SMETHPORT — A Bradford man pleaded guilty Thursday in McKean County Court to assault allegations.
Jeffery W. Morton, 44, entered a guilty plea to one count of aggravated assault. As part of the plea agreement, assault allegations from a second case were nolle prossed. According to Assistant District Attorney Sean Barrett, on Dec. 20, 2015, Morton punched Matthew Gross in the face.
Court records filed when Morton was first arrested indicated that Gross suffered facial fractures by his right eye that required immediate surgery.
President Judge John Pavlock noted on Thursday that the plea agreement calls for a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison, which he explained was due in part to Morton’s criminal record, as well as because of the seriousness of the injuries.
Morton will be sentenced May 11.
Also in court, Alexandra C.R. Farnsworth, 24, of Bradford, pleaded guilty to charges of harboring a fugitive from apprehension in two cases. Assistant District Attorney Ashley Shade said that on Jan. 17, Farnsworth hid from police a 17-year-old juvenile who absconded from a detention center and was wanted on first-degree felony charges; then, on March 8, she concealed from police a person who was wanted on state parole. She will be sentenced April 13.
Damon L. Maull, 32, of Malone, N.Y., pleaded guilty to one charge of flight to avoid apprehension. On Feb. 28, 2016, Maull traveled in Pennsylvania when he was wanted by law enforcement. He will be sentenced March 30.
James A. Teeter, 49, of Bradford, pleaded guilty to a charge of unsworn falsification. On Aug. 11, Teeter inaccurately answered “no” on a firearm transaction form to a question asking if he had been convicted of a felony or any crime in which the judge could have sentenced the person to more than a year in prison, Shade said. He will be sentenced April 13.
Christopher J. Blose, 18, of Panama, N.Y., pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. He will serve one year of probation.
