Wilkes-barre Woman Gets Probation In Soda, Insurance Scam

Angela Farris 
Jan. 1, 1996 
Mrs. Angela M. Farris, 65, Of Slocum Street, Forty Fort, Died Monday At 
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Plains Township.

By ANTHONY COLAROSSI; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Thursday, January 04, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





WILKES-BARRE -- An argument about who drank the last sip from a bottle of
liquor led to the beating and stabbing death of Raymond Carson last July,
according to an arrest affidavit. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Police arrested William Richard Perrego, 18, late Tuesday, and he was
charged Wednesday in front of Wilkes-Barre District Justice Michael Collins
with criminal homicide in the July 29, 1995 killing on Barnum Place. A more
specific charge will be requested at Perrego's preliminary hearing, said
Luzerne County District Attorney Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Police say Perrego does not have an address. At the time of his death,
Carson, 55, did not have an address either. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 An arrest affidavit says Perrego and Carson were fighting about drinking
the last of the alcohol as they walked along Barnum Place. Perrego told police
he and Carson had been drinking together. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The following is what Perrego told police, according to the affidavit: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Carson pulled a knife during the argument and cut Perrego twice. The two
men hit each other and settled their argument. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Perrego said he saw Carson bleeding as the two men climbed the fire escape
of 32 Barnum Place. By the time they reached the third-floor fire escape
landing, they resumed fighting. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Carson hit Perrego again. Perrego produced his knife and cut Carson's arm
several times. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The men wrestled, and Perrego put Carson in a bear hug. More blows were
exchanged and Perrego gave Carson a knee to the face. Perrego said Carson was
bloody and appeared delirious at that point. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Perrego told Carson he was sorry and Carson told him to call an ambulance. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Perrego ran to the second floor of the building and asked resident Marvin
Cromer, 59, to call an ambulance "because (Perrego's) friend was dying." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Carson died at Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre an hour after the incident. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Perrego told police he was scared and fled the scene, according to the
affidavit. He said he dumped his clothing and the knife into the Susquehanna
River near the Market Street Bridge. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Following his arraignment on the criminal homicide charge, Perrego was
remanded to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility without bail. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Perrego also was charged with a September robbery and assault behind the
Insalaco's Supermarket in Penn Plaza, Wilkes-Barre. Collins set Perrego's bail
at $25,000 for those alleged offenses. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom McGroarty and police officials held a press
conference at city hall to discuss Perrego's arrest. A statement released by
Police Chief Joseph T. Coyne suggested that McGroarty's hands-off approach to
city departments assisted the arrest. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That prompted questions about the timing of the arrest. Police officials
denied the arrest came purposely at the start of McGroarty's first term. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The mayor knew about the arrest when we made the arrest, not before that,"
said Lt. Dale Rinker. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Olszewski said his office had been talking about setting up the arrest with
Wilkes-Barre detectives for several weeks. It was difficult to locate Perrego
because he does not have a known address, Olszewski said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There were two or three times within the last 30 days where this was
potentially supposed to go down," Olszewski said. "I never even suspected any
political motivation on the timing." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Richard Perrego &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Liquor Spat Led To Killing, Say Cops Richard Perrego, 18, Charged Wednesday In July Death Of Raymond Carson, 55, On Barnum Place