Weis Robbery Case Progresses

Two more accused in market holdup

The Lewistown Sentinel

January 5, 2005

By Michael Dawsor

Sentinel Reporter

Police allege two more Juniata County residents were involved with the Nov. 24 armed robbery of the Weis Market in Mifflintown.

The additional suspects include a man who said he was not a willing participant and a woman who police allege was promised $1,000 to serve as a lookout.

Douglas Logan Foose, 24, of RR 5, Mifflintown, and Allison Jo Smith, 18, of RR 3, Mifflintown, were charged with one count each of criminal conspiracy through District Justice Jacqueline Leister’s office in Port Royal, according to criminal complaints filed by Pennsylvania State Police Lewistown. Police had not released a report on Tuesday.

Personnel at Leister’s office said Foose was arrested and arraigned Tuesday before Leister, sent to the Juniata County Jail and released on $20,000 bail. Smith was picked up by police on Monday, arraigned before Leister and sent to the Juniata County Jail. She was released on $20,000 straight bail.

The affidavit of probable cause shows Foose approached state police on Dec. 13 about the robbery. He told police he was contacted by another alleged suspect, Michael Bryan, who asked if he wanted to make some money. Foose asked how, to which Bryan instructed Foose to pick him up and find out. Foose then learned of the robbery plan and told Bryan he did not want to participate.

Bryan told Foose it was too late for him to back out, the affidavit states, and the two met up with two other alleged suspects, Stanford “Tommy” Adler and Dustin Swartz, at the Mifflintown Library.

The affidavit shows Foose drove the vehicle that followed the Weis employee who was held up at gunpoint at her house and ordered to return to the store and unlock a safe. Foose did not participate in the holdup of the employee, Sarah Wert, the affidavit indicates.

Foose and Bryan left the store while Adler and Swartz went with Wert into the store. Bryan later disposed of some of the items used in the holdup, according to the affidavit.

During the interview, Foose told police “he was not a willing participant in this incident and was in fear for his life” because Bryan told him “he had someone to take all four of them out if he or anyone talked because he did not want to go to jail.”

Regarding Smith, the affidavit states she was a “lookout while Swartz, Adler, Foose and Bryan were waiting to do the robbery” at the Weis store.

Smith met with the four men at the Mifflintown Library prior to the robbery “to discuss the plan,” and Swartz provided her with a Motorola hand-held radio, the affidavit states. She allegedly used the radio to communicate with Swartz about the number of people remaining in the Weis store while she sat in the parking lot of the Dollar Store across the street.

Swartz told police that he, Adler and Bryan met with Smith at her Harrisburg apartment prior to the day of the robbery. The three told Smith of the plan, in which she agreed to participate. As compensation, she was promised $1,000 to be a driver and a lookout while they robbed the store.

Swartz and Adler allegedly made away with $36,126, of which $36,056 was discovered later by Carol Barner under her back porch. A $20 and $50 bill also were discovered nearby.

Foose and Smith are scheduled to appear before District Justice Jacqueline Leister at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 27.

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