A Cooperstown man is facing charges for harassing and threatening to kill a woman in Oil City and her children.
Oil City police say the man was also found to be illegally in possession of guns and drugs while he was staying in a Titusville hotel room.
Police said in a criminal complaint they responded March 15 to the woman’s residence in the 300 block of East Bissell Avenue after she called officers to tell them about the threats made to kill her by Jason Plues, 41.
The woman also showed police text messages from Plues “that indicated he was going to shoot and kill her and that he was nearby her residence waiting to kill her,” the complaint said.
The woman described Plues’ truck to police and said he drives around with guns and wearing body armor, and she showed the officers pictures of his guns and body armor he had sent her to terrorize her, the complaint said.
She told police she believed that if Plues encountered police he would try to kill them as well, the complaint notes.
Later that evening, the woman again contacted police saying Plues had texted her that he was in the woods by her house and wanted her to bring him a blanket, the complaint said.
Police later obtained Plues’ location from AT&T and traveled to Quality Inn in Titusville where they found his truck unoccupied in the parking lot, the complaint said. Police determined Plues was staying at the hotel and using a false name, according to the complaint.
Police had to forcefully enter the room where they found Plues sleeping with a fully loaded shotgun directly beside him leaning against the bed and another fully loaded shotgun lying on a chair by a body armor vest, the complaint.
Police then took Plues into custody without incident, according to the complaint.
An Oil City officer then began collecting evidence in Plues’ room and found ammunition, a Dremel tool with attachments, drug paraphernalia, money in a bag and loose on a table that totaled $23,340, and a container with what appeared to be “a large quantity of methamphetamine inside it,” the complaint said.
Plues was taken to the Venango County jail at the direction of Venango County Court Supervision which issued a detainer for him, the complaint said.
He was charged with two felony counts of possession of firearm prohibited and felony counts of retaliation against witness or victim, flight to avoid apprehension/ trial/punishment, and manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver.
He was also charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of instrument of crime with intent, terroristic threats, simple assault, criminal mischief, use/possession of drug paraphernalia, and stalking.
Plues was arraigned Tuesday and placed in the Venango County jail with bail denied. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Central Court.
