Published: October 18, 2007 11:40 pm      

Hooversville man facing check-forgery charges

A Hooversville man will face Cambria County Court action on charges he forged a stolen, personal check and bought $171 worth of items Jan. 30 at a Richland Township convenience store.

Derrin William Campbell, 26, of the 800 block of Weigle Street, Hooversville, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday before District Judge Max Pavlovich, of Richland Township.

State police, who filed the charges, said Campbell forged a check that was reported stolen in a burglary at a home in Quemahoning Township, Somerset County, to purchase items that included cigarettes, iced tea and a copy of The Tribune-Democrat.

In other police-related news:

• A Belmont man and an East Taylor Township resident will face court action on charges they broke into one Belmont home and tried to break into another.

Christopher Michael McAfee, 18, of the 400 block of Chancellor Street in Richland, and Brett Mykel Sanderson, 19, of the 400 block of Pasture Lane in East Taylor, each waived their right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday before Pavlovich.

Richland police said the pair took items such as a wireless telephone and a DVD player in the one burglary. The incidents took place early Sept. 1.

• Somerset Borough police are investigating an incident in which a hole, large enough for a person to crawl through, was cut into a chain-link fence at a house on Franklin Avenue.

Police said Wednesday that Andrea Falchek was cutting down shrubs in her backyard when she noticed the hole.

• An Oakland man is facing a preliminary hearing Tuesday on charges he corrupted the morals of a minor whom he met on the Internet.

Mark J. Baserman, 50, of the 1700 block of Brier Avenue, also was charged by Johnstown police with furnishing alcohol to the 13-year-old Johnstown girl.

The preliminary hearing will be held before District Judge Michael Musulin, of downtown Johnstown. Baserman has been released on $65,000 bail.

Police said Baserman has a site on MySpace.com that depicts his interest of having females walk on him as though he were a rug. The girl told police that on several occasions the past couple of months, Baserman told her that.

She told police Baserman wanted her to walk on him. The girl told police she made Baserman aware of her age several times and her age is listed on her MySpace page, which Baseman has made posts.

On Oct. 11, police said Baserman dropped alcohol off for the girl at a street corner in her neighborhood.

• A Georgia trucker has been charged with trying to strangle his wife when they got into an argument while stopped along the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Breezewood on Wednesday.

State police said James Brackett, 62, of Carnesville, was charged with aggravated assault and other offenses. He was arraigned and lodged in the Bedford County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Police said Brackett was driving a tractor-trailer around 4:20 p.m. when he pulled off the road. The two got into an argument with Brackett then attempting to strangle his wife Camilla, 44, in the sleeper area.

The victim was able to get free by scratching and kicking her husband. She then ran into traffic and flagged down a motorist, police said.