Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

NANTICOKE — A man who allegedly confessed to robbing a convenience store in February to feed his heroin addiction waived armed robbery and other charges to higher court Wednesday, while his alleged accomplice remains at large.

John Kania III, 23, of Hanover Township, appeared before District Judge Donald Whittaker for a preliminary hearing on three felony counts of robbery, a felony count of conspiracy, and one misdemeanor count each of simple assault, terroristic threats and theft by unlawful taking.

Two robbery counts and the terroristic threat charge were withdrawn, and the remaining charges were forwarded to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.

According to court papers, Nanticoke police investigated the report of a robbery at the Turkey Hill Minit Mart at 460 W. Main St. that occurred at about 11:30 p.m. Feb. 15. The clerk told police a man walked into the store “completely bundled up” and almost immediately pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and “demanded all the money or else.”

The clerk told police the man ran from the store toward Alden Road, adding that the man appeared to be “disturbed or under the influence of something.” The clerk told police he was “in fear for his life.”

Responding officers observed footprints in the snow, which they followed to the north side of West Union Street, just before a dirt alley, and crossed the road to a spot from which it appeared a vehicle recently pulled away.

On July 23, Nanticoke Detective Capt. Robert Lehman received a call from Kingston police officer Robert Miller, who told him he had intelligence that Kania and Daniel Blessing were involved in a recent robbery at a Nanticoke convenience store.

Lehman asked Miller, with whom he worked previously on other investigations, for assistance, and Kania allegedly agreed to a videotaped interview with Miller at the Kingston Police Department.

In the interview, Kania allegedly confessed to the armed robbery, which he planned with Blessing. Kania said the two planned to use the stolen money to buy heroin. Kania allegedly said Blessing parked his car on a roadway off Alden Road while Kania went and robbed the store.

Kania allegedly told police he received about $120 from the store clerk, and he and Blessing split the money and used it to buy heroin, which they then used.

Kania was arraigned before Whittaker and has been in jail awaiting his preliminary hearing since August. Whittaker set his bail at $75,000, and Kania was returned to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility to wait his formal arraignment before Luzerne County Judge Tina Polachek Gartley at 10 a.m. Jan. 5.

Following Wednesday’s hearing, Lehman said Blessing, 22, of Mountain Top, remains at large. He is believed to be in the Philadelphia area, Lehman said.

Anyone with information on Blessing’s whereabouts is asked to contact Nanticoke police at 570-735-2200.

John Kevin Kania III is escorted from his preliminary hearing by Nanticoke police Detective Capt. Robert Lehman on Wednesday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_Kania_01.jpg.optimal.jpgJohn Kevin Kania III is escorted from his preliminary hearing by Nanticoke police Detective Capt. Robert Lehman on Wednesday. Steve Mocarsky | Times Leader

By Steve Mocarsky

[email protected]

Reach Steve Mocarsky at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @TLSteveMocarsky.