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Liz Weston: Don’t believe these Social Security myths

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Country star Trisha Yearwood to play F.M. Kirby Center Nov. 23

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A shackled Andrew Dula III kept his head down when Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas sentenced him to state prison Friday.</p><p>Dula, 56, of Shickshinny, opted to stay quiet before Lupas imposed the sentence of nine years, three months to 19 years in prison for sexually assaulting a mentally and physically disabled woman at a care home in Kingston.</p><p>Lupas said the lengthy prison sentence was warranted because Dula violated the trust placed upon him to care for the defenseless woman.</p><p>A jury convicted Dula after a near two-week trial in February of assaulting a then 36-year-old patient at Community Living, a home for patients with disabilities operated by the nonprofit Institute for Human Resources and Services. The assaults occurred in 2015 and 2016. Dula was employed as a residential program worker.</p><p>Dula&#8217;s attorney, Al Flora, is expected to appeal the conviction that centered on a confession to Kingston police Detective Thomas Paratore.</p><p>After the trial, Flora said there were many complex legal issues and instructions for the jury to understand. Once the jury heard the confession during testimony, Flora said it became difficult for the jury to first become satisfied that a crime was committed.</p><p>During Friday&#8217;s hearing in an attempt for a lesser sentence, Flora said Dula maintained full-time employment and had no criminal record. He also submitted 19 letters from Dula&#8217;s family and friends describing him as a very religious and caring person, calling the assaults an &#8220;isolated incident.&#8221;</p><p>Assistant District Attorney Nancy Violi, who prosecuted Dula, quickly denounced the assaults were &#8220;isolated,&#8221; noting the assaults took place over a period of months.</p><p>&#8220;He had a special position of trust in providing her care,&#8221; Violi said.</p><p>Flora said his reference to an &#8220;isolated incident&#8221; meant Dula did not &#8220;go out and abuse other women. That&#8217;s what I&#8217;m talking about.&#8221;</p><p>Dula was also sentenced to two years probation and subject to lifetime registration under the state&#8217;s Megan&#8217;s Law.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_dula-cmyk-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dula </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_dula-cmyk-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dula </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Dula sentenced for sexually assaulting disabled woman