SUNBURY - A man who falsely identified himself as his brother was back in court Monday morning on an emergency bench warrant.
Brian Dietrick, 44, of 7 S. 19th St., Ashland, was given a five-day purge order by Northumberland County President Judge William H. Wiest on a bench warrant related to a 2004 theft case.
Northumberland County Chief Probation Officer Jim Cortelyou said the order requires Dietrick, upon his release from prison, to pay $75 per month on fines and costs he owes the county. If Dietrick fails to comply with the order, he will be sent to prison for five days.
Dietrick, who has been in jail for a month, likely knew he was bound for prison when he was pulled over by Shenandoah police in late March. He had multiple outstanding warrants, including for felony drug charges.
But Dietrick identified himself as his 49-year-old brother, Lewis Dietrick, knowing his brother had a warrant for a lesser offense, according to multiple sources. Brian Dietrick was processed into three separate county prisons, was in custody of multiple law enforcement agencies, and appeared before a Northumberland County judge before the ruse was discovered last week.
When Lewis Dietrick learned his younger brother was locked up under the wrong name, he contacted Shenandoah police himself April 22, Northumberland County District Attorney Ann Targonski previously said. However, police didn't contact Northumberland County officials, she said.
But suspicion had already been raised among Northumberland County prison staff, who confirmed Dietrick's tattoos didn't match what was on record under his brother's file, Targonski said. A fingerprint scan affirmed what Dietrick was allegedly the first to know: that he was using a false identity.
Despite the age difference, photos of the brothers available to prison staff are very similar, according to Northumberland County Prison Warden Bruce Kovach.
"I know they're not twins, but they're really close (in appearance)," told a News-Item reporter Friday for a story that appeared in Saturday's edition.
The warden said he didn't believe any Northumberland County law enforcement or prison officials were negligent in performing their duties.
The warrant for Lewis Dietrick was for failing to show for a revocation hearing. He didn't pay court costs. That's the warrant Brian Dietrick was processed on. He was held at Schuylkill County Prison and picked up by Northumberland County officials March 25, when he was remanded to Snyder County Prison. Two days later, he was in Northumberland County Court before being transferred to the county prison section of SCI-Coal Township, where he remains.
Multiple charges stemming from the March traffic stop, including false identification and possession of drug paraphernalia, have been filed against Brian Dietrick in the office of Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah. Targonski said there are no plans to file additional charges in Northumberland County.