Sometime during the early-morning hours of July 25, a break-in occurred at the impound lot at the state police barracks on Cherry Street in Montoursville, according to court records. Tracks were seen in the wet grass near a church on Walnut Street, and “a hole had been cut into the chain link fence” that surrounded the lot, it was stated in an affidavit.
Police have now charged three men each with a total of 18 felonies or misdemeanors for their alleged involvement in the crime, including Lance P. Gingery, whose red Ford pickup truck had been seized by law enforcement and taken to the lot on July 22 as part of drug investigation, court documents stated.
Besides Gingery, 34, of 392 Brentwood Drive, Cogan Station, police have also charged Richard Dale Hunley, 43, of Wellsboro, and John Martin Easton Jr., 47, of 8168 Pleasant Valley Road, Cogan Station. Court records stated that Easton admitted to investigators that on the morning of the break-in, he drove Gingery and Hunley to a church near the barracks, dropped them off and waited briefly at a nearby business until Gingery called him to tell him to come pick them up, police alleged. Easton said he “knew Gingery and Hunley were there with the intention to break into the impound lot and remove items from Gingery’s truck,” the affidavit stated.
It was determined that the burglary and subsequent removal of items occurred about 4 a.m., police said.
When he was picked up after the break-in, Gingery had “a green bag” as well as additional items with him, Easton told police, court documents stated.
Soon after the impound lot break-in was discovered, troopers saw that the dashboard under the steering wheel to the truck had been removed as had heating vent covers, police said, adding that the “green bag” troopers saw in the vehicle three days earlier was missing.
During the early-morning hours of July 22, two state troopers had stopped Gingery’s truck, but the location was not mentioned in court documents. Gingery was a passenger in the vehicle that was being driven by a woman, police said, adding that the troopers saw “indicators of criminal activity” in the truck. A K-9 trained at detecting narcotics was brought to the scene and the dog “displayed an alert” as it sniffed around the vehicle, police said. “A green bag” was seen in the truck through a window, police said. The Ford was towed to the impound lot.
Gingery, Hunley and Easton have been arraigned before District Judge William Solomon on a variety of charges, including burglary, felony trespassing, possession of an instrument of crime, tampering with evidence, criminal mischief, illegal use of a cellphone, institutional vandalism, concealing or destroying evidence, obstruction of an administration of law and nine counts of conspiracy. All three have waived their preliminary hearings and remained jailed in the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $99,000 bail each.