DUI
MOUNT CARMEL - Joseph Victor Kolasa, 40, of 461 Tamarack Road, Renovo, was charged with a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence and summary counts of accidents to unattended property, reckless driving, careless driving and driving with a licenses suspended for a previous DUI by Mount Carmel Township Patrolman Keith Tamborelli after he allegedly struck a guard rail on Route 54 near Natalie in the early morning hours of Oct. 10.
Tamborelli said an EMS unit from Schuylkill County found Kolasa sitting in his vehicle with the lights on in the parking lot of Superior Oil. Kolasa refused treatment and EMS contacted police.
When Tamborelli pulled up, Kolasa exited his vehicle and began walking in front of it. Kolasa appeared intoxicated but refused a field sobriety test and a blood test. Several open containers were in the vehicle and one was in the cup holder.
Kolasa told Tamborelli he had not been driving but Tamborelli found keys to the vehicle in the area where Kolasa had been walking in front of the car.
Kolasa said he didn't remember any guard rails and his car had a tire blow out. Tamborelli said debris from Kolasa's vehicle was all over the roadway in the location where the accident occurred.
DUI
MOUNT CARMEL - Alexia Lauren Wheary, 19, of 1529 Pulaski Ave., Coal Township, was charged with a misdemeanor count of DUI and summary offenses of failing to yield for an emergency vehicle, trespass by motor vehicle, careless driving and underage drinking by Mount Carmel Township Patrolman Keith Tamborelli after the officer said he found her driving while intoxicated on a logging road posted with no trespassing signs near Brennan's Farm Road around 2 a.m. on Oct. 12.
Tamborelli said Wheary attempted to flee in her vehicle after he activated his emergency lights and signals. Other police joined in the pursuit and used their vehicles to box her in. She was taken to the Shamokin Police Station where she failed field sobriety tests. Her mother came to pick her up, police said.
Theft, criminal conspiracy
MOUNT CARMEL - Brian William Wolfe, 32, of 837 Chestnut St., Apt. 3, Kulpmont, and David J. Swatski Jr., 32, of 126 S. Main St., Herndon, were each charged with misdemeanor counts of criminal conspiracy, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property and a summary offense of criminal trespass by Mount Carmel Township Patrolman Matthew Filarski for allegedly stealing metal from Mallard Contracting Company Inc. at around 11 a.m. Jan 5.
Filarski said an employee of Mallard Contracting Co. witnessed a dark-colored Subaru on the property with two males loading metal into their vehicle. A receipt from Jeff's Recycling showed Wolfe had sold 600 pounds of steel for $63 on Jan. 8. Wolfe also owned a black Subaru matching the employee's description, police said.
Filarski said Wolfe admitted to stealing the metal and taking it to Jeff's Recycling Center and identified Swatski as his co-conspirator.
Swatski denied involvement but was identified by an employee at Jeff's Recycling Center as being in the vehicle during the sale of the metal and was shown standing at the sale window on surveillance footage.
Wolfe was also charged with trespass by motor vehicle for driving the car on land posted with no trespassing signs. The metal taken was valued at $1,435.20.
Bad checks
MOUNT CARMEL - Jessica Lynn Kemper, 44, of 331 E. Third St., Mount Carmel, was charged with a misdemeanor count of writing bad checks by Mount Carmel Township Police Chief Brian Hollenbush for allegedly writing a check to Mostik Disposal for $275 on June 3 without enough funds in her account.
Hollenbush said he became involved with the incident after Kemper failed to complete the District Attorney's Advent Bad Check Program and has not contributed any money toward the deficit.
DUI, drug paraphernalia
MOUNT CARMEL - Tyler Abraham Heitzman, 29, 680 Hebe Bypass Road, Herndon, was charged by Mount Carmel Township Patrolman Matthew Filarski with two counts of driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended license, failure to obey traffic signals and violating the open container law for an incident that occurred at around 3 a.m. Dec. 21 in Locust Summit.
Filarski said Heitzman failed to stop for a red light on Route 901. Police said Heitzman smelled of alcohol and failed multiple field sobriety tests. An open bottle of Woodchuck hard cider and a multi-color glass smoking device were inside the vehicle.
A blood test revealed a blood alcohol concentration of .127 percent.
Underage drinking
SHAMOKIN - Michael Shinskie, 20, of 720 N. Franklin St., Shamokin, was charged with disorderly conduct and underage drinking after he allegedly disturbed the neighborhood and threw a snowball at a neighbor's door at around 6:30 a.m. Monday.
Police said Shinskie admitted to consuming alcohol.