Portville, N.Y., man waives hearing for Pa. robbery charges
A Portville, N.Y., man waived a preliminary hearing Wednesday for Pennsylvania charges related to an alleged two-day crime spree in Pennsylvania and New York.
Chase H. Lotter, 28, of Portville, appeared for the hearing Wednesday at the office of District Judge Richard Luther, where he waived the hearing.
Lotter is charged with three counts of robbery, two first-degree felonies and a third-degree felony; terroristic threats and theft by unlawful taking, both first-degree misdemeanors; recklessly endangering another person, a second-degree misdemeanor; and loitering and prowling at night time, a third-degree misdemeanor.
In Pennsylvania, Lotter is accused of robbing the Kwik Fill in Bradford Township on July 31.
Lotter is currently serving a 10-year sentence in New York state prison for numerous crimes. He had been charged for crimes that occured between July 22 and July 30 in Allegany County, N.Y., including two robberies and multiple burglaries and thefts.
The McKean County allegations happened the next day, on July 31, while Lotter was on the lam for the Allegany County crimes.
According to the criminal complaint, at 10:14 p.m. July 31, the McKean County 911 Center dispatched Bradford Township police to the Kwik Fill at 713 South Ave. for a report of a robbery involving a knife.
The store attendant told police that Lotter arrived at the store on foot, walking from the south. Inside, the attendant went to process the sale of a Red Bull energy drink that Lotter had taken from the cooler, when Lotter told him to give him all the money in the cash register, according to the complaint.
The employee refused at first, but Lotter told him his daughter was being held at gunpoint and would be shot if he didn’t give Lotter the money, the complaint indicated. Lotter also allegedly threatened to stab the employee, brandishing what appeared to be a small kitchen knife with a wooden handle.
When the employee continued to refuse, Lotter walked around the counter, noticed the key in the register, pushed the employee out of the way and took money, stealing an estimated $332.62, the complaint stated. He fled the store, heading south.
Lotter was arrested Aug. 1 in the Rochester, N.Y., area.
He remains incarcerated in lieu of $150,000 bail on the McKean County charges.
Firearm charges against Bradford woman bound to court
Firearm charges against a Bradford woman were bound to McKean County Court Wednesday at a hearing before District Judge Richard Luther.
Elizabeth A. Tucker, 38, is charged with two counts each of materially false written statement-purchase/delivery/transfer of firearm, third-degree felonies; and statement under penalty, third-degree misdemeanors.
According to court records, on Nov. 25, Tucker filled out forms at a store in an attempt to purchase a firearm. She indicated she had never been charged with a felony, when she had been arraigned on a third-degree felony charge for food stamp fraud.
Tucker remains free on $15,000 unsecured bail.
