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Unityville resident charged with construction fraud
On Oct. 2, Brandon O'Connell, 28, of 5511 Moreland Baptist Road, Unityville was arrested by city police after a report of fraud in connection with a home improvement project that was not conducted.
On April 18, 2022, O'Connell, owner of Next Gen LLC, allegedly entered into an agreement with Corbin Woodling to refinish the basement at his residence, 212 Roderick Road. The cost of the work was estimated to be $65,000, of which 50% would be a down payment, according to an affidavit.
Seventy-five percent of the remaining balance would be due when the work was three quarters of the way done, with the remaining balance due at completion. The estimated time till completion was quoted as three to four months.
O'Connell was scheduled to begin the project on May 2, 2022, however, he did not begin until the end of June, court documents state.
O'Connell assured Woodling that he would be at the property full-time in order to complete the project, however, he only showed up sporadically from July 2022 to Jan. 11, according to court documents. On Feb. 28, O'Connell informed Woodling that he would be downsizing his business, and after finishing a current project in two weeks, would return to install steps and finish the flooring, which was never completed, police allege.
In June 2023 O'Connell allegedly informed Woodling that he would be transitioning careers, and would be at the house full-time in order to finish the project by July. However, Woodling only showed up a few times after 3 p.m., working for only one or two hours at a time.
In total, O'Connell was paid $63,440 for the work despite a number of things not being completed or ordered.
He was charged with making false statements to induce agreement, receiving advance payment for services not performed, theft by deception and deceptive or fraudulent business practices and was released on $50,000 bail.
Montoursville man arrested for falsification of firearms application
On Sept. 25, Heath Bowes, 42, of 152 Confair Parkway, Montoursville, was arrested by Lycoming Regional Police after he allegedly attempted to purchase a firearm from National Sporting Goods in Jersey Shore on March 7, 2022.
On Aug. 2,, police received a report from the Pennsylvania State Police Firearms Division, which indicated that Bowes had been untruthful on ATF form 4473 when he answered the question "have you ever been adjudicated as mental defective or have you ever been committed to a mental institution" in the negative, according to an affidavit.
Documents provided by Lycoming-Clinton Mental Health/Intellectual Disability Program show that Bowes had been involuntarily committed to the Williamsport Hospital on June 23, 2010, court documents state.
Bowes was charged with making false statements to facilitate the sale or transfer of firearms and unsworn falsification to authorities.
City woman arrested on drug charges
At 3:30 a.m. on Sept.11, Brittany Shope, 28, of 726 W. Third St., was stopped by Lycoming Regional Police in the 100 block of South Main Street, Jersey Shore, after they observed improper use of headlights on her 2017 Chevrolet Cruze.
During questioning, Shope admitted to possessing cocaine within the vehicle, further acknowledging that any drug-related items found in the vehicle belonged to her, police allege.
During a search of the vehicle, police discovered a clear plastic bag with white residue, a "Truweigh scale" with white residue, two smoking devices, and three Clonazepam in a knotted bag, according to an affidavit.
Shope was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and a summary offense.