Bail revocation petition withdrawn in lieu of plea agreements involving Wilkes-Barre shooting, standoff

WILKES-BARRE — A Wilkes-Barre man hugged and kissed his family inside a Luzerne County courtroom before approaching Judge David W. Lupas believing he was returning to the county correctional facility.

Julio O. Rivas, 35, of Elizabeth Street, left the courthouse with his family as he remains free on bail after he entered no contest pleas to shooting a man in front of a barber shop on Academy Street, waving a firearm during a parking dispute and illegally possessing a firearm during a standoff with law enforcement authorities.

Rivas entered the no contest pleas through his attorney, Michael A. Sklarosky, during what was scheduled as a bail revocation hearing Friday.

Assistant District Attorney Julian Truskowski withdrew the bail revocation petition that alleged Rivas violated bail conditions by intimidating, harassing and recording the shooting victim at the Academy Street barber shop.

Court records say Rivas was charged on allegations he waved a firearm at several people during a parking dispute on Elizabeth Street on April 8, 2023.

Rivas was further charged by police with shooting a man in the hip in front of the Academy Street barber shop on May 25, 2023, court records say.

After the shooting, court records say, Rivas initiated a stand-off with city police and U.S. Marshals at his Elizabeth Street residence where he threatened to shoot law enforcement officers with hollow point bullets on June 13, 2023. Rivas surrendered without incident.

Prosecutors on July 17 filed a petition to revoke Rivas’ bail as the shooting victim reported Rivas was walking past his place of employment, loitering across the street from the barber shop and using a cellular phone to record.

Truskowski withdrew the bail revocation petition in lieu of the no contest plea agreements to the three separate cases.

Rivas pled no contest to aggravated assault for the shooting, terroristic threats for waving the handgun during the parking dispute, and illegally possessing a firearm related to the stand-off.

Rivas is scheduled to be sentenced July 30.