Suspect in burglary, assault charged with intimidating witness

WILKES-BARRE — A Larksville man was arraigned Wednesday on allegations he intimidated a witness while in the presence of a city police officer outside Luzerne County Central Court.

Richard Dean Bower, 55, of East State Street, called the woman vulgar names in the parking lot of Central Court while she was standing next to a police officer on Aug. 7, according to court records.

In the days prior to the alleged conduct in the parking lot, police in court records say Bower called the woman and sent numerous text messages asking if she was going to testify at a preliminary hearing.

Bower and Joshua Ryan Geisinger, 36, of Larksville, were arrested by city police when they allegedly showed up at an apartment building on Caitlin Avenue where the woman resides on July 25.

As the woman lives on a second floor and has a protection-from abuse order against Bower, court records say Bower and Geisinger burglarized a first-floor apartment and assaulted a man.

Bower and Geisinger were charged with burglary, aggravated assault, simple assault and criminal trespass for the July 25 alleged incident.

The woman was scheduled to appear to testify at Bower’s preliminary hearing Aug. 7.

Bower allegedly called the woman and sent text messages asking if she was going to testify.

As the woman was talking with a police officer outside Central Court, Bower appeared and called the woman vulgar names and refused the officer’s commands to desist, court records say.

Bower was arraigned by District Judge Donald Whittaker of Nanticoke on two counts of intimidation of a witness. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail on the intimidation charges.

Preliminary hearings on the Caitlin Avenue burglary and assault and the intimidation offenses is scheduled for Sept. 11.