Michael Altman.
CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – A New Bethlehem man was sentenced to probation last week after police alleged he fled a traffic stop initiated over an active domestic relations warrant.
During a hearing August 19 at the Clarion County Courthouse, 42-year-old Michael Kevin Altman, of New Bethlehem, pleaded no contest to a second-degree misdemeanor charge of fleeing or attempting to elude police. The charge was reduced from a third-degree felony offense as part of a plea agreement.
Altman was sentenced the same day by President Judge Sara J. Seidle-Patton to serve a standard guideline sentence of six months of probation, including 25 hours of community service.
As part of the plea agreement, summary charges of reckless driving and driving without required financial responsibility were dropped by the prosecution. A second-degree misdemeanor charge against Altman of obstructing the administration of law was withdrawn at a lower court hearing.
Altman was represented by Clarion County Public Defender Heather DeLoe. The Clarion County District Attorney’s office prosecuted the case.
Details of the case:
The charges stem from an incident on November 5, 2025. The Southern Clarion County Regional Police Chief stated in an affidavit of probable cause that he was on patrol in New Bethlehem Borough when he saw a silver Cadillac.
According to the criminal complaint, Chief Robert Malnofsky confirmed the driver was Altman. He then attempted a traffic stop by activating his patrol unit’s lights. The complaint notes that the stop was initiated because Altman had an active warrant from the Clarion County Domestic Relations Section.
Chief Malnofsky had picked up Altman on the same warrant approximately two or three weeks earlier, the complaint continues. At that time, Altman allegedly spoke to Domestic Relations from the police station and agreed to report to their office, but hadn’t done so, the complaint notes.
According to the complaint, during the November 5 stop, Altman pulled into a garage parking lot in South Bethlehem Borough. As the chief prepared to call in the stop, Altman allegedly “fled in his vehicle at a high rate of speed.”
The chief pursued with lights and siren activated through back streets and onto Route 28, according to the complaint. The complaint notes that Chief Malnofsky “backed off on the pursuit due to Altman’s speed” and because “he was putting the general public at risk.”
The misdemeanor obstruction charge alleges he intentionally obstructed a government function by failing to pay child support after his agreement, according to the criminal complaint.
Court records show the charges were filed on November 13, 2025, in Magisterial District Judge Jeffrey C. Miller’s office.