NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT) — A New Bethlehem man faces misdemeanor charges after a domestic dispute allegedly led police to find two weapons in his residence.
According to a criminal complaint, Officer Stephen Mazik of the Southern Clarion County Regional Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance call on Lafayette Street on January 20.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, a female caller met police at the front door. She told the officer that Brian Ashley Leonard, 58, was still inside the home. The complaint said the woman told police Leonard had a handgun in the residence and that she did not want it in the house.
The affidavit stated that police ordered Leonard to the front door and searched him. The woman told the officer the handgun was under a living room couch cushion, according to the complaint. The officer reported retrieving a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun with two magazines.
According to the complaint, Leonard told the officer there was also a shotgun in an upstairs closet. Police reported finding a fully loaded 12 gauge pump shotgun in that location.
The affidavit said the woman told police she knew Leonard was not allowed to have a handgun because of his criminal history. Leonard told police he had a prior simple assault charge and admitted he was previously denied when trying to buy a firearm, the complaint said.
According to court records, police verified Leonard had a 2018 conviction for simple assault in Mercer County. The complaint stated there was no indication Leonard filed for relief from the firearm prohibition.
Leonard is charged with two counts of Person Not to Possess or Own a Firearm – Cohabitation With Victim, a first-degree misdemeanor.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 7 at 9:00 a.m. in Clarion County Central Court.