Post by johnnyl on Oct 4, 2014 15:25:17 GMT -5
Folks some of you may know who am I by this post, I ask you to please not reveal my name. Not because I fear for myself but the possible retaliation that could come to my wife and kids. I am away from home a lot for work. I could care less if these people confronted me but I don’t want my wife or kids to have to go through that.
You may have all read in the papers recently about the arrests and convictions of several young men from Gettysburg and Fairfield involved in a yearlong burglary spree. I was asked by someone inside the court house to write a letter to the president judge who presided over this case letting him know how disappointed I was in how he handled this case. At first I was gung ho and prepared to send him a letter letting him know how disappointed in him I was and how much I thought he let Adams County down. After much deliberation I thought why waste my time and decided on taking this to the public would go much further.
These young men burglarized 21 houses total in two different states over period of a year for over a hundereds of thousdands of dollars. Some only were involved with 1 burglary others many more. The ring leader of this pack Robert Voitek of Fairfield ( and yes folks he was the ring leader despite what was printed in the newspaper) committed 18 or the 21 burglaries and burglarized homes with all but 1 of those involved in this case. He was the only one who pretty much committed burglary with all of the other people involved. So if he wasn’t the ring leader in this who was?
In the fall of last year Robert or Bobby as he is known, was arrested and released on bail. Less than 3 yes count them folks 3 weeks later he returned to the house he was living in Gettysburg with several other of the criminals who were involved and committed his next burglary and went on to commit a few more before being caught by leading police on a high speed chase from Westminster MD, to McSherrystown pa.
During his first arrest the Carroll Valley police posted his arrest on their facebook page to alert local folks that someone had been arrested and possibly was linked to the rash of burglaries in the area. Bobby’s mother, sister and a few local friends of Bobby went on the CVPD facebook page and made rude comments towards not only the police officers but the victims and other people who congratulated the CVPD. Bobby’s mother accused the CVPD of framing him (because you know her little angle would never do this, RIGHT?). Keep in mind all of this is going while hes right back and at his old tricks again.
His mother and sister made comments that were so vulgar they had to be taken down. At one point they even made the comment that all the selfish people out here worry about is their petty belongings what about Bobby.
Bobby’s family of course after his second and third incarceration in PA and MD also bailed him out two more times and then hired Steve Rice to help keep the little angle out of prison.
I knew from the get go this was going to be joke but had no idea of the extent. It first started in February when I went to the court house to meet with Sean Wagoner and discuss the case. Sean was so un prepared and didn’t even know the facts of the case. I had to tell him that Bobby had been arrested, got out on bail, then went back to burglarizing 3 weeks later. Sean actually tried to argue with me on this fact. To make matters worse he at this time also told me that he had been meeting with Bobby’s lawyer and Bobby’s lawyer told him how good Bobby is and all the things Bobby is doing to better himself. I actually asked myself who is this guy defending!
It was at this point I pulled out a folder 2 inches thick of facebook, twitter and Instagram posts of Mr. Voiteks. I showed Mr. wagoner photographs and facebook posts of Bobby who keep in mind still doesn’t have a job buying tattoo’s a new cell phone, air Jordan sneakers and picture of himself wearing a shirt on new year’s eve of 2014 of a masked robber and the shirt saying “a crooks life”, among many other things. He was posed in the picture with his father, step mother and younger brother (what a role model right?). Bobby was basically living life and have a great time as if nothing happened.
All of the criminals involved have admitted guilt, Sean Wagoner gave them all sentencing recommendations all of which were turned down by the defendandts so that they could have a pre sentence investigation and hope for a lighter sentence.
Bobby’s family had everyone they could think of write letters of recommendation to his character and glow about how good of a guy he was. President Judge George handed him a sentence of 2-5 years in prison which means in lay terms he will serve 2 years unless he really screws up in prison. In the sentencing President Judge George noted that this sentence was in light of the fact that Bobby had been previously arrested then went back to his behavior. He also did Bobby yet another favor and allowed him to serve his time concurrent with whatever sentence the state of Maryland gives him.
Around 2 o’clock in the afternoon I got a call from the court house from a person who will remain nameless. I was told about this sentence and how shocked everyone inside the court house was that someone could commit this number of burglaries (3 of which people were in the home when they broke in), file serial numbers off of hand guns and sell them and still get off this early.
