SMETHPORT — A 19-year-old Bradford man facing federal drug charges pleaded guilty Thursday in McKean County Court to drug charges as well.
Ryan Buterbaugh, 19, entered guilty pleas to three counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and dealing in the proceeds of an unlawful act.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer said that during the time span of April 29 to May 24, while Buterbaugh was under surveillance, he delivered crack cocaine three times, and conspired with a confidential informant of the McKean County Drug Task Force to sell crack cocaine for money.
He will be sentenced April 13. He is facing federal charges for dealing drugs as well. His next court appearance in the federal case is March 28 in U.S. District Court in Buffalo, N.Y.
Also on Thursday, Johnathon Johnson, 29, of Bradford, pleaded guilty to simple assault by physical menace and terroristic threats.
Shaffer said on Sept. 20, in Bradford, Johnson attempted to scare several juveniles on a school bus by threatening them with violence. Johnson told the court that his friend’s kindergarten-age daughter was being bullied on the bus because her mother is a little person. “I was fed up,” Johnson said.
He will be sentenced March 30.
Harley Blue Sellers, 39, of Bradford, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver for an incident Sept. 26 when he possessed and delivered four Adderall pills and one Suboxone strip, according to Shaffer. Sellers will be sentenced March 30.
Gary Tarbox, 34, of Port Allegany, entered guilty pleas to several charges, and talked himself into a longer jail sentence.
He pleaded guilty to resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. Assistant District Attorney Ashley Shade explained that on Jan. 26, he was at the laundromat in Port Allegany, intoxicated and trying to sleep on the floor. When officers approached him, he kicked at them and struggled. While at the police station, he kicked a printer, causing it to break.
His attorney, public defender Doug Garber, asked if he could be sentenced that day because he wanted to transfer to a rehabilitation facility. President Judge John Pavlock explained the earliest he could schedule him to be sentenced was next week, and explained there are steps that need to be followed between when a plea is accepted and when a person is sentenced.
As Tarbox turned to walk away, he made a comment, “this court is so f—– up.”
The judge heard him, and called him back to the bench. And changed his sentencing date to March 30, as it originally would have been.
Gregory Benavidez Jr., 23,of Bradford, pleaded guilty to charges of statutory sexual assault in one case, and possession of drug paraphernalia in another.
Shade said between January and June of 2016, he had sexual contact with a female more than eight years younger than him. He will be sentenced March 16.
David Peterson, 47, of Kane, entered guilty pleas to disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. Barrett said that on Dec. 30, Peterson went to a Kane residence where he had been warned away from by police, and argued with a female at the residence.
He will be sentenced March 16.
Theodore Vancise, 18, of Eldred, entered a guilty plea to harassment. Shade said that on Oct. 27, Vancise sent a text message to his girlfriend, threatening to “beat in the head” of one of her friends.
Vancise will be sentenced March 30.
Derik Nelson, 18, of Bradford, entered a guilty plea to a charge of public intoxication. Assistant District Attorney Sean Barrett said on Dec. 2, in Hanley Park in Bradford, Nelson was under the influence of marijuana.
He will be sentenced April 6.
