Wilkinsburg Court Hears Cases for Corruption of Minors, Armed Robbery

The following cases were recently heard by District Judge Kim M. Hoots in Wilkinsburg:

Leedis Heards, 48, of Wilkinsburg was held for court on charges of indecent assault, corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of children and unlawful contact with a minor. Wilkinsburg police charged Heards on June 28 after investigating an incident in which he allegedly grabbed a 16-year-old boy’s crotch, according to the criminal complaint. The criminal complaint says the boy viewed pornography with Heards on multiple occasions and helped him load guns kept in his house.

Jabar Owens-Staples, 18, of Pittsburgh was held for court on charges of robbery, criminal conspiracy, reckless endangerment and possession of a prohibited weapon. The charges, filed by Wilkinsburg police on May 3, stem from an attempted home invasion on April 23. According to the criminal complaint, Owens-Staples and another tried to rob a Wilkinsburg home, but after Owens-Staples aimed a sawed-off shotgun at the home owner, the home owner shot him in the torso.

Godwin Awasi Tagyen, 41, of Rankin was held for court on charges of theft and defiant trespass. According to the criminal complaint, Tagyen stole roughly $4,800 of equipment—including six car wash blowers, a furnace and gutters—from Penn Avenue Car Wash and later took it to a Penn Hills scrap yard. An employee allegedly confronted Tagyen at the time of the theft and photographed him as he sped away in his truck. Wilkinsburg police filed the charges on June 21.

Kyland Napper, 18, of Wilkinsburg was held for court on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver and tampering with evidence. Wilkinsburg police charged Napper on March 19 after picking him up during a drug trafficking patrol. According to the criminal complaint, he tried to hide heroin after police smelled the marijuana he was smoking on a porch and stopped to question him.

Rayshawn Hammond, 19, of Wilkinsburg waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of carrying a firearm without a license, receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence and resisting arrest. Wilkinsburg police charged Hammond on June 5 after responding to a report of that a group of men with guns were in the street. Hammond allegedly tossed a loaded gun into a yard as he tried to flee police.

Frank J. James, 44, of Wilkinsburg waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a prohibited firearm, theft, presenting false identification, possession of drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. Wilkinsburg police filed the charges on May 29 after arresting James on the 1300 block of Woodlawn St., where he allegedly was shouting that he would shoot at a house. The criminal complaint says James stole the gun from a cousin during a cook out at her residence after becoming agitated with another party goer. He gave a false birth date to police, who also found a marijuana pipe on him.

Brandon Duane Jones, 20, of Wilkinsburg was held for court on charges of burglary, criminal mischief and criminal conspiracy. Wilkinsburg police charged Jones on June 26 after investigating a burglary on Franklin Ave. He allegedly stole a large trash bag’s fill of DVDs.

Tyler Markees Lethridge, 19, of Wilkinsburg waived his right to a preliminary hearing on eight counts of criminal mischief and five counts counts of theft. Wilkinsburg police charged Lethridge on June 25, alleging that he broke into 15 vehicles in one night in April.