A Bradford man accused of conspiring to steal several things from the Chestnut Street Uni-Mart in Bradford is now facing two additional charges: failure to verify address/be photographed and retail theft.
Gregory P. Benavidez Jr., 26, of 43 Forman St., appeared for a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Dominic Cercone, who bound all 13 charges against Benavidez to McKean County Court.
Benavidez is charged with failure to verify address/be photographed, a second-degree felony; criminal trespassing and conspiracy-criminal trespassing, third-degree felonies; retail theft, a first-degree misdemeanor; tampering with physical evidence and three counts each of theft by unlawful taking and conspiracy-theft by unlawful taking, second-degree misdemeanors; and possession of a small amount of marijuana for personal use and possession of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanors.
The criminal complaint states the store manager prepared a flash drive with surveillance video as evidence for a separate criminal matter, placed it in an envelope and left it on the office desk for officers to pick up on Sunday. Later that day, she realized the envelope was gone.
She reviewed surveillance footage to determine what happened to the envelope and discovered at that 1:10 a.m. Saturday, Benavidez and Brandon Benjamin entered the store and began speaking with the clerk, according to court records.
While Benjamin kept the clerk distracted, Benavidez allegedly went into the secured office, stole money from a drawer and took the envelope with the flash drive. Then, he went back to the counter and took about $20 from a plastic donation jar marked that was to benefit a local family, the criminal complaint stated.
According to court records, when a Bradford City officer later went to Benavidez’s residence at 43 Forman St., police found marijuana and a marijuana pipe. Benavidez “was acting extremely violent” while he was in custody and refused to be interviewed.
Meanwhile, Benjamin “was extremely cooperative” with police and told them that over the past two weeks he and Benavidez conspired to steal items and money from the Uni-Mart. Benjamin would allegedly distract the clerk while Benavidez went into the back room to steal money. Benjamin took about $200 during those two weeks, which the pair used to buy marijuana; they also took food and cigarettes, the criminal complaint stated.
Benavidez destroyed the flash drive by burning it, the complaint indicated.
Court records also indicate that Benavidez moved without registering his new address and took $964.09 in merchandise from the Uni-Mart.
Benavidez must register as a sex offender for 25 years after he pleaded guilty in 2017 to a charge of statutory sexual assault. He entered the plea to allegations that between January and June of 2016, he had sexual contact with a female more than eight years younger than him.
Benavidez is in McKean County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Meanwhile, Benjamin, 19, of Bradford, was arraigned Wednesday before Cercone on charges of conspiracy-criminal trespassing, a third-degree felony, and conspiracy-theft by unlawful taking, a second-degree misdemeanor, court records indicate.
Benjamin is free on $1,000 unsecured bail and has a Central Court appearance set for May 2.
Charges against a Bradford man accused of assaulting two people with a knife and punching a third during a fight were bound to McKean County Court Wednesday in a hearing before District Judge Dominic Cercone.
Ted J. Buckley, 25, of 77 Congress St., upper apartment, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, second-degree felonies; three counts of simple assault, second-degree misdemeanors; disorderly conduct, a third-degree misdemeanor; and public drunkenness and three counts of harassment, summaries.
According to Bradford City Police, Buckley started a fight with multiple people without provocation. During the fight, Buckley brandished a folding knife, cutting two men with the knife, causing hand lacerations, and punching a third man in the head.
Police did not say how serious the injuries were, except to say that one of the men who suffered knife wounds had to be treated at Bradford Regional Medical Center.
According to reports, at 2:19 a.m. Sunday, a group approached Bradford City police officers in the Zippo parking lot on Barbour Street to report alleged assaults that just happened.
The group pointed out Buckley, who was at that point walking on the sidewalk near the officers, police stated.
When officers started to approach Buckley, he turned and began to flee. Officers pursued Buckley from Barbour Street, across Mechanic Street and through two parking lots, arresting him on Pine Street near Boylston Street, according to police.
Buckley is in McKean County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.
The more serious of two charges against a Bradford woman was bound to McKean County Court Wednesday.
Mary A. Obermeyer-Winkie, 42, appeared for a preliminary hearing before District Judge Richard Luther. He bound over a charge of access device fraud, a third-degree felony.
A misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance was withdrawn.
The criminal complaint states that on Dec. 19, Winkie received her father’s debit card so she could pay his property taxes of $653.48 and to withdraw $700 to send out Christmas cards and gifts. Between Dec. 19 and Dec. 29, Winkie also allegedly completed $2,244.58 in transactions with the card without permission.
Winkie’s father died Dec. 29, according to the complaint.
She is free on $25,000 unsecured bail.
Bradford man pleads guilty to summary harassment
A Bradford man who was facing misdemeanor charges for an alleged New Year’s Eve domestic incident has pleaded guilty to one summary harassment charge.
Robbie J. Farrell, 27, had a preliminary hearing scheduled for Wednesday before District Judge Richard Luther.
Charges of false imprisonment, simple assault and criminal mischief were withdrawn.
