A Schuylkill County man opted not to go to trial Wednesday morning and instead entered an open guilty plea on all charges against him related to a string of armed robberies in Pottsville last year.
Matthew Bailey, 37, of Pottsville, was set to have his case heard inside Courtroom 5 before Schuylkill County Judge Christina Hale this morning. But before the jury could be sworn in, he agreed to plead guilty to the charges.
Hale will sentence him on Aug. 3. Since it was an open plea, the terms of his incarceration will be at the discretion of the judge.
The charges against Bailey, formerly of Philadelphia, stem from two separate incidents occurring on consecutive days at the Eagle Tavern on East Norwegian Street in Pottsville.
According to our previous reporting, Pottsville police were dispatched to the tavern on the morning of Sept. 26 after Bailey allegedly pulled a gun on a cook in an adjacent alley. When the victim attempted to flee, Bailey allegedly struck him in the back of the head with a metal object, causing significant swelling, before running from the area.
The following night, Sept. 27, police responded to the same business just before 11 p.m. for an armed robbery. A victim told police a masked man in dark clothing brandished a handgun, stole his wallet, and fled. Witnesses directed officers to a residence on W. Market St., where Bailey was apprehended in the yard after attempting to run out the back door. Police recovered the stolen wallet, clothing matching the suspect’s description, and a 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number.
At the time of his arrest, Bailey was also wanted on a state parole warrant and was sent to the Schuylkill County Prison. In connection with the two incidents, Bailey faced multiple charges, including robbery, aggravated assault, simple assault, making terroristic threats, theft, receiving stolen property, and several firearms violations.
Police previously noted Bailey was a suspect in four similar incidents in the area over four days, though charges were only filed for the events on the 26th and 27th.
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