MIDDLEBURG – The state Supreme Court declined to hear a Snyder County case. They say they won’t hear Robert Kolovich’s appeal of his 2016 deceptive business practices convictions. Kolovich was convicted by a jury in April, 2016 and is serving 5 years in state prison.
Snyder County District Attorney Mike Piecuch said in a statement “For the sake of his victims, we are glad to have the finality that comes with the end of his direct appeals.”
Kolovich was charged in 2014 with deceptive business practices following two separate complaints that he signed contracts and accepted down payments, but never delivered products. He has been convicted for similar offenses in Bradford, Dauphin, Lycoming and Mifflin counties. His appeals were rejected at the county level, state superior court and now state supreme court.
(Middleburg, PA) — District Attorney Mike Piecuch announced that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has refused to accept the appeal filed by Robert A. Kolovich, effectively confirming his Snyder County convictions for deceptive business practices.
Kolovich was convicted by DA Piecuch following a jury trial on April 26, 2016, of defrauding his former customers from Lifetime Choice Windows. Kolovich was ordered to serve up to five years in state prison and to pay $11,600.00 in restitution to his victims.
DA Piecuch said, “Kolovich damaged many lives with his swindling. For the sake of his victims, we are glad to have the finality that comes with the end of the his direct appeals.”
In May 2017, the Superior Court rejected all four issues raised by Kolovich on appeal. Kolovich then requested that the state Supreme Court review the Superior Court’s ruling. The Supreme Court denied that request on November 21, 2017. First Assistant District Attorney Brian Kerstetter handled the appeals phase of the Kolovich case. Criminal defendants have the right to appeal to the Superior Court, but they must be granted permission to have further appeals considered by the Supreme Court.
The Superior Court had ruled that: 1) DA Piecuch properly consolidated two complainant’s cases into one trial; 2) the trial court properly granted DA Piecuch’s motion to introduce testimony from Kolovich’s prior victims; 3) prosecutions in other counties did not bar the prosecution in Snyder County; and 4) the evidence presented by DA Piecuch at trial was more than sufficient to support Kolovich’s conviction.
Kolovich was charged in Snyder County in late 2014 with deceptive business practices: he signed contracts and accepted down payments, but never delivered on the contracts and never refunded the money. The testimony at trial established that at the time Kolovich signed the contracts promising delivery, he was telling other customers that he could not deliver for them. Kolovich has been convicted for similar offenses in Bradford, Dauphin, Lycoming and Mifflin Counties.
