CLEARFIELD – A Woodland man charged with robbery in one case and burglary in another, pleaded guilty Monday during sentencing court.
Clayton Thomas Brown, 19, was charged in connection to two separate incidents, one in Lawrence Township in February of 2020 and another in Clearfield Borough in June of 2020.
The affidavit in the burglary case details how police were given a tip that Brown, Mason Ryan Warren, 19, of Clearfield and Alexander Robert Frantz, 19, of Clearfield were going to enter a residence on Woodland Road in Clearfield Borough while the occupants were out of state and steal firearms.
Officers began surveillance of the residence where they noted a motion sensor light come on showing three males near the home.
They went to the front of the building and then to the side. After this, officers saw a light go on inside the residence. Next, the rear door was opened from inside.
Two of the men walked away then came back. As officers closed in on the residence, Frantz came out of the home. He turned and went back in after being told to show his hands.
Frantz exited the building through an open window, which is how he had made entry. He and the others were taken into custody.
On Monday Brown pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced by Judge Paul Cherry to serve six months to one year in jail plus two years consecutive probation.
Frantz pleaded guilty at the magistrate level to misdemeanor possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and summary criminal mischief in April.
Warren is facing several felony charges including firearm offenses. He has also signed a plea agreement but has not yet been scheduled for sentencing.
According to the affidavit in the robbery case, a man reported that after he dropped his friend off at the turn around on Bud George Road in Lawrence Township, he was jumped and beaten by a large group of people.
When an officer arrived, he found the man lying to the right side of the roadway. He was visibly injured, wet, dirty and without shoes. He was limping and confirmed he had been jumped by up to 15 people who had been lying there to wait for him. They took his wallet and shoes.
Following the assault and robbery, the people fled into the adjoining woods and field.
The original caller told police that the victim was there to meet a girl who had sent him a message online. He explained that after he and his girlfriend, who was driving, left the victim off, he was attacked.
They fled the scene while another vehicle on the scene hit the side of their car.
Police contacted the woman who was supposed to have met the victim and she reported that Brown had borrowed her phone to set up the meeting. She was also able to provide information on a juvenile also suspected of being involved.
When questioned, the juvenile told investigators that the victim had “ripped him off” and Brown told him they should meet the victim somewhere to get his money back. Brown then used the female’s phone to set up the meeting.
The juvenile said that Brown wanted to “bring in more people” in case the victim tried to hurt them.
In his interview with police, Brown claimed that he and the juvenile worked together to set up the meeting including having the second vehicle there. He also stated that when the victim arrived the juvenile struck him and when the victim tried to get away, other juveniles struck him with weapons including a metal pipe.
They emptied his pockets before they all ran to a waiting vehicle and went home.
In this case, Brown pleaded guilty to lesser misdemeanor charges of theft by unlawful taking, criminal conspiracy/theft, simple assault and conspiracy/simple assault.
Cherry gave him 18 months probation, which will follow his other sentence.
In a third case, he pleaded guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was fined $100 plus costs.