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CASAblanca inaugural gala at the F. M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts

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Sokol Day picnic to be held

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A city man who hurled a cardboard box containing four ferrets into the Susquehanna River last year was sentenced Tuesday to 2&#189; to six years in state prison on animal cruelty and unrelated charges.</p><p>Michael Abraham Craige, 23, of 282 Hazle St., took the animals from Rochelle Edwards on July 27 2015, and taped them inside a cardboard box before making his way to the Black Diamond Bridge near West Academy Street, where he tossed them into the river.</p><p>The police affidavit indicates Craige and Edwards share the same address, but the nature of their relationship and what prompted Craige to kill the animals was unclear Wednesday.</p><p>Craige pleaded guilty Tuesday to four counts of animal cruelty and was immediately sentenced to nine to 24 months in state prison. Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas ordered Craige to pay Edwards $200 in restitution and is prohibited from adopting pets.</p><p>The judge also sentenced Craige to an additional 21 to 48 months on three unrelated cases that included charges of simple assault, criminal mischief and perjury.</p><p>Craige pleaded guilty in July to lying under oath after he told Luzerne County President Judge Richard M. Hughes III he needed to be released from prison to care for his terminally ill sister. Craige&#8217;s sister, whom he said was on her way to &#8220;death row,&#8221; was found to be in good health.</p><p>At the time, Craige was jailed on charges he took a woman&#8217;s Chevrolet Cobalt without her permission and struck a curb.</p><p>In April, Craige pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman whom he followed home from Stir Nightclub and Bar in Wilkes-Barre after an argument. Craige, police said, cornered the woman in an alley near Holy Redeemer High School and struck her in the head and body before throwing her to the ground and kicking her.</p><p>Craige was ordered to attend anger management classes.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_thumbnail_craige-michael-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Craige </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_thumbnail_craige-michael-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Craige </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre man who threw box of ferrets into river sentenced