Struck out again.
The Pennsylvania Superior Court upheld the illegal firearm possession conviction of Ronald Kent, who challenged DNA testing and legality of his arrest at a relative’s house.
It is the second rejection of Kent’s appeals to the appellate court, which upheld his conviction of delivering methamphetamine while babysitting a 3-year-old girl.
A Luzerne County jury in June 2023, convicted Kent of illegally possession of a firearm by a convicted felon that involved a shooting investigation on Dean Court near Reese Park, Kingston, on Feb. 18, 2020, according to court records.
Charles Bierly, 27, survived a gunshot wound to his leg as police in Kingston said at the time he was uncooperative, court records say.
A Kingston police detective recovered a 9mm handgun in the front yard of a residence near Reese Park.
During the investigation, Kingston police obtained a search warrant for Kent’s DNA, which matched forensic evidence recovered from the firearm, ultimately leading to his arrest by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force at his father’s residence on Darling Street, Wilkes-Barre, on April 3, 2020.
Kent challenged the search warrant for his DNA and his arrest from the “privacy of a third-party’s residence” by U.S. Marshals.
A three-member panel of the Superior Court rejected Kent’s appeal in a 16-page opinion filed Monday.
“…we conclude that Kent was the subject of a valid arrest warrant, and that law enforcement did not require a search warrant to enter his father’s residence and execute that arrest warrant,” the appellate court ruled.
Regarding Kent’s challenge regarding his DNA being unlawfully taken, the appellate court rejected that issue noting Kent, “lacked merit.”
Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough, who presided over Kent’s firearm offense trial, sentenced him to five-to-10 years in state prison on Aug. 30, 2023.
In July, the Superior Court upheld Kent’s jury conviction of delivering methamphetamine while babysitting a girl when he was arrested by Wilkes-Barre City police and the Pennsylvania State Police at Wilkes-Barre on Oct. 16, 2019.
Judge David W. Lupas, who presided over the drug delivery trial, sentenced Kent to four years, six months to 14 years in prison.