CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) – A 23-year-old man was released on parole last Wednesday after pleading guilty to criminal trespassing for allegedly breaking into a New Bethlehem garage.

Court documents show that  Brandon Lee Brown, of New Bethlehem, pleaded guilty to the following charge on December 17, 2025:

Criminal Trespass – Enter Structure, Felony 3

On January 21, President Judge Sara J. Seidle-Patton sentenced Brown to a minimum of 140 days and no more than two years in jail. Because he had already served 140 days in prison, Brown was paroled following the sentencing hearing.

Before handing down the sentence, Judge Seidle-Patton cautioned Brown against repeat offenses.

“You are just continuing to pile things up and are not learning how to live your life,” she said.

As part of his sentence, Brown must undergo a mental health evaluation and perform 50 hours of community service. Additionally, he must also pay restitution to the victim. The exact amount of restitution will be determined at a later hearing, but the prosecution requested $953.

As part of a plea agreement, the following charges against Brown were dropped by the prosecution:

Burglary – Not Adapted for Overnight Accommodation, No Person Present, Felony 2
Theft by Unlawful Taking – Movable Property, Felony 3
Receiving Stolen Property, Felony 3

Details of the case:

According to the criminal complaint, Southern Clarion County Regional Police Chief Robert Malnofsky was dispatched to a New Bethlehem home on August 3, 2025, for a reported burglary involving a stolen red Honda Recon ATV.

Police say the caller told them his father had awakened him to report that a coworker had been seen in the garage. When he checked, the ATV was gone, according to the complaint. The caller reportedly said a neighbor saw the individual in the garage and believed it was Brandon Brown, the complaint notes.

The neighbor, according to the complaint, provided a written statement identifying Brown as the person who removed the ATV and said he saw him pushing it toward a nearby car wash.

Surveillance footage obtained from Redbank Valley Library showed someone pushing an ATV near Joe’s Pizzeria toward Burger King, the complaint states. A librarian reportedly said she had seen the same individual earlier that day at Uni-Mart, around 12:30 p.m., according to the complaint.

Video from Uni-Mart showed Brown pushing the red ATV into the parking lot at approximately 12:06 p.m., coming from the direction of the home where the vehicle was reported stolen, the complaint continues.

While investigators continued reviewing video and speaking with witnesses, police say Brown turned himself in at the station, according to the complaint.

During an interview with Chief Malnofsky, Brown allegedly said he took the ATV. According to the complaint, he initially claimed to have had permission, but later admitted the garage door had been closed and that he had opened it to remove the vehicle.

Charges were filed against Brown on September 11, 2025, in Magisterial District Judge Jeffrey C. Miller’s office, court documents show.