A Ford City man charged with multiple thefts at the beginning of April 2016 – including a sport utility vehicle – was sentenced at the Armstrong County Courthouse yesterday.
John Hadden, of Ford City, served nearly 11 months in the Armstrong County Jail after stealing multiple items this past April. (Armstrong County Jail inmate photo)
20-year-old John Hadden was arrested April 1 by Pennsylvania State Police troopers in Kittanning (East Franklin Township) and charged with more than a dozen crimes – including more than a half-dozen felony offenses for theft and receiving stolen property in Gilpin and Bethel Townships.
According to court records, Hadden plead guilty to one of the offenses – felony criminal trespass – in December, waiving the need for a jury trial.
Thursday morning, Court of Common Pleas Judge James Panchik sentenced Hadden to serve nearly a year to three years in the Armstrong County Jail. However, Hadden was credited for already being incarcerated for 311 days and was paroled. Armstrong County Jail’s inmate record anticipated his release yesterday.
Hadden was additionally sentenced to perform 50 hours of community service, undergo treatment at ARC Manor and refrain from entering an establishment selling alcoholic beverages, as well as applicable court costs.
Police did recover the stolen items the morning after the thefts along Logansport Road and Dime Road in Bethel Township.
In a separate marijuana and drug paraphernalia incident Hadden was arrested for, Hadden plead guilty to three of the misdemeanor crimes in open court and was sentenced to two years of probation for resisting arrest – a sentence to be served concurrently with the confinement sentence.
Hadden was originally confined to the Armstrong County Jail on $50,000 bond by District Magisterial Judge James Andring before it was reduced and transferred to the Armstrong County Court of Common Pleas once Hadden waived his preliminary hearing.