safety, safety, safety,” Hoke said in reminding task force members to keep themselves, those being sought and the public safe during the sweep. “These are just mainly cost and fine warrants, but even those types can be dangerous.”

“Going to work is important,” Loiacona said. “But everyone coming home safe is more important.”

Before heading out, officers were suited up in protective vests and given lists of locations where those being sought Monday could be found. If a person wasn’t there, authorities still asked for information from neighbors about the person’s potential whereabouts.

The task force had 16 officers from the sheriff’s office, Crawford County Adult Probation and the U.S. Marshal’s Service out. They were aided at times by officers from Meadville and Titusville police and other municipal departments, plus Pennsylvania State Police.



Keith Gushard can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.

Text Only
Local News
  • SUN park.jpg Conneaut Lake Park roars into 120th season

    Conneaut Lake Park’s 120th season is officially under way with its in-keeping-with-tradition, four-day Memorial Day weekend opening, and the “crowds are coming in,” Jack Moyers said Saturday.

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Area communities ready to celebrate Memorial Day


    Editor’s note: The following Memorial Day events have been reported for publication in The Tribune. All events are Monday, except those in  Edinboro and Shermansville, which are planned for Sunday.

    May 26, 2012

  • Remembering Civil War Bucktails

    A glimpse into daily life of the Civil War era is easy to see in Crawford County.

    May 26, 2012

  • Area Memorial Day events

    The following Memorial Day events have been reported for publication in The Tribune. All events are on Monday, except the one at Edinboro that is planned for Sunday.

    May 25, 2012

  • Memorial Day parade Civil War soldiers highlight Meadville Memorial Day events

    A courageous Meadville man — wounded three times but remaining on a Civil War battlefield until he was too weak to continue — is being remembered this Memorial Day as the Meadville Area Memorial Day Committee continues its mission of observing the 150th anniversary of the War Between the States.

    May 25, 2012 1 Photo

  • Police: Locals admit to killing Ohio woman

    Two Cochranton women were arrested and jailed on homicide charges early Thursday after allegedly admitting they killed an Ohio woman and buried her body in a shallow grave near their residence recently.

    May 25, 2012

  • Lucy Kedzierski.jpg Reader 'Faces' are coming in

    Mom's car dash, Meadville, PA
    Lucy Kedzierski, 12, looks at the face every morning waiting for school bus!
    She took this with a cell phone.

    May 24, 2012 1 Photo

  • North Street Project sure to be 'very disruptive'

    With the preliminary traffic control plan for Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s North Street Project complete, Meadville City Manager Joe Chriest summed up the anticipated impact of the project, which is expected to span the entire 2013 construction season. “This is going to be very, very disruptive,” he said Wednesday.

    May 24, 2012

  • Boat.jpg Boat business booming in warm weather

    It’s been a booming business in boats this spring, according to some area boat dealers.

    May 24, 2012 1 Photo

  • City leaders not concerned after financial downgrade

    During the past five years, Moody’s Investors Service has assigned three different ratings — all within the range of “upper medium grade” to the City of Meadville’s bonds. In 2007, the city was given a rating of A3, the lowest of the trio. In 2010, the city’s bond rating was raised to A1, the highest ranking in the “upper medium” category. Monday, Moody’s gave the city’s $10,000,000 General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2012, which went on the market Monday, the middle rating of A2.

    May 23, 2012

Business Marquee
AP Video
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium 50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
Poll

If the presidential election were today, my vote would go to:

Barack Obama
Mitt Romney
I wouldn’t vote
     View Results
Hyperlocal Search
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Popular Searches
Powered by Local.com
Stocks