Defendants sentenced in swindling of elderly couple

And the court sentenced Michael Dwane Liberati, 34, of Mount Clare, to 1 to 5 years of house arrest. Liberati is to undergo a drug and alcohol assessment, the court further ordered.

A third defendant, Brett M. Rebrook, 49, of Clarksburg, had been scheduled to be sentenced Thursday for conspiracy to commit financial exploitation of the elderly and fraudulent schemes. However, that’s been moved to June.

In rejecting defense attorney Bob Greer’s request that Mazzie receive house arrest, Bedell mentioned that Mazzie and Rebrook obtained their handyman licenses at the same time. Mazzei also had his name on checks that amounted to $117,105, Bedell noted, though opining that Rebrook probably was “taking advantage of you” because he didn’t want his name on the checks.

One of the victims has died while the case was pending. The other, his widow, is in her 90s.

“This was a life-changing event for them,” Bedell told Mazzie. “It may seem like it’s no big deal, or business, or shady business. ... But if nothing else, it affects our trust in our fellow man. That’s something the court doesn’t take lightly.”

Bedell also said it’s society’s and the court’s job to protect the very young and the very old “from people like you, quite frankly.”

“This was done for greed. That’s all it is. ... This is a plan, a scheme, to see how much money you could take from these folks, who presumably worked their whole lives for it.”

What was done to the victims is no different in his eyes than a bank robbery, except a hammer and nails were the tools of the crime, Bedell added.

Restitution has yet to be determined. A hearing is scheduled for June 12.

Harrison Assistant Prosecutor Laura Pickens and Clarksburg Police Sgt. Mike Walsh have asserted a loss of nearly $175,000, while defense attorneys Greer, Jerry Blair (for Liberati) and the office of Harrison Chief Defender Perry Jones (for Rebrook) contend the actual loss is a fraction of that amount.

Bedell may have tipped his hand on that point, as well. During comments to Mazzie, he first repeated the loss figure asserted by the state, and then adjusted to indicate at least tens of thousands of dollars.

Also:

— Bedell has sentenced Eric J. Dobrochowski of Maryland to 3 years’ probation for two counts of attempting to distribute obscene matter to a minor.

Dobrochowski also must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

The investigation by Bridgeport Police Lt. Gary Weaver showed that while Dobrochowski tried to communicate unlawfully with a minor (in actuality, Weaver, who was conducting a sting), the defendant never set up a rendezvous or traveled for such a meeting.

Dobrochowski also was considered amenable to treatment, as well as a low risk to reoffend, by a behavioral health professional who reviewed the case.

Following the hearing, Bedell praised Special Prosecutor Brandon Flower of Marion County, as well as Morgantown defense attorney J. Bryan Edwards. The court gave special kudos to Edwards for submitting a sentencing memorandum.

— A four-month undercover narcotics investigation conducted by the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes and Drug Unit resulted in the arrests of several Spelter and Shinnston area residents Wednesday, according to a press release from Chief Deputy Jeffrey J. McAtee.

Arrested were:

Tara Feathers, 23, of Shinnston. She was charged with two counts of delivery of heroin and two counts of conspiracy to deliver heroin; all four charges are felonies. She was arraigned before Harrison County Senior Magistrate Nancy Means, who set bond at $40,000. Feathers posted bond.

Logan Drake, 21, of Shinnston. He was charged with two counts of delivery of heroin and two counts of conspiracy to deliver heroin; all four charges are felonies. He was arraigned before Means, who set bond at $40,000. Drake did not post bond and remains in the North Central Regional Jail.

Tiffany Sampson, 25, of Spelter. She was charged with three counts of delivery of heroin, one count of conspiracy to deliver heroin and one count of child neglect; all five charges are felonies. She was arraigned before Harrison County Magistrate Keith Marple, who set her bond at $41,000, which she posted.

Kayla Hannah, 25, of Spelter. She was charged with one count of delivery of heroin, one count of conspiracy to deliver heroin and one count of child neglect; all three charges are felonies. She was arraigned before Marple, who set her bond at $30,000. Hannah did not post bond and remains in the North Central Regional Jail.

The SCAD Unit is seeking a fifth individual, Jeremiah Doddrill of Spelter. Doddrill has a warrant on file for the felony charge of operation of a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory.

— Marshall LeRoy Forbes Jr., 48, of Salem, has waived his probable cause hearing before Means.

Forbes is charged by State Police Cpl. M.E. Waggamon with providing false information and failure to register as a sex offender.

In December, Forbes falsely registered his address as a dwelling on Main Street, Salem, when in fact he was residing at 105 Water St., Salem, criminal complaints allege.