Several plea court and sentencing hearings will be held today in Indiana County Court, including one for a woman who is charged in two different theft cases.
Michele Lynn Donahue will be in Indiana County court for two sentencing hearings. The 50-year-old Indiana woman was found guilty of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property back in August. She was charged with both of those crimes on December 31st of 2018. In the other case, she will be sentenced for a guilty plea to theft by unlawful taking for an incident in October of 2018.
In plea court hearings today, 38-year-old Michael Rifendifer will plead to charges connected with an incident at an Indiana School District Bus Stop on East Pike Road and Gorman Avenue on September 6th of this year. Rifendifer was at the bus stop holding what a 17-year-old student thought was a pistol. When Rifendifer left the area, he allegedly ditched the gun. Police said at the time that Rifendifer did not threaten anyone or pointed the gun to anyone. The student notified school officials and that prompted a lockdown at East Pike. The gun was found by police the same morning, and it turned out to be a bb-gun replica of a Smith and Wesson .45 caliber pistol. Rifendifer was taken into custody a few hours later. He faces felony charges of burglary and criminal trespass, misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, disorderly conduct, and making terroristic threats along with summary charges.
A non-jury trial will also be held today for Lamar Virgil Clemons, who faces charges of operating a meth lab, illegal depositing or storing of chemical waste, manufacture of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and simple possession. The charges date back to March 9th of this year.
