Charges against Bradford bar owner bound to court

Charges against a Bradford bar owner were bound to McKean County Court at a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Dominic Cercone.

Kenneth B. Marsh, 61, is charged with aggravated assault, a second-degree felony; simple assault, a second-degree misdemeanor; and disorderly conduct, a third-degree misdemeanor.

According to the criminal complaint, on Dec. 18, a state police liquor enforcement officer went into Marsh’s Bar, 136 W. Washington St. There were 10-12 people inside, and several patrons stated, “Here he is.”

When the officer entered, Marsh picked up a handgun from a shelf and held it at his side pointed toward the floor, court records allege.

The officer “felt as if the defendant was trying to intimidate him at this point,” the complaint stated. The officer instructed Marsh to put the handgun away, and Marsh put it in his front pants pocket.

At one point while the officer was speaking to him, Marsh removed the handgun from his pocket and held it at the side of his leg, pointed toward the floor, according to court records. The officer again told Marsh to put the gun away, and Marsh returned it to his pocket.

As the officer was talking, Marsh grasped the handgun and partially removed it two more times, and the officer told him “to keep his hand off the handgun and informed him that having an incident over an administrative issue was not worth it,” the complaint stated.

Court records did not indicate the nature of the administrative issue.

The complaint indicated that during the time the officer was there, Marsh appeared “agitated,” and the officer ended up leaving the establishment because he feared Marsh was going to shoot him.

Two Lewis Run-based state troopers later interviewed Marsh at the bar while investigating what happened. Marsh admitted to having the gun when he talked to the liquor enforcement officer and “agreed that his actions would be intimidating to an officer,” the complaint stated.

Marsh is free, having posted $20,000 bail.

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Bradford woman waives hearing for alleged church theft

A Bradford woman accused of stealing more than $23,000 from a Port Allegany church waived a preliminary hearing Monday before District Judge William Todd.

Pamela J. Hamilton, 52, is charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, all third-degree felonies.

According to the criminal complaint, between Jan. 7, 2018, and Dec. 29, 2019, Hamilton took $23,743.76 in funds belonging to the First Baptist Church of Port Allegany. Court records alleged that while she served as the church’s financial secretary, she wrote checks to herself and cashed them, as well as took money from the weekly offerings.

A forensic accounting firm conducted an audit of the church’s finances, calculating variances in the amount of $19,876.76. The accountant also detailed unauthorized checks payable to “cash,” amounting to $8,445, according to the complaint.

The complaint noted that before church officials discovered the theft, Hamilton “attempted to return a portion of the funds by depositing personal checks into the church checking account in November 2019,” and another check after the theft had been discovered, for a total of $4,800. Documents received from Hamilton’s bank showed she had signed checks written for “cash” in the amount of $8,445.

Hamilton is free on $10,000 unsecured bail.