Assault and firearm charges among those charged before Lycoming County circuit judges

Two men arrested over family disputes

Despite being told by state police and relatives that he was banned from coming to the family home at 1414 E. Third St., Jesse Ethan Williams arrived at the apartment around 9:30 a.m. Friday and spent much of the day arguing with his mother about their past, how the statement said. According to the police, he did not want to leave the property. Multiple officers responded to the scene around 3:30 p.m. after Williams, a 22-year-old homeless man, threatened family members with a knife, a court document said. Although his mother managed to escape safely from the apartment when police arrived, his aunt was still inside, the statement said. Williams was taken into custody without incident and arraigned before District Judge Aaron Biichle on three counts each of terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment, and one count of trespassing. Instead of posting $50,000 bail, he was jailed.

In another incident, a domestic disturbance at his Muncy Township home Saturday afternoon sent Timothy Michael Eck, 39, of 867 Lycoming Mall Road, to county jail on charges that he twice tried to strangle his wife, state police say. When troopers arrived on the scene around 1:30 p.m., Eck told them “I got into an argument with my wife. I knocked her to the ground.” the statement said. When his daughter started beating him, Eck “he knocked her to the ground” he also told the police. “It all started when my daughter asked me to make French toast.” Eck told them. Police say Eck first tried to strangle his wife in the kitchen and then again outside as she and the couple’s children tried to escape in the van, the affidavit said. When Eck grabbed a woman by the throat outside, “applied pressure for 30 seconds” this was alleged in the court document. Following his arrest, Eck was brought before Biichle on one count of strangulation and two counts of simple assault and harassment. He was initially jailed but was released on $50,000 bail.

State police are charging a Columbia County man with assault

Eric Steven Barto, 38, of Benton, was charged with simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment after punching another man in the face during a disturbance at Hull’s Landing, 27 Route 442, Muncy, on July 19, state police say. The victim suffered “bruised left eye, bruised nose and knocked out tooth” the court document stated. Barto waived his preliminary hearing before District Judge Kirsten Gardner and is free on $5,000 bail.

Three defendants in separate drug cases

Jaqua Strickland, 23, of 837 High St., was charged by the county Drug Enforcement Administration with delivery of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a cell phone after selling an undisclosed amount of ecstasy to an informant at Third and Park avenues in the city on June 10, as alleged in the statement. After his arraignment, Biichle was released on $50,000 bail.

In another NEU case, Jaziah Strickland, 25, a parolee of 951 Park Ave., apartment 3, was charged with possession of a controlled substance (buprenorphine) after he was arrested by parole agents in connection with another undisclosed criminal case in 300 Court records show the incident occurred in the block of Memorial Avenue on April 18. At the time of his arrest and subsequent incarceration at the county jail, Strickland had a cell phone on him, which investigators seized and presented as evidence. A search warrant was obtained over the phone, the affidavit said. Investigators said there were three buprenorphine patches inside the phone case that Strickland was not prescribed. Strickland, who was brought before Biichle, was released on $5,000 bail in the case, but remains in jail due to state parole issues.

In another case, Jessie Lee Cecil, 36, of Fire Lake, Michigan, was charged with delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy stemming from a drug investigation that began when he conspired with another man to sell seven grams methamphetamine to an informant on Maplewood Lane in Mifflin Township on June 22, 2023, a state police affidavit said. Police said that during the execution of a search warrant on Aug. 3, 2023, an estimated 1.3 grams of methamphetamine was discovered at the same Cecil property. Recently arraigned before U.S. District Judge Denise Dieter, Cecil has since waived his preliminary hearing and is currently free on $85,000 bail.

Firearms charges against city criminal

Convicted felon John Kyle Smith, 29, of 816 Park Ave., is back behind bars after county drug enforcement detectives found a handgun with a defaced serial number under a pillow in his bedroom while executing a search warrant at his home 1 October According to the statement, 9. Smith, who has multiple felony convictions in Florida, was arraigned before Gardner on felony charges of not possessing a firearm and possessing a firearm with an altered or obliterated serial number and remains in jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

New charges brought against two men

Jamair Lewis, 18, of 109 Broad St., Montgomery, formerly of the 600 block of Campbell Street, and Damier Sams-Glover, 21, 331 Center St., apartment 2, both were arrested May 9 for trespassing, according to Muncy Township police, an abandoned house in the city now faces additional charges of shoplifting, receiving stolen property and conspiracy. The new charges stem from Lewis and Sams-Glover stealing $322 worth of merchandise from Target, 170 S. Lycoming Mall Drive, hours before their arrest in the city, police said. Shortly after the arrest of both men, police recovered most of the stolen goods. A 17-year-old boy was also involved in both cases, but police are not allowed to release his name because he was charged as a minor. At Gardner’s recent preliminary hearing, both Lewis and Sams-Glover were remanded in custody on the charges against police and are free on bail.

County Jail inmate faces new charges

Inmate Kenneth Hockenberry, booked into the Lycoming County Jail on charges of trespassing on two neighbors’ property, faces a new set of crimes stemming from breaking into another neighbor’s home, according to state police. Jailed on preliminary charges on Oct. 7, Hockenberry, 65, of 2381 Route 405, Lot 83, Muncy, was arraigned last week before Biichle on charges of burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, criminal trespass and misdemeanors, criminal trespass, defiant trespassing and loitering. Police say he broke into the victim’s home and stole food, clothing and laundry supplies worth an estimated $1,700. After being arraigned on the new charges, Hockenberry was released again on an additional $25,000 bail.

McKean County father arrested on suspicion of assaulting daughter

Isaac Hilyer, 27, of Eldred, McKean County, was charged with felony endangering the welfare of a child, simple assault and harassment in connection with causing facial injuries to his 5-year-old daughter at a relative’s home on Route 220 in Muncy Township on July 6, city police said in affidavit. Hilyer grabbed the girl “by her face, squeezed her tightly and with all his might pushed her head onto the bed, causing her pain and bruising.” this was alleged in the court document. According to the police, the girl was taken to hospital due to her injuries. When investigators questioned him about his daughter’s injuries, Hilyer recalled that he had been with the children at a relative’s house that day and that he had put his daughter to bed, but had not done so. “do you remember the time when she was angry to the point that he would do something like that?” – wrote in the statement. Investigators say Hilyer confessed to it “drinking beer ‘pretty decent'” and that he was “pretty drunk” that day, police said. Hilyer said yes “he got drunk a lot in front of his kids and he knew it was a problem.” police said in a court document. After his arraignment before Gardner, Hilyer was released on $50,000 bail.