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Stormwater fee, possible Park & Lock project dominate Butler Twp. meeting

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Luzerne County Councilman Vough seeking drug recovery success stories

Hanover Twp. manallegedly sold LSDHANOVER TWP. &#8212; Township police reported Thursday they arrested Joseph Leo, 25, of Lyndwood Avenue, earlier this month after allegedly finding LSD, cocaine and marijuana inside his residence.Leo was arrested when authorities served a search warrant at his home March 6 as a result of a joint investigation by the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, state police in Wyoming and Lancaster, and Hanover Township Police Narcotics Unit.Authorities said they seized 90 LSD hits from Leo&#8217;s residence.Leo was arraigned by District Judge Joseph Halesey in Hanover Township on two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and one count each of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was jailed at the county lockup for lack of $75,000 bail.Trucksville man accusedof theft over product returnsKINGSTON TWP. &#8212; Township police Thursday charged Vincent Ginocchetti, 34, on charges he made deceitful returns of merchandise he purchased online from Home Depot.According to a criminal complaint:A representative from the Home Depot Fraud Department contacted township police in July about Ginocchetti, who used multiple addresses and email accounts when he purchased items from September 2017 to June 2018.Ginocchetti placed orders of various products and initiated returns for a majority of the orders he placed.He returned small pieces of rubber from a shoe-repair kit in each return package he sent to Home Depot for a refund instead of returning the correct product. In one return, Ginocchetti requested a refund for a three-pack electrical outlet valued at $36.83 but returned only a piece of rubber.Ginocchetti also received $3,814 from Home Depot on two appliances he returned, claiming they were the incorrect color and style.Home Depot alleges they lost $7,174 in the scheme.Ginocchetti, of Old Carverton Road, surrendered before District Judge Brian Tupper, who arraigned him on a felony theft count. He was represented by Attorney Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. at the arraignment.He was released on $2,500 unsecured bail.Police: Teen punchedGeisinger security officerPLAINS TWP. &#8212; Township police arrested Rasheed Canada, 18, on charges he punched a security officer in the face at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center on Monday and violated a restraining order.According to criminal complaints:Hospital security responded to a domestic dispute in a room involving a woman and her ex-boyfriend, Canada, at about 8 p.m.When a security officer attempted to detain Canada, he punched the officer in the face.Police said the officer sustained a laceration to his mouth that required several stitches.Canada claimed the officer kept grabbing him and punched him, the complaint says.Canada was arraigned Tuesday by District Judge Ferris Webby in Luzerne County Central Court on charges of aggravated assault and violating a protection-from-abuse order. He was released on $60,000 total unsecured bail.Plains man allegedlyhit, shoved two boysPLAINS TWP. &#8212; Township police arrested Daniel Kasteleba, 39, of Elizabeth Street, Plains, on charges he punched a 16-year-old boy and shoved a 9-year-old boy to the ground during a domestic dispute inside his residence Monday.According to a criminal complaint:A woman told police Kasteleba arrived home intoxicated and began arguing at about 10:50 p.m.To calm the situation, the woman and her two children went upstairs to go to sleep.She claimed Kasteleba followed the woman into a bedroom and continued to yell.When the 16-year-old tugged at Kasteleba&#8217;s shirt, he turned around and punched the teen in the head.After that, the 9-year-old ran downstairs to call 911 and was followed by Kasteleba, who shoved him to the floor.Kasteleba had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath when he was later found walking on North River Street.Kasteleba was arraigned Tuesday by District Judge Ferris Webby in Luzerne County Central Court on two counts each of simple assault and harassment and a single count of public drunkenness. He was jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $20,000 bail.Hanover man accused ofchoking his ex-girlfriendHANOVER TWP. &#8212; Township police arrested Kevin William Black, 29, on charges he kicked in a door and choked his ex-girlfriend while retrieving sneakers at her residence on Hazle Street.Police responded to the 700 block of Hazle early Saturday when a woman claimed Black kicked in a door and strangled her as she tried to push him out of the residence.She claimed Black previously kicked in the door that was damaged.Black was charged with burglary, simple assault, strangulation and harassment. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $35,000 bail.Two allegedly foughtwith police officersWILKES-BARRE &#8212; City police arrested Alahmaidi Tawfiq-Nasser, 31, and Barer Alyami, 27, on charges they fought officers when refusing to leave an apartment building on North Main Street on Sunday.According to criminal complaints:Officers responded to Senunas&#8217; Bar at about 6:20 p.m. Sunday and found Tawfiq-Nasser and Alyami on the second floor in an apartment.Tawfiq-Nasser and Alyami did not reside in the building and refused to leave.The two men fought with officers as they were arrested.Police learned Tawfiq-Nasser was thrown out of the bar Friday and told not to return. But he tried to return Sunday and was denied entry by security.Tawfiq-Nasser then stood outside and punched windows, entering the apartment through a side door prior to being found.Tawfiq-Nasser, of East South Street, Wilkes-Barre, and Alyami, of North River Street, Wilkes-Barre, were each charged with criminal trespass, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. They were jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $7,500 bail each.Beer distributor citedEXETER &#8212; Cold Case Beverage LLC, 1712 Wyoming Ave., was recently cited with permitting sale or furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor, according to a news release from the state police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement.Police: Man arrestedafter asking for moneyWILKES-BARRE &#8212; For the second time in eight days, city police arrested Mark Benedict, 40, on charges he was going door to door asking for money.According to posts on the city police department&#8217;s Facebook page:Benedict, of Wilkes-Barre, was arrested the second time late Tuesday as officers were investigating multiple reports he was going door to door asking for money on Alexander Street.When Benedict was located, police say he failed to obey commands and fled on foot on Academy Street to avoid apprehension. He struggled with officers when he was arrested.Benedict was arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke on charges of resisting arrest, flight to avoid apprehension, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail.Police cited Benedict on March 4 with engaging in solicitation without a license when he allegedly knocked on doors of houses on Monroe Street asking for money.Police said they have had multiple contacts with Benedict for panhandling at various locations in Wilkes-Barre.<style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Joseph-Leo-HanTwpPD-03142019.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Leo </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Joseph-Leo-HanTwpPD-03142019.jpg</photo0><caption0>Leo </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Ed Lewiselewis@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div>

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