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City man faces false imprisonment and related offenses
Wearing a facemask and armed with a rifle, Michael W. Messner forcibly entered an apartment at 911 Washington Blvd., demanding that his ex-girlfriend give him his cell phone late Sunday night, city police alleged in an affidavit. Inside the apartment with the woman was her brother and a nephew, both of whom were told to go hide in a bedroom by a second man, who was also in the apartment, police were told.
"Messner appeared to be hysterical," and continued to scream at his girlfriend, telling everyone that no one was allowed to leave for at least 30 minutes, the affidavit stated. The 22-year-old Messner said he "would kill everyone" as he started "breaking items in the home and putting holes in the drywall with the butt of his rifle," it was stated in the affidavit.
The ex-girlfriend made a run for it and bolted out the door with Messner chasing after her, police were told. No one was injured, police said. Messner, of 1208 Isabell St., was taken into custody on Tuesday and arraigned before District Judge Aaron Biichle on charges of terroristic threats, false imprisonment, recklessly endangering, burglary, simple assault, felony trespassing and criminal mischief. He was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $95,000 bail.
Four charged with shoplifting in separate cases
Anna Keesing, 43, of 719 Third Ave., has been charged with felony shoplifting after stealing an estimated $133 worth of merchandise from the Weis Market, 1916 Lycoming Creek Road, between late December and early February, Lycoming Regional police alleged in court papers. This was her third shoplifting arrest, police said. Following her recent arraignment before District Judge William Solomon, Keesing was released on $15,000 bail.
At the same store, Dhakwan Kelly, 31, of 1555 1/2 Scott St., has been charged with misdemeanor shoplifting for taking $213 worth of merchandise from the supermarket between late November and mid-January, Lycoming Regional police alleged in court papers. He has waived his preliminary hearing before Solomon and is free on $5,000 bail.
In another case, Karen Denise Morton, 58, of Cookie Drive, Muncy, has been charged with felony shoplifting after stealing $132 worth of merchandise from the Weis Market at 1272 E. Penn St. in Muncy Creek Township between mid-December and early March, state police alleged. She already has five shoplifting convictions, police said. Following her arraignment before District Judge Denise Dieter, Morton was released on $25,000 bail.
In another case, Jonathan Tindell, 46, 1047 Level Coroners Road, Linden, has been charged with felony shoplifting after he stole $13 worth of merchandise from Wegmans, 201 William St., on March 28, city police allege. This was his third shoplifting arrest, police added. Following his arraignment before District Judge Christian Frey, Tindell was released on $5,000 bail.
Four charged in separate drug cases
Sometime between late 2022 and early last year, convicted drug dealer Kadeen Crawford, also known as "Q" and "Run," communicated with an informant, telling them that he just got out of state prison and that he was "starting up" his drug operation again, according to court records filed by the county's Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU). Crawford, 35, of Philadelphia, had been known for operating "a high-volume illegal drug enterprise” that involved selling fentanyl, crack, cocaine and methamphetamine. In early March 2023, Crawford sold crack cocaine to the informant at their home in the city, it was alleged in an affidavit. Immediately after the sale, Crawford got in a red Explorer and sped away at a high rate of speed based on surveillance video provided to investigators.
Believing he had been set up, an enraged Crawford communicated with the informant and allegedly threatened them for cooperating with police, the affidavit stated. Investigators allege that Crawford returned to the informant's home two days later and attempted to break into the property by "crashing into the door" in the middle of the night. The narcotics unit has now charged Crawford with several felonies, including delivery of a controlled substance, intimidation of a witness, retaliation against a witness, attempted burglary, trespassing, illegal use of a cell phone plus loitering and prowling, a misdemeanor. Crawford was held for court on all charges following a preliminary hearing before District Judge Aaron Biichle and remains jailed in the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.
In another case, Harry Thomas Bell, 41, of 450 Center St., apartment 402, faces a new set of offenses following an incident that took place on March 4 when he suffered from an apparent drug overdose at Walnut Street and Memorial Avenue while he was out of supervised bail on felony charges of unlawful contact with a minor, according to a city police affidavit. Called to the intersection for an unresponsive male, officers found Bell "going in and out of consciousness" as he clutched three bags of suspected heroin in his left hand, court records stated. Bell allegedly resisted as officers seized another six bags of heroin that were in his pants pocket. Four officers were needed to restrain him and one of them had to deploy his taser, it was stated in an affidavit. He was taken to UPMC Williamsport and released from police custody. Shortly after being discharged from the hospital, Bell cut off his ankle monitor that he had been wearing as part of his supervised bail condition, the affidavit stated. Bell was arraigned Wednesday before Biichle on charges stemming from the incident early last month, including resisting arrest, possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal mischief (for cutting off his monitor) and public drunkenness. He was jailed in lieu of $5,000 bail.
In another case, it was just before 1 p.m. on Feb. 13 when accused drug dealer Glenn J. Johns stepped out of a bank in the 100 block of West Fourth Street and saw police officers getting out of a vehicle and starting to approach him, according to a city police affidavit. Knowing there were warrants for his arrest, Johns, 42, of 1129 Baldwin St., took off running, but the officers caught up with him about a block away and took him into custody on a NEU warrant as well as a state police charge of DUI. At the time of his apprehension, Johns had on him 6.64 grams of suspected crack cocaine, police said. Johns has since been arraigned on city police felony charges of flight to avoid apprehension and delivery of controlled substance, and recommitted in lieu of $85,000 bail.
In another case, Randy Wilson, 30, of Pittsburgh, has been charged by the NEU with two counts of delivery of a controlled substance for his alleged involvement in selling cocaine twice; once to an informant and once to an undercover officer on Sept. 28, according to an affidavit. Both sales took place in the city, investigators said. Following his arraignment, Wilson was jailed in lieu of $75,000 bail.