The last of five defendants has waived his preliminary hearing on charges of tying up an elderly Andrew county man in his home and robbing him last April. Bradley Henley of St. Joe is scheduled for Circuit Court arraignment October 28.
He is charged with nine felony counts, including robbery, burglary, felonious restraint, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a fireram, unlawful use of a firearm, theft of a firearm and two other counts of theft.
He is also charged with misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor assault. Henley waived his preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
Henley was one of five people charged after an incident in April. According to court documents, two women came to the man’s house and asked to use his telephone, claiming their vehicle broke down while they were mushroom hunting. According to investigators, three men barged in the back door, tied up the victim, and held him at gunpoint while they stole prescription medication, tools, firearms, and other items.
Three of the defendants have pleaded guilty in the case.
*Tiffany Cruz, 35, of St. Joseph, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary in a plea agreement in which prosecutors dismissed nine other counts.. She was ordered to serve five years in prison.
*Jason Laughlin, 36, of St. Joseph, pleaded guilty to burglary, felonious restraint and misdemeanor assault. Eight counts were dismissed. Laughlin is serving a controlling sentence of seven years.
*Eileen Schussler, 20, of Wathena, Kansas, pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to five years.
Richard Weyer, 22, of St. Joseph, was at large for nearly two months after the warrants were filed. He was charged with three counts of receiving stolen property, plus robbery, burglary, armed criminal action, felonious restraint, unlawful use of a weapon, misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor assault. Weyer waived his preliminary hearing last month and is due back in court Oct. 28.