Clarksville duo sentenced to serve time
From left, Darlene Nakutis and Edward Passamonte Jr.
Darlene Nakutis
Edward Passamonte Jr.
WAYNESBURG – A sentencing hearing that was prolonged Aug. 4 for two people who pleaded guilty to an April 2014 home invasion ended Wednesday with both defendants being sentenced to serve time.
Darlene Nakutis, 42, and Edward Passamonte Jr., 37, both of 23 Locust St., Clarksville, pleaded guilty to entering the home at 105 3rd St., Jefferson, and assaulting James Popielarcheck, his wife, Charlotte, and their 32-year-old daughter, Alexis.
Nakutis pleaded guilty May 1 to criminal trespassing, aggravated assault, criminal mischief, simple assault and harassment. Passamonte pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, criminal trespassing, criminal mischief, simple assault and harassment the same day.
Investigators said Nakutis and Passamonte entered the home April 28, 2014, assaulted the three residents and destroyed $8,000 worth of property.
Attorneys for Nakutis and Passamonte pleaded for less severe sentences for their defendants after offering character witnesses and letting the defendants take the stand themselves during the Aug. 4 sentencing hearing.
Nakutis’ attorney, Almon Burke, pleaded with the court for a sentence that would not involve any jail time because of Nakutis having no previous record and her family’s dependency on her.
Nakutis addressed the court one last time by stating, “I will never ever do anything like that again.”
President Judge Farley Toothman sentenced Nakutis to two years in County intermediate punishment with 20 days incarcerated in Greene County jail and 710 days of probation effective immediately, along with $900 of fines and restitution of $250 to be paid to the Popielarcheck family.
Passamonte was brought into the court room incarcerated because of an ongoing case in Washington County, where he is being charged with simple assault and harassment against Nakutis on Oct. 19.
Passamonte’s attorney, Courtney Butterfield, asked for the court to give him a sentence to serve county time instead of being incarcerated in a state institution.
When asked by Toothman why he was in his current position, Passamonte admitted to recently relapsing back to an alcohol problem.
He also once again apologized to the victims and to the court for “wasting their time.”
Toothman sentenced Passamonte to 2 to 4 years in a state prison. The judge also recommended him for consideration into boot camp and made him eligible for Recidivism Risk Reduction Incentive program, which, if he is accepted, could reduce his minimum prison sentence to 18 months. Passamonte wmust $1,300 in fines and restitution of $250 to the Popielarcheck family.