SUNBURY - A Selinsgrove man is scheduled to go to trial eight years after being charged in an armed robbery at the Paxinos residence of a disabled individual.
Erik Jamel Harrington, 23, will face a jury Aug. 1 before Northumberland County President Judge Robert B. Sacavage. Jury selection is scheduled for July 15 and a pre-trial conference will be held July 12.
Harrington, who remains free on bail, was scheduled for a hearing to suppress evidence late Monday morning before Judge William H. Wiest, but the legal proceeding was continued until 2:45 p.m. July 8 at the request of his attorney Peter Campana of Williamsport. The defense lawyer wanted Sacavage to rule on his motion since he had handled a previous request to suppress evidence in the case. Sacavage is currently on vacation, but will return to the bench Monday.
After arguments by Campana and Assistant District Attorney Michael Toomey over whether prosecutors violated Rule 600 that requires defendants to be brought to trial within 365 days after they are charged, and whether a search warrant was legally signed, the court ruled the case should proceed to trial.
Defendant fled
The defendant is charged by Trooper Ronald Zanella of state police at Stonington with multiple offenses in connection with the July 16, 2005, armed robbery at the residence of 55-year-old James Honecker, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and is confined to a wheelchair.
A criminal complaint was filed against Harrington on March 4, 2010, but the defendant reportedly fled to North Carolina, where authorities said he has relatives. He was taken into custody April 29, 2011, by authorities in North Carolina and was arraigned May 17, 2011, by Magisterial District Judge John Gembic III on felony offenses of robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, theft, criminal conspiracy to commit robbery, criminal conspiracy to commit burglary, aiding the consummation of a crime and simple assault.
After his extradition to Pennsylvania, he was incarcerated in prisons in Snyder and Northumberland counties. But his bail was reduced by Wiest from $100,000 cash to $50,000 cash at a hearing May 24, 2012. The commonwealth opposed the reduction, but it was still granted, and Harrington was able to hire a bondsman to post the bail. He was released from Northumberland County Prison on Oct. 9.
Campana previously argued that police and prosecutors did not exhibit due diligence in their efforts to locate Harrington after he left the state, while Toomey disagreed. The assistant district attorney said Harrington's decision to flee the state implies guilt.
Honecker remains disgusted and frustrated that Harrington is free and hasn't been brought to trial yet.
Theft, damage
Police said Harrington, Kasey A. Sees, 26, formerly of Sunbury, and two other assailants are accused of entering Honecker's home at 1:30 a.m. July 16, 2005, and holding him at gunpoint in his living room while threatening to kill him.
Police said the robbers demanded money, ransacked the home and removed 12 rifles and shotguns, knives, ammunition, cash, jewelry, an amplifier and prescription narcotics with a total value of $5,590. Police said the robbers also caused approximately $300 in damage by pulling telephone cords from the wall and damaging two televisions.
Sees was charged by state police at Stonington on Aug. 15, 2006, and eventually pleaded guilty to felony charges of burglary and robbery. He was sentenced to 3 1/3 to 6 2/3 years in state prison and ordered to pay $300 in fines plus costs, make $4,000 restitution to Honecker and approximately $8,800 restitution to Honecker's insurance company.
Sees has since completed his state prison sentence and is free, and Honecker said he's received a few hundred dollars in restitution.
The other two assailants Honecker claims were involved in the robbery were never located or charged, police said.