I along with the other victims in this case was asked to speak at the hearing. I had agreed until I was informed that I could not speak about the case, any facts of the case nor make any reference of Robert Voitek. I was told all I could basically say was that this burglary has affected my family and I’s sense of security. When I was told that I said never mind it wouldn’t even worth air I would exhale to speak. The person I spoke with even said "I know this Judge and will shut you right down and if you say anything other than that" REALLY? God forbid someone talk about the case or point to the facts as a reason this punk should have been given more than 2 years.
I find it disgusting, appalling and sickening that our small community of Adams county has gotten to the point that a group of people can go on a yearlong burglary spree in Adams county, steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the hardworking citizens and barely walk away with anything. How did Judge George become that numb to crime that this wasn't a big deal to him?
Neither I nor any of the other victims in this case were asking for these young men to do any serious time, as a matter of fact we were happy with 5-10 years. It is time that we all seriously take a look at what’s going on inside that court house in Gettysburg. When you look at all of the things going on with other members of this site concerning our court system it’s terribly obvious that there needs to be a change made.
These young men, their families and people who have never had this happen to them could imagine what its like. Let alone the violation that occurs when this happens,you also become the one who has no rights, all of the rights are given to the criminal.
When they tally all of the things taken and the value to add insult to injury your “stuff” gets pro-rated which means that TV you bought 2 years ago for $3500 they put a value of $1000 on it. Some may say well that’s fair it was used but what most people forget is for the victims of this when we go to replace these items we have to pay market value. So in other words when they set my restitution at say $20,000 the actual value of what you should get is about $40,000. Once again the victim loses!
Best buy doesn’t give me a break on a new TV I have to pay the new price not the pro-rated price I got. Zales won’t give my wife a break to buy new wedding rings. The family heirlooms we lost that were sold sold on craigslist or pawned for pennies on the dollar will never come back they are gone forever. You can’t put a price on those things.
I don’t want to make accusations but it honestly makes me wonder why someone who had so many charges of a serious nature against him would take the risk of turning down the District Attorney’s plea and risk upsetting the courts to try for a lesser sentence? I don’t know about many of you reading this but if I were a Judge and had this young man commit 21 burglaries, drug charges, steal then file serial numbers off of hand guns and illegally sell them to other potential criminals in my county and then have the nerve to turn down the District Attorney’s plea in hopes that I would let him off earier, Well, I know I what would do and it wouldn’t have been giving him less than half of what was offered. This should be alarming and anger everyone in our community.
This young man in particular of all the people involved was clearly only sorry because he had been caught. He also clearly had absolutely no support structure around him to send him a message that what he did was wrong. Just reading his family and friends comments online was plenty of proof of this. The Adams county court house and President Judge George failed every person in Adams County with this judgment. Some of the other men involved in this haven’t been sentenced others got a few months to a year. I turned in screen shots of all of the comments on the CVPD facebook page and from topix it's not like any of these things were hear say or made up the judge and DA had ample access to all of these posts and the photographs. The comments made on Facebook were accompanied by their name a photograph. This wasn't a case of a few people who were out one night bored and stole a pack of cigaretts and a slurpee from 7-11. These were people who meticulously planned and orcestrated a year long burglary spree. There is no doubt what so ever this would still be going had they not gotten caught.
The family of this young wants to blame a past bad experince and smoking marijana for his crimes. They claim they are getting him help and working through his problems. Why weren't they concerned with this the first time he got arrested? Not to mention Bobby was in drug rehab once before. It doesn't seem like these things helped and I also question weather these issues were even brought before the judge. If they were why he chose to over look all of this?
I read online today that Sean Wagoner and the Adams county drug task force arrested nearly 40 people in a drug ring. Mr Wagoner bragged about getting these people off the street. Don’t let these big talking statements in the paper fool you. These people are far from off the streets. Many were released with no bail, a lot only had a $10,000 bail. These people plop a small amount of that down and are out on bail within hours. I urge all of you to take a good look around Adams county and what is going on here especially when you read about people like Bruce Hollinger and his dealings with in our court system and court house. We need a change!