CLEARFIELD – Two people allegedly involved in a robbery that was an attempt to recover naked photos were in Clearfield County Court Monday.
Michael Jerome Irby Jr., 26, Altoona, is facing felony counts of criminal conspiracy/burglary, burglary, conspiracy/robbery, robbery, conspiracy/theft, theft by unlawful taking and misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
Sara Ann Wolfe, 24, Altoona, is charged with felony counts of criminal conspiracy/burglary, conspiracy/robbery and conspiracy/theft. They are both inmates of the county jail and were scheduled for sentencing court Monday.
The charges stem from an incident in Mahaffey in June when Irby allegedly forced his way into the victim’s home and threatened to kill him if he didn’t turn over his computer, phone and camera that had photos of Irby’s girlfriend, Wolfe.
The plea agreements in each case were for a six-month minimum sentence.
The victim addressed the court, stating that Irby put a gun in his face and told him he was going to die in his home. Because of this incident, he said he has barricaded his home and keeps a gun near his bed.
The victim stated he didn’t understand why it “had to come to this.” Wolfe had called him, he explained, asking for the photos while he was in Cleveland and unable to retrieve them. He told her he would give them to her when he returned to his home in a few days.
When President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman asked the victim if the plea had been discussed with him, the victim said it was explained to him that some of his statements were causing problems with the case. Initially he had misidentified the man who entered his home, but was able to pick Irby out of a photo lineup, he said.
After a discussion with the defense attorneys, Ammerman rejected both pleas. The cases will be added to the trial list.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, the victim told police he is a photographer who has his own magazine and does numerous photo shoots across the country. In May he did a photo session with Wolfe, and he had taken photos of her on other occasions. Previously she appeared on both the front and back cover of the magazine.
Before he took any photos, he said she signed a model release form and after they were finished, he said she was pleased with the photos that included a few nude shots.
The victim explained to police that he had known her for about five years and she was working for him doing marketing. During the time, he’s known her she told him that her boyfriend, Irby, had been very abusive. At the photo shoot, she told him she had broken up with Mike and the photos had given her back her confidence.
A witness told police that Wolfe had admitted to her that she had driven Irby to the victim’s home and was in the car while Irby went into the home with a BB gun.
Irby allegedly took a portable hard drive, a cell phone, camera and laptop computer from the victim. The information on the hard drive included numerous other photos and information on the victim’s business. It was valued at more than $20,000.
