Whitehall Burglar Gets 5-10 Years

The man whom Whitehall Borough police officers chased onto a roof along Grove Road a little over a year ago has been sentenced to 5-10 years of confinement for burglarizing homes near Whitehall's Caste Village area.

Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Donald E. Machen issued that sentence to Jonathan Patrick Plack, 31, of 406 Meeting House Rd. in South Fayette Township, on Tuesday.

Plack pleaded guilty on July 9 to Whitehall police's charges of burglary (two counts) and theft, resisting arrest and possession of an instrument of crime with intent to employ it criminally (one count each).

Whitehall police Deputy Chief Richard M. Danko , that police received a call from the 5000 block of Azalea Drive during the afternoon of Nov. 3 reporting that a male was sneaking through yards on Azalea and hiding behind bushes there.

Because of a previous burglary and another illegal entry in the area—both on Nov. 1—Danko said that police cars "flooded the area."

Eventually, a Whitehall police officer came upon Plack—who matched the description given by the initial caller—at Caste Village, Danko said. Danko said that, when the officer approached Plack, he began to run with police in pursuit.

Plack eventually climbed onto a roof in the 5100 block of Grove Road, Danko said, before he was apprehended.

Danko said that Plack, when searched by Whitehall police officers, was found to be in possession of gift cards reported stolen from a home in the 5000 block of Azalea on Nov. 1. He was also wearing a hooded sweatshirt that was stolen from that home, Danko said.

Plack is also believed to be the man who illegally entered a home in the 5000 block of Caste Drive on Nov. 1 before being scared away by a resident there. No items were reported stolen from that Caste home.

Machen also sentenced Plack on Tuesday to 3-6 years of confinement for mid-November burglaries in South Fayette. Plack pleaded guilty on July 9 to those South Fayette police charges of burglary and theft (three counts each), receiving stolen property (five counts) and conspiracy (one count).

Also on Tuesday, Machen sentenced Plack to 1-2 years of confinement for another July 9 guilty plea of a receiving stolen property charge in South Fayette from early November 2011.

To say the least, this isn't the first time that Plack has been in trouble with the law. Without including offenses from November 2011, Plack has pleaded guilty since 2003 to a total of 10 counts of burglary, one count of robbery, six counts of receiving stolen property, six counts of theft, four counts of conspiracy, 11 counts of forgery, one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, all in Allegheny County.

Read through other Whitehall police items here.

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