`two Wolves' Smith Faces New Sex Charges

Abraham Fiorani 
July 9, 1996 
Abraham ``abe'' Fiorani, 80, Of Pond Hill Road, Mocanaqua, Died Tuesday In The 
Wilkes-barre General Hospital.

By WILLIAM SPECHT; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Thursday, July 11, 1996 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





WEST PITTSTON -- A Hanover Township man who police say posed as a gardener
so he could burglarize the homes of elderly women was arraigned Tuesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Fred Griffiths, 30, of Boland Avenue, was arraigned before District Justice
Carmen Maffei on charges of burglary, criminal trespass, theft, receiving
stolen property, two counts of criminal mischief, attempted burglary and
defiant trespass. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He was arrested at about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday at his Borland Avenue home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kingston police Detective John Jorda, who investigated the case, said
Griffiths went to the homes of elderly women, asking if they needed their
hedges trimmed. He would then wait until no one was looking, cut the screens
on the victims' doors, enter the homes and steal the victims' purses, Jorda
said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Griffiths allegedly tried to enter the home of a Kingston woman on the
afternoon of June 9. He then tried to get into another Kingston home before
the homeowner's son scared him away, police said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jorda said he was led to Griffiths when he learned of another incident in
which Griffiths cut an elderly Kingston woman's hedges and said he would cut
her lawn. While the woman was across the street trying to borrow a lawn mower,
Griffiths allegedly entered her home but was discovered when the woman
returned. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She reported Griffiths' alleged actions to police along with his name and
address, which he had given her when discussing the job. The woman called
police after talking to a friend whose home had been burglarized by someone
with a similar appearance, police said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Griffiths' preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 9 a.m. July 18 before
District Justice Paul Roberts of Kingston. Griffiths was remanded to the
Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $15,000 bail following his
arraignment. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jorda said Griffiths is considered a possible suspect in other similar
burglaries that have occurred in Hanover Township but police there would not
confirm that Wednesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Griffiths also is facing a hearing in Dauphin County on charges that he
violated his probation when he allegedly committed crimes in Kingston. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hanover Twp. Man Arraigned In Kingston Burglaries 
Police Say Fred Griffiths 
Allegedly Offered To Do Yard 
Work For Older Women, Then Broke 
Into Their Houses To Steal Purses

Hanover Twp. Man Arraigned In Kingston Burglaries Police Say Fred Griffiths Allegedly Offered To Do Yard Work For Older Women, Then Broke Into Their Houses To Steal Purses