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Clearfield man pleads guilty in five cases
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
A Clearfield man well known to the criminal justice system was before Clearfield County President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman yesterday after pleading guilty to five separate cases.
Michael J. Waugh, 32, currently incarcerated in Clearfield County Jail, pleaded guilty to the robbery of Kwik Fill on Race Street in Clearfield Oct. 4, 2011. He was ordered to serve eight to 16 years in the Western Diagnostic Classification Center, Pittsburgh.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Lawrence Township police were called to the Kwik Fill during the morning after the robbery. The manager told police that two employees were locking up for the night when an individual entered an unlocked door and put a knife to the employees' neck. He told them to open the safe and give him all the money. They responded that the safe was locked and no one could enter the safe. He then fled the building. Following a photo lineup, one employee positively identified Waugh as the man who entered the store that evening.
On a second case of criminal conspiracy/robbery, Waugh was ordered to serve a concurrent sentence of 3½ to seven years in the state correctional institution concurrent to the first case. According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Oct. 8, 2011, Lawrence Township police were called to the Rite Aid Pharmacy for an armed robbery. The employee in the store was pricing items when two white males came into the store wearing a sheeted material around their faces and heads. The one male held up a knife and told her to give them all the drugs. She told them she could not get into the pharmacy. They then told her to give them all the money in the register. One male followed her behind the counter and took all the large bills. They then fled in a silver vehicle.
On a third case of burglary, Waugh was ordered to serve one to two years in the Western Diagnostic Classification Center concurrent to the previous cases. According to the affidavit of probable cause, Lawrence Township police were called to the Guns R Us store for a reported burglary. Police found no one in the building but saw the outside door was broken and a glass display case used to store firearms was broken into. A .357 Rugar revolver was removed from the business as well as a Tarus 9mm stainless steel revolver that was recovered outside the broken door.
There was fresh blood on the interior floor of the business. A neighbor called 911 and stated he heard some rustling or footsteps outside. He went outside and stopped a vehicle on Flegal Road. He told police he recognized the passenger as being Waugh. He told the neighbor he had just gotten into a fight outside Quigley's Pub.
On a fourth case of receiving stolen property, Waugh was ordered to serve six months to two years in the Western Diagnostic Classification Center concurrent to all charges. According to the affidavit of probable cause, the Pennsylvania State Police charged Waugh with using a stolen credit card at the Kwik Fill, purchasing three boxes of cigarettes.
Finally, on a fifth case of defiant trespass, Waugh was placed on one-year probation. He was arrested by Lawrence Township police for an incident occurring Oct. 2, 2011, relative to a possible theft of money. He was told to leave the scene and refused to do so. Finally he was told by police to leave or he would be arrested. He told police to arrest him and they handcuffed him and placed him in the back the police car.
En route, Waugh attempted to kick out the window of the cruiser and tried to slip his cuffs to the front of his body.
Following a continuous struggle at the jail, he calmed down and complied with requests of prison officials.
Waugh's attorney asked the court for an appropriate maximum sentence. He said most people serve 85 percent of their sentence. He said if Waugh cannot be "fixed" in eight years, he won't ever be fixed.
Prior to sentencing, Waugh told the court he has been in and out of prison his whole life and has no excuse for what he did. He told the court he really tried this time while he was out. He said drugs are a reason not an excuse. He said he is sorry he hurt those people and repeatedly apologized. The court replied that he says that drugs are a disastrous consequence.
Waugh received a $1 fine on each case, is to refrain from the use of controlled substances and alcohol, not enter bars or places that serves alcohol, attend counseling as recommended by his probation officer, not enter Kwik Fill, Guns R Us and Rite Aid, have no contact with the victim or family, pay restitution and submit to DNA testing at a cost of $250.
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