SUNBURY - A 33-year-old Mount Carmel man convicted of assaulting a state prison correctional officer in 2010 in the borough was sentenced Monday to 3 1/2 to 7 years in a state correctional institution.
In addition to the state prison sentence, Jason M. Bozarth was ordered by Northumberland County Judge William H. Wiest to pay $1,700 in fines and make restitution totaling approximately $22,450.
Bozarth was charged by Mount Carmel Cpl. Christopher Buhay with assaulting Richard McPeak of Mount Carmel, a state correctional officer, on Aug. 18, 2010, in the area of Market and Sixth streets in Mount Carmel. McPeak suffered a broken jaw and numerous cuts, scrapes and abrasions in the assault, police said.
Wiest sentenced Bozarth to 3 1/2 to 7 years in state prison on a felony offense of aggravated assault and ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine plus an assortment of costs. He also sentenced the defendant to 2 1/2 to 5 years in state prison on a felony charge of criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and ordered him to pay a $500 fine plus costs. That sentence runs concurrent to the sentence imposed on the aggravated assault charge.
Two misdemeanor counts of simple assault and one misdemeanor count of recklessly endangering another person merged with the aggravated assault offense for sentencing purposes.
The judge also ordered Bozarth to pay a total of $200 in fines plus costs on summary offenses of disorderly conduct and harassment.
The defendant must undergo anger management classes.
Bozarth was convicted Feb. 17 on all counts at the conclusion of a two-day jury trial presided over by Wiest.
Northumberland County Assistant District Attorney William Cole, who prosecuted the case, said Bozarth was ordered to pay $22,000 in restitution to the Pennsylvania Employee Trust Fund for medical bills incurred by McPeak, approximately $300 to the victim and an estimated $150 to the Victims Compensation Assistance Program.
Bozarth was represented at his sentencing by Northumberland County Conflicts Counselor Michael Seward.