by peter e. bortner
A Luzerne County man must stay in state prison for committing two robberies in April 2009 in Schuylkill County, one in Port Carbon and the other in Pottsville, the state Superior Court has ruled.
In a one-sentence order filed Wednesday in Pottsville, the court dismissed the appeal of William J. Tierno, 48, of Wilkes-Barre, formerly of Hazleton.
The court ruled it must dismiss the appeal because Tierno did not file a brief outlining reasons why he should be granted a new trial.
As a result, Tierno must spend 12 to 24 years in a state correctional institution, the sentence Judge Cyrus Palmer Dolbin imposed on him Aug. 30, 2010. Dolbin made the sentence, which consisted of four consecutive sentences of three to six years, consecutive to one of 8 3/4 to 24 years for conspiracy and other charges that Tierno is serving from Philadelphia.
Tierno currently is imprisoned at SCI/Forest.
Tierno pleaded guilty on the day he was sentenced to two counts each of robbery, conspiracy and theft and one each of receiving stolen property and terroristic threats. Prosecutors dropped an additional robbery charge.
In one case, Port Carbon police charged Tierno with robbing the Turkey Hill store at 216 Pike St. in the borough on April 9, 2009.
In the other case, Pottsville police charged Tierno with robbing the Family Dollar store at 1013 W. Market St. in the city on April 6, 2009. Defendant: William J. Tierno
Age: 48
Residence: Wilkes-Barre, formerly of Hazleton
Crimes committed: Two counts each of robbery, conspiracy and theft and one each of receiving stolen property and terroristic threats
Prison sentence: 12 to 24 years in a state correctional institution