Published: October 16, 2008 11:22 pm      

VFW post faces gambling charges

The Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Ebensburg faces charges that it awarded more than $5,000 a week on small games of chance in violation of state law.

State police liquor agents said the violations occurred during 20 weekly periods dating to December.

The charges will be brought before an administrative law judge.

The VFW is at 120 Sample St.

In other police-related news:

• State police in Somerset are looking for a missing Ruger P89 semiautomatic pistol.

The gun was reported lost or stolen from the West Main Street residence of George Raymond Ryniak, 39, of Stoystown.

Ryniak reported the weapon missing between Sept. 30 and Oct. 7.

• State police are looking for whoever fraudulently obtained a Boswell woman’s credit card and used it to buy merchandise.

Books valued at about $42 and facial products valued at $27 were bought with a credit card belonging to Terrie Lee Reckner, 42, police said. The purchases occurred between Oct. 10 and Monday.

• Altoona police filed charges including burglary and weapons possession against four people who reportedly tried to break into a residence looking for drug money.

The call was received at10 p.m. Wednesday.

When police arrived in the 400 block of Willow Avenue, they said they came upon Susan Snyder, William Parson, Jason Pletcher and a male juvenile.

The boy’s shoes matched shoe prints on the front door, which had been kicked in, police said.

He resisted officers and was subdued after a brief struggle.

A loaded handgun – later discovered to be stolen – was found at the boy’s feet.

He had shown the weapon while searching for the victims of the incident, police said.

• Two Johnstown men face several charges after they were accused of ramming a stolen moped into a parked car.

A Greater Johnstown High School football coach notified city police that a player’s car had been damaged Oct. 10.

According to a court document, witnesses told police people were tailgating in the parking lot when Sean Thomas Crawley, 18, and Wesley Joseph Corbaci, 18, arrived.

They were riding a moped which one of them crashed into a 2004 Dodge Neon.

The next day, Crawley told police he had found the black Yamaha moped in the woods near Westmont High School.

The vehicle was covered with leaves and branches and the keys were in it.

Crawley said he knew it was stolen but “it was really nice (and) I wanted to take it for a ride,” according to police.

Corbaci said he struck the car while “goofing around,” police reported.

Both men were riding with suspended driver’s licenses.

Crawley was charged with receiving stolen property, theft and driving with a suspended license.

Corbaci was charged with receiving stolen property, theft, driving with a suspended license and accidents involving damage to an unattended vehicle or property.

They will answer the charges before District Judge Leonard Grecek of Roxbury.