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<p>A state appellate court ruled convicted killer Andre Vancliff was aware of his no contest plea to conspiring with a woman to corrupt two young girls.</p><p>The 10-page ruling by a three member panel of the state Superior Court on Monday means Vancliff, 52, was not awarded any kind of relief on his latest appeal.</p><p>Under a plea agreement with the Luzerne County district attorney&#8217;s office in July 2014, Vancliff did not challenge charges filed against him alleging he fondled the two girls during visits at the State Correctional Institution at Retreat in Newport Township.</p><p>The plea agreement called for prosecutors to withdraw charges of child endangerment and indecent assault against Vancliff.</p><p>Judge Michael T. Vough tacked 42 to 84 months onto Vancliff&#8217;s life sentence for a murder in Philadelphia.</p><p>State police in April 2013 charged Vancliff and co-conspirator Rebecca Ann Butler, 46, of Danville, who brought the two girls to visit him at the state prison knowing Vancliff would sexually molest them. Butler also mailed pictures of the girls to Vancliff.</p><p>Butler was convicted after a jury trial in February 2014 on two counts each of endangering the welfare of children and criminal conspiracy to commit corruption of minors. She was sentenced in June 2014 to 3 1/2 to 10 years in state prison.</p><p>Butler&#8217;s sentence has been upheld by the Superior Court on appeal.</p><p>In Vancliff&#8217;s request for relief, he claimed he was unaware and his court-appointed attorney was ineffective in explaining to him that he was not contesting the charge of conspiracy to commit corruption of minors. Vancliff believed he was not contesting to only a corruption charge.</p><p>&#8220;Vancliff insists plea counsel led him to believe he was pleading no contest to a charge of corruption of minors,&#8221; the Superior Court opined.</p><p>The appellate court ruled Vancliff understood the terms and conditions of his plea, he signed the written plea agreement and understood the plea agreement, and advised Vough he was satisfied with his court-appointed attorney.</p><p>When Vancliff was sentenced, Vough imposed a $15,000 fine because any sentence for molesting the two girls did not have an impact due to his life sentence. At the time Vancliff was sentenced, his prison account had more than $9,000.</p><p>Vancliff appealed the fine calling it excessive.</p><p>The Superior Court in May 2015 upheld the $15,000 fine.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_vancliff_web.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Vancliff</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/web1_vancliff_web.jpg</photo0><caption0>Vancliff</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Convicted killer not permitted to withdraw no contest plea