Community Corner

Accused Hatfield Auto Theft, Tasing Trio Head to Court

Sarah Nodecker, of Montgomery Township; Jeremiah White, of Pottstown; and Richard Stroud, of Hatfield, had all charges against them held at a preliminary hearing March 15 in Montgomeryville court.

The two men and teenage girl involved in the alleged tasing, robbery and theft of a man on Trewigtown Road in Hatfield Township in February had all charges against them held for Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas arraignment in April at a March 15 preliminary hearing in Montgomeryville.

Richard Stroud, 20, of Hatfield; Jeremiah White, 20, of Pottstown; and Sarah Nodecker, 19, of Montgomery Township, allegedly tased, robbed and stole the vehicle of a man who met them near Bethlehem Pike and Trewigtown Road on Feb. 24 to give them a test drive of a car he was selling, police said.

The victim told police he met the three individuals in the area, in an attempt to sell them his car. When he gave the three a test drive, he was "suddenly shocked with a stun gun-type weapon and punched numerous times by the male occupants of the car," according to police reports. "The victim was robbed of his cash during the course of the assault."

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After he was assaulted, the victim was pulled from the car's backseat and left by the side of the road. The stolen car was later spotted and pulled over in Montgomery Township by police in that jurisdiction, according to police.

Stroud was formerly wanted by Hatfield Township Police for his alleged involvement in the incident, specifically being the one who allegedly wielded the taser, police said. He eventually turned himself in to police.

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Stroud is charged with 24 criminal offenses, including 16 felonies: Felony robbery with immediate serious bodily injury, felony robbery with taking property by force, simple assault, reckless endangerment, harassment, felony theft, felony receiving stolen property, felony criminal use of a cell phone, possessing an instrument of crime, and felony use or possession of an electric or electronic incapacitation device, according to court records. Stroud also faces felony criminal conspiracy charges on all those offenses, police said.

White was just donning our web pages two months ago when his Popeye's receipt and cell phone got him busted for an alleged Hatfield car theft, according to police reports.

White is charged with 24 criminal offenses: two counts of felony robbery - inflicting serious bodily injury, two counts of misdemeanor simple assault, misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person, harassment, felony theft, felony receiving stolen property, felony criminal use of a communications facility, and conspiracy to all charges listed, except the two simple assault charges, according to court records.

Nodecker is charged with 13 criminal conspiracy offenses: felony robbery - inflicting immediate serious bodily injury, felony robbery - taking property from another by force, misdemeanor simple assault, misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person, harassment, felony theft, felony receiving stolen property and felony criminal use of a communication facility, according to court records.

This is Nodecker's first criminal offense in Montgomery County.

Stroud and White are friends, who were involved in a prior police incident in Lansdale, also involving a Taser.

Stroud and White were two of three  Emfinger was Tasered by police as he allegedly fled the scene. Emfinger has yet to head to trial at Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.

Stroud was sentenced to a maximum of 23 months in prison after pleading guilty in May 2011 to a felony burglary charge and sentenced to a maximum of 13 months for pleading guilty to a felony criminal conspiracy to commit burglary charge in Hatfield Township from December 2010, according to court records. He was also given four years' probation. Stroud was given 159 days for time served.

Charges of felony criminal trespassing, misdemeanor theft, misdemeanor loitering and prowling offenses and criminal conspiracy charges on all those offenses were not sought by prosecutors.


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