Charges in Bradford child abuse case bound to court

A Bradford pair accused of physically abusing three children had charges against them bound to McKean County Court on Wednesday.

A preliminary hearing for Joseph G.P. Smith Jr., 43, and Jaimie L. Case, 32, was held Wednesday before District Judge Dominic Cercone.

Smith and Case are each charged with two counts of strangulation, second-degree felonies; endangering the welfare of children, a third-degree felony; and several misdemeanor charges of simple assault.

According to the criminal complaint, over a period of a year, Smith and Case punched, kicked, hit, strangled and stomped on the children, ages 10 to 13. Two of the children believed they would be killed before the age of 16 due to the abuse.

One of the children told police she was choked on multiple occasions until she passed out, and another one related that if he fell to the floor during the abuse, Case would “stomp on his head when he tried to get up,” the complaint stated.

Each remains in McKean County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Access device fraud case against Bradford man bound to court

A Bradford man accused of using someone else’s debit card had charges against him bound to court at a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Dominic Cercone.

Daniel J. Colella, 34, is charged with access device fraud, a third-degree felony; theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, first degree misdemeanors.

According to the criminal complaint, Colella took someone else’s debit card and took all of her money without permission. He allegedly obtained $930.25 from the account and overcharged the account for $21.75, bringing the total amount of money taken without the victim’s permission to $952, the complaint stated.

Colella is free on unsecured bail.

St. Marys man accused of lying to troopers

A St. Marys man is accused of providing a false name to state troopers who were talking to him while he was wanted on a bench warrant.

Ronald Feldbauer, 54, was arraigned Monday before District Judge David Engman on charges of identity theft, a first-degree misdemeanor; false report-falsely incriminating another and false swearing-mislead public servant, second-degree misdemeanors; false identification to law enforcement officer, a third-degree felony; and summary charges of driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked, driving while license is suspended/revoked related to DUI, driving without a license and driving an unregistered vehicle.

According to Lewis Run-based state police, at 9:38 a.m. Monday, troopers were trying to find “a person disabled in a vehicle off of Forest Road” in Lafayette Township.

When they found the person — Feldbauer — he provided a relative’s name and date of birth as his own, police stated. Upon investigation, police discovered he had an outstanding bench warrant, too.

Bail in the new case is set at $10,000 unsecured.

Court records indicate a bench warrant was issued in October for Feldbauer related to a pending DUI-controlled substance case in Dauphin County. Additionally, he is scheduled to appear March 17 in Elk County for a preliminary hearing in a third case, in which he faces charges including flight to avoid apprehension and DUI-controlled substance.