HOLLIDAYSBURG Criminal charges against a Claysburg teenager accused of rape, sexual assault, child pornography and other offenses involving a 12-year-old gi
Lawrence Francis, one of the leaders of a heroin ring that operated in Blair County nearly six years ago, has lost an appeal in which he argued his guilty pleas
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An Altoona man received a new chance at life this week when a Blair County judge reduced his prison sentence for a 2015 robbery from a minimum of 15 years to three years.
But, before being resentenced Thursday, Nicholas Todd Kruge, 32, said he wanted to apologize to the robbery victims.
“I never had the opportunity to publicly apologize, at least as publicly as I can, for all the pain and hurt I caused,” Kruge told Blair County Common Pleas Court Judge Timothy M. Sullivan.
“I hope the victims,” who were not in the courtroom but were represented by Blair County Assistant District Attorney Derek Elensky, “don’t have to remember that day,” he said, but he realized that may not be the case.
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Blair County Judge Jackie A. Bernard has rejected a post-conviction petition by an Altoona man who claimed he was unaware that he would receive a 12-year minimum sentence for drug offenses including drug delivery resulting in death when he pleaded guilty 28 months ago.
The defendant, Alexsi Serpas Lopez, 40, was sentenced by Bernard to a term of 12 to 30 years in a state correctional institution, but Lopez claimed he was under the impression when he entered his guilty pleas that his minimum sentence would be 10 years.
He argued he was unaware of the 12-year minimum because his trial attorney had not informed him that the prosecution had taken the 10-year minimum off the table because he failed to accept the plea offer by April 30, 2018.
kstephens@altoonamirror.com
HOLLIDAYSBURG A Blair County judge said Friday that he is reinstating appeal rights for a Johnstown man who wants to challenge his convictions associated with running a drug-trafficking organization.
Judge Daniel J. Milliron said Friday that an order rendered in April was intended only to deny Damon “Fat Cat” Devine’s request for reconsideration of his 21.5- to 43-year sentence. It was not his intention, Milliron said, for that order to be viewed as a denial of Devine’s post conviction appellate rights.
“He’s entitled to that first appeal,” Milliron said Friday when addressing the matter.