The men who police said forced themselves into an occupied home in Lansford, only to be met by a retired man who was armed with a handgun, waived their scheduled preliminary hearings Wednesday.

Charges against Joseph R. Becker, 31, of Coaldale, and Brian Kehl, 30, of Summit Hill, were bound over to Carbon County Court by District Judge Casimir Kosciolek of Lansford.Both were charged by Lansford police officer Jason A. Helmer with felony counts of robbery and criminal trespass.The alleged incident happened between 3:40 and 3:47 p.m. on Feb. 27 at a residence in the 300 block of West Water Street, Lansford.Inside the home at the time was retired truck driver David Knittle, while at a house next door was his 16-year-old grandson.Police said the grandson was confronted by the two defendants after they left the Knittle residence.Both Knittle and the grandson were present at Kosciolek's office to testify, if necessary, if a hearing had occurred.The affidavit filed by Helmer states that Knittle reported to him that two males had entered his residence. They reportedly told him they were searching for a male who owed them money.The affidavit says that Knittle told them that the man they were seeking did not reside there.Knittle was armed with a handgun at the time, the affidavit adds, and he "confronted both males who had exited the home."Becker and Kehl then allegedly confronted the 16-year-old male at the residence next door to Knittle's.The grandson, according to the affidavit, heard a man calling "Cody" outside his house and knocking at the door.When the teen answered and said there was nobody living there by the name of "Cody," the male asked him to walk down the street with him, the affidavit alleges.As they were walking down the street, Becker allegedly exited a car and approached them. Becker and the other individual then began walking to the teenager's house.The affidavit says, "After arriving back at the residence, (the teen) stated that he was held back in a bear-hug-style restraint from behind by an unknown male who had stated 'don't scream or yell' while Becker took (the teen's) cellular phone so that he could not call for help."The two men, said the police complaint, entered the home and then released the boy from restraint. He ran to Knittle's house and advised his grandfather to call the police.