The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

February 19, 2007

Hermitage man, 19, pleads guilty to multiple drug and sex offenses

By Joe Pinchot

HERMITAGE — A Hermitage man charged in four cases with drug, weapon and sex offenses has pleaded guilty to charges in three of the cases.

Robert S. Benger, 19, of 305 Sunset Blvd., pleaded guilty Feb. 6 to these charges for the following incidents:

Possession of one Xanax pill. Benger was a passenger in a car stopped July 6 on Sample Road. Police saw white tablets and Benger said he had 11 Clonazepam, an anti-seizure medication, and one Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug. A charge of possession of a controlled substance for the Clonazepam was withdrawn.

Statutory sexual assault for having sex with a runaway 13-year-old girl July 10 at his home. Benger told police he thought the girl was 16, but a policeman said he had seen Benger with the girl several days before and told him she was 13.

Drunken driving–-first offense, possession of eight Xanax pills and driving under suspension. Police stopped Benger’s car Aug. 20 on North Buhl Farm Drive, knowing his license had been suspended. The policeman smelled alcohol and saw a Xanax tablet. A charge of possession of a prohibited offensive weapon for having a 100,000-volt stun gun was withdrawn.

As part of Benger’s plea agreement, prosecutors dropped charges of possession of Clonazepam and Flexeril, a muscle relaxant, and driving under suspension. On July 9, Benger walked up to a policeman in the 400 block of Orange Drive and said he had been in a fight. When the policeman asked if he had any illegal drugs on him, Benger showed him the pills, police said.

Text Only
Local News
  • Ominous clouds Storms rumble through parts of Mercer County

    Temperatures dropped nearly 20 degrees Sunday as storms rumbled through parts of Mercer County in the afternoon and again in the evening. Some areas experienced high gusting winds during the early storms. The later storms were less windy, but dumped a lot of rain in a short span in the Shenango Valley as well as outlying areas. Temperatures are forecast for in the 90s on Memorial Day, with a chance of storms in the afternoon. Check out Sunday's Herald both in print and here for more details.

     

     

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Board wants pay freeze


    Sharon City School District officials are asking staff to take a wage freeze for the second year in a row to help cover a $1.9 million gap in the 2012-2013 budget in the face of further funding cuts by the state.

    May 27, 2012

  • City taps Pa. grant for downtown facelift


    The colorful flower baskets hanging in downtown Sharon are just one of the planted seeds officials hope will help the once-bustling area grow.

    May 27, 2012

  • pension graphic Pension bomb ticking for city

    The city of Sharon pays more people who don’t work there anymore than folks who still do.

    And the amount of money the city must pay to the retirees is going up about $250,000 next year, a hike that creates more problems for the cash-strapped town, City Manager Scott Andrejchak said.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Church softball league to Mormons: You’re out!

    The Grove City Area Church Softball League’s decision to exclude a Mormon team from Slippery Rock has sparked a controversy far beyond the local sandlot.

    May 26, 2012

  • Fired bus driver files lawsuit

    A Mercer County woman fired from her job as a school bus driver over a 25-year-old drug conviction filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a state education official and Jamestown Area School District.

    May 26, 2012

  • Recycling program a bit too popular

    The  county’s effort at going green by encouraging recycling in rural areas has been a tremendous success by most accounts, but isn’t without a few glitches. In Wilmington Township, residents often only have a window of a few minutes to get cardboard recyclables in before the bin is full, prompting a discussion among Mercer County Commissioners Wednesday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • District will tap reserve fund

    Reynolds school directors plan to fill a $374,567 hole in the 2012-2013 budget with money from the district’s fund balance.

    May 25, 2012

  • School board mulls change to sports chaperone policy

    In order to comply with the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the Sharpsville Area School Board is looking to adjust a chaperone policy it implemented six months ago.

    May 25, 2012

  • Afternoon crash hurts 3 high school students

    Three Jamestown High School students were injured – one seriously – when their pickup left a roadway in southwest Crawford County and crashed into a tree Tuesday afternoon.

    May 24, 2012