The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

October 9, 2008

Accused BB gun robber headed for date in court

By Courtney Anderson

SHARON — One of two men charged with robbing a Sharon man with a BB gun Sept. 24 is headed to Mercer County Common Pleas Court.

At a preliminary hearing Thursday before Senior District Judge Henry Russo in Sharon, charges of robbery and criminal conspiracy against Dustin L. Morrow, 20, of Sharon, were held to court.

Morrow is accused of pointing a BB gun at Richard Swope, 43, of Sharon in the 500 block of New Castle Avenue while he and William T. Johnson II went through Swope’s pockets and took $60 and cigarettes.

A preliminary hearing for Johnson, 20, of Farrell, was continued Thursday to Oct. 21 so he could get a public defender.

Swope testified he was robbed after a man got out of a parked car and pointed what looked like a rifle at him. Swope said the man with a gun went through Swope’s pockets and another man slapped a cigarette out of Swope’s mouth and spit at him.

Neither man said anything to Swope or to each other during the incident, Swope said. He said he couldn’t identify either man because it was dark and they were wearing hoods pulled over their faces but he pointed out the car they were in to police.

Police found Morrow inside a house in the 500 block of New Castle shortly after the robbery, Sharon police Sgt. James Masotto said.

Morrow initially gave police several false names and then told police he had pointed the gun at Swope and grabbed his cigarettes, Masotto said.

At first Morrow claimed to have been the only person involved but then said Johnson stole Swope’s money, Masotto said.

Morrow had been released on personal recognizance bond, but Russo said his father had asked that it be revoked, which it was.

After the hearing Morrow was returned to Mercer County Jail on $10,000 bond. Russo denied a request by Morrow’s public defender Charles Gilchrest to reduce his bond.

Johnson is free on bond.

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