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Burglary suspect charged

A Mahoning Township woman has been arrested and charged with burglary, trespass, criminal conspiracy, and corruption of minors as a result of four separate incidents.

Holly Koch, 19, of Pine Hollow Drive, Lehighton, was arrested Friday and charged with three counts each burglary, criminal conspiracy-burglary, and corruption of minors; two counts each criminal trespass, theft by unlawful taking or disposition, and receiving stolen property; and one count each criminal attempt-theft by unlawful taking, providing a false statement to authorities, and unsworn falsification to authorities.She was arraigned Friday before Magisterial District Judge Edward Lewis.According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Mahoning Township police, on April 11, at approximately 3:30 p.m., officers received a call from Tammy Pomposello about an attempted burglary at 94 Pine Hollow Drive.Pomposello, a neighbor, reported that two females were attempting to enter the residence.When police contacted Pomposello at 7 p.m., she stated that the females, one later identified as Koch, exited a blue Dodge Neon that was parked outside the residence. The pair walked around the home, looking into the windows. They left but returned a short time later.At that time, the witness stated she overheard the two females talking about returning for some type of speaker, the affidavit states. They then left in the vehicle.Officers conducted a license plate check of the vehicle and learned that it was registered to a Bonnie Dreher of 396 Pine Hollow Drive, who was later identified as Koch's mother.On April 15, at 5:49 p.m., the affidavit states that Officer Long was dispatched to 94 Pine Hollow Drive for a burglary.Upon arrival, Long spoke with Eugenia Podolak, who stated that when she went to open the front door of the residence she found a chair propped up against the inside door knob, which made it difficult for her to gain entry to the home.Officers conducted a walk-through of the house and discovered that a fire extinguisher had been discharged in two of the upstairs rooms. In addition to the extinguisher, several walls and a religious painting had been spray painted, depicting sexual pictures.The affidavit continues that on April 17, Officer Tyler Meek went to 94 Pine Hollow Drive again to speak with Podolak.A second walk-through was completed before police went to 396 Pine Hollow Drive to speak with Dreher.Dreher told Meek that her daughter, Holly Koch, used her vehicle on April 11, and that she observed her car in front of 94 Pine Hollow Drive, with no one around it. At that time, she stated she went to her vehicle and drove it back to her home.A little while later, Koch and a juvenile came to retrieve the vehicle.Police spoke with Koch and asked that she come to the station for an interview. At the time, she was read her Miranda Rights, which she waived.The affidavit states officers advised Koch that if she made a false statement she could be charged with providing false reports. Koch provided a written statement, saying she was looking at the residence at 94 Pine Hollow Drive with the juvenile because she wanted to buy it.Koch also stated that neither her nor the juvenile had entered the residence, adding that they returned to where they had left the vehicle, and found it was not there so they walked back to Dreher's house.Police said that Koch then ended her statement by saying "We did not enter the house nor even look in the windows." She signed her statement and left the station.Officers then conducted a review of records from Time Will Tell, and Lehighton Gold and Coin, which show that Koch pawned six items between March 31 and April 17, receiving $1,113; while a Troy Rehrig pawned 23 items between March 14 and April 3, receiving $1,141.On April 18, Officer Audrey Mertz spoke with Koch and Dreher via telephone about the pawned jewelry and requested that Koch come to the police station on April 19 for a second interview. Koch failed to appear at the scheduled time.Also on April 18, the affidavit states, a resident of Dutch Road, Lehighton, observed a male, later identified as Troy Rehrig, Koch's boyfriend; and a female, later identified as Koch, fleeing from the driveway of 120 Dutch Road. The pair was located outside of Koch's mother's residence. Rehrig was read his Miranda Rights by Mertz and consented to an interview.Rehrig denied breaking into any residences, but stated that the items he pawned were stolen from his mother. He then refused to provide a statement regarding the pawned items.On April 19, the juvenile that had been with Koch was interviewed with her mother present, the affidavit states. She stated that she entered 94 Pine Hollow Drive with Koch on April 11 to look for valuable items to take for money. Taken from the residence was some copper piping and wire containing copper.The juvenile admitted to breaking into numerous residences with Koch and Troy Snyder where copper and jewelry had been stolen, including a home at 199 Yankee Road on April 10.The affidavit states the juvenile said they had walked through the home but did not find anything of value so nothing was taken.The juvenile also admitted that on April 17, she and Koch entered 120 Dutch Road to look for items and took some costume jewelry and other jewelry items; as well as a brass vase, and brass sweepers from the fireplace. The copper and brass taken from the aforementioned residences were then taken to a junkyard in Allentown for scrap.She also admitted to being with Koch on April 18, when Koch pawned two gold rings, a set of earrings and a necklace at cash for gold stores in Lehighton and Allentown. The juvenile initially received $400 but Koch took back $300, stating she needed it.Police state that the juvenile identified the jewelry that Koch pawned as the jewelry that had been taken from the 120 Dutch Road residence.On April 25, Zenon Wyschynskyj, the owner of the house at 199 Yankee Road, reported a six-foot table saw stolen from inside the garage.

Larry Neff/special to the times news Mahoning township police officers Tyler Meek and Jeff Frace lead Holly Koch into the office of District Justice Edward Lewis for her arraignment on a multitude of burglary charges.