Buys Listings: May 29 to June 4, 2015

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Rev. Thomas Maloney, pastor of Our Lady of the Eucharist Church in Pittston, was ordained as priest 50 years ago

WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A pair of Hazleton men who admitted to charges stemming from an assault avoided jailtime at their sentencing in Luzerne County Court.Ronald Tavarez, 28, and Roberto Plasencia, 31, were sentenced Wednesday before Judge Michael T. Vough in connection with the March 2013 assault of Andrew Goryl that left the man &#8220;severely handicapped,&#8221; according to court papers.Vough sentenced Tavarez to two years in the Intermediate Punishment Program (IPP) followed by six years of probation, court documents indicate. He will spend the first six months of his sentence on house arrest.Plasencia received a sentence of six years probation, court papers say. His sentence runs consecutive to a two-year probation sentence from a separate case on a misdemeanor terroristic threats charge.The co-defendants entered their guilty pleas in April.Court documents indicate Plasencia admitted to charges of recklessly endangering another person, hindering apprehension, obstuction of justice, tampering with evidence and receiving stolen property. Tavarez pleaded to the same charges plus a single count of simple assault.They are to split restitution of $10,079.According to a criminal complaint, Tavarez told investigators Goryl followed him into a Lafayette Court driveway. Tavarez told Goryl to back away, police say, but Goryl did not.Tavarez then punched Goryl in the face, causing him to fall to the ground and lose consciousness, according to court papers.Tavarez and Plasencia then dragged Goryl to the corner of 5th Street and Lafayette Court, police say. The men then made a failed attempt to burn an identification card which another man had taken from Goryl, according to the complaint.Noticing blood on the pavement, Tavarez told investigators, he dumped water on the road to wash it away.Hazleton City Police soon after would find a bloodied and unresponsive Goryl with abrasions to his nose and face, the complaint says. Medical personnel would later also identify &#8220;defensive-type&#8221; wounds to his hands.

Hazleton men get probation in 2013 assault