James Allen Tarleton Jr., 62, negotiated a guilty plea in January and was sentenced Monday to 10-20 years in the Camp Hill state prison on the charge of robbery – threat of serious bodily injury. He was given credit for 12 days he has already served in jail.
Franklin state police said at the time of the Aug. 31, 2015, robbery that Tarleton entered the River Avenue store, pointed something from inside his shirt at a clerk and demanded money.
The clerk opened the register and as Tarleton reached in for the money, the clerk slammed the door closed and yelled for help, according to a criminal complaint filed by state police. Tarleton ran from the store without getting any money from the register, police said.
The complaint said a man getting gas outside the store saw what happened and witnessed the suspect get into an Econoline van and yell to a driver: “Go, go, go!”
The witness was also able to get the license plate number of the van, police said.
Knox Borough police officer Codie Webster spotted the van a short time later and was able to take the man, identified as Tarleton, and the female driver into custody.
The woman was interviewed by police and said she drove the van to the grocery store and parked the vehicle while Tarleton went inside. She said Tarleton came running back outside and told her “go, go, go,” the complaint said.
Police said in-store video showed a man fitting Tarleton’s description committing the crime.
In an interview with police, Tarleton said he did go into the IGA store and attempt the robbery. He said he asked for money but left the store without obtaining any. And he said he did not have a gun in his possession at the time of the robbery, according to the complaint.
Tarleton was also sentenced Monday for a charge of use or attempt to use drug-free urine in connection with a March 2015 incident. He was given a six-to-12-month sentence at Camp Hill that will run concurrently with the robbery sentence.
