SUNBURY - A guilty plea proceeding for a 47-year-old Coal Township man charged in a June 2 knife-point robbery in Ralpho Township was continued for the second time in two months Monday.
Robert Forrest Smith, who was scheduled to enter a plea in the case before Northumberland County Judge Charles H. Saylor, was granted a continuance because he has been assigned a new attorney, Richard Feudale of Mount Carmel. The continuance was requested by Smith's former lawyer, James Best of Sunbury, who cited a conflict in representing Smith.
The defendant is now scheduled to enter a plea in five criminal cases Jan. 14 before Saylor.
On Sept. 24, a mixup in communication over who was representing Smith forced Saylor to continue his guilty plea.
Smith, who was represented by Public Defender Paige Rosini at his preliminary hearing, is charged by Ralpho Township Patrolman Chris Dailey with two counts each of robbery, burglary and criminal trespass, four counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault, two counts each of theft and receiving stolen property, and four counts of possession of OxyContin relating to the June 2 robbery of 300 prescription pills and $3,150 from the Paxinos home of 79-year-old Irvin F. Snyder.
He is accused of stealing the money and pills from Snyder at knifepoint.
Smith remains incarcerated.
Snyder's granddaughter, Melanie J. Guinther, 30, of 244 S. Beech St., Mount Carmel, and Katie Lynn Labus, 20, of 400 Bay St., Coal Township, also were charged by Dailey with robbery-related offenses.
Smith also is charged with multiple offenses involving four criminal complaints filed by Shamokin and Coal Township police.
Shamokin Cpl. Bryan Primerano charged Smith with simple assault and disorderly conduct relating to a disturbance that occurred approximately 20 minutes before the Ralpho Township robbery. He is accused of assaulting his former girlfriend, Barbara Somers, 33, of Coal Township, at 19 S. First St., Shamokin.
Smith also is charged by Coal Township Patrolman Edward Purcell with three counts of retail theft in connection with incidents at Wal-Mart Supercenter along Route 61 on April 15, April 29 and May 15. The defendant is accused of stealing a grill valued at $94, detergent, beef stick and pistachios worth $40.24, and a Dyson vacuum cleaner valued at $399.