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<p>EDWARDSVILLE &#8212; A Hanover Township man who recently pleaded guilty to a string of thefts from local stores was arraigned Friday on a new charge for allegedly swiping liquor from a state store.</p><p>John Jerome Ricko, 33, last known address as Lee Park Avenue, is accused of stealing two bottles of tequila from the Wine and Spirits Store in the Gateway Shopping Center on July 7. Each bottle sold for $54.99, according to a criminal complaint.</p><p>Ricko allegedly stole the liquor during a long-running theft spree.</p><p>Court records say he pleaded guilty Oct. 9 to multiple retail theft charges that occurred from October 2017 to July 2018, including one case where he fled from police with a child in the vehicle.</p><p>Here are several offenses Ricko has pleaded guilty to:</p><p>&#8226; May 10: Wilkes-Barre police alleged Ricko and his girlfriend stole food from Schiel&#8217;s Family Market, Hanover Street. An officer during a pat-down search of Ricko was stuck with a syringe concealed in his pockets, where he had a crack pipe and a spoon. The syringe did not penetrate the officer&#8217;s hand.</p><p>&#8226; May 8: Hanover Township police allege Ricko stole four packs of Hanes T-shirts, two packs of Hanes men&#8217;s boxer shorts, a bottle of Orajel and a bottle of herbal iced tea from the Family Dollar store on Carey Avenue.</p><p>&#8226; Dec. 2, 2017: Ashley police say Ricko stole a cash drawer from Family Dollar on South Main Street and fled in a 2004 Pontiac. About one hour after the Family Dollar heist, police in Wilkes-Barre Township spotted the Pontiac near Highland Park Boulevard. Ricko failed to stop and initiated a pursuit, eventually crashing into another vehicle and a boat in the area of 15 Gilligan St., Wilkes-Barre. A child in the vehicle was not injured. Clothing stolen from the JC Penney store at the Wyoming Valley Mall was found in the Pontiac.</p><p>&#8226; Oct. 14, 2017: Hanover Township police allege Ricko ran out of Tractor Supply on Sans Souci Parkway with a DeWalt mechanics tool set valued at $149. Ricko jumped into a 2003 Hyundai driven by his girlfriend after the theft, according to a criminal complaint.</p><p>Ricko is set to be sentenced on multiple thefts and other charges Dec. 10.</p><p>In the alleged liquor theft, Ricko was arraigned by District Judge David Barilla in Forty Fort on a felony charge of retail theft. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $3,000 bail.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Ricko </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_Ricko.cmyk_.jpg</photo0><caption0>Ricko </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Hanover Twp. man with list of theft charges now accused of taking tequila