TROUT RUN - Two brothers and a third man have been jailed on charges of conspiring to rob Bittner's General Store on Route 15 with the hope of getting money to buy heroin, according to state police said.
Of the three, only Jason Hatteras Greene, 25, of Mansfield, entered the store and allegedly grabbed for money when the clerk opened the cash register about 6 p.m. Tuesday, said Trooper Michael Shipman, the lead investigator.
Waiting outside the store's front door while Greene tried to pull off the theft was Brody Joseph Schexnayden, 21, of 43 East Ave., Wellsboro, and his brother, Damian Paul Schexnayden, 28, of the same address, who was driving the getaway vehicle, Shipman alleged in an affidavit.
Upon walking into the store, Greene seemed "to take a long time in the candy area" before he approached the counter to pay for a pack of gum, Shipman said.
The clerk, who was alone in the store, "rang up the sale and opened the cash register drawer. When it opened, Greene lunged over the counter and had several $20 bills in his hand," Shipman said investigators were told.
However, the woman "placed her hand on top of Greene's" and he dropped the bills as the clerk "slammed the cash drawer shut," Shipman said. The clerk injured two fingers on her left hand, he added.
Greene bolted out the door and fled with the Schexnayden brothers in a silver Chevy Impala, Shipman said. A customer who had entered the store recorded the car's license plate. Shortly before 9 p.m., state troopers spotted the same vehicle at Wal-Mart in Mansfield and took the brothers into custody without incident. Greene was not there, Shipman said.
Brody Schexnayden admitted his involvement in the attempted robbery and implicated his brother and Greene, Shipman said.
Brody said the three men "were going to Williamsport to get heroin. All they had was a watch that they had hoped to pawn," but they were unsuccessful, Shipman said.
The three headed back to Mansfield and "when they saw the Trout Run exit, they decided to stop at Bittner's. They talked about taking money from cash register," Shipman said Brody told police. As they planned the robbery, Greene agreed to go in and grab the cash while the brothers waited outside, according to what Brody told investigators.
Damian Schexnayden "admitted to being at Bittner's but claimed he did not know Greene was going to take money," Shipman said.
The brothers were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit theft. The two were detained overnight at the Tioga County Prison and then arraigned Wednesday afternoon before District Judge James H. Sortman, as was Greene, who was taken into custody without incident at his home late Wednesday afternoon.
Greene was charged with theft, attempted robbery and conspiracy to robbery. He was jailed in the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $125,000 bail, while Damian Schexnayden was incarcerated in lieu of $100,000 bail and his brother was jailed in lieu of $75,000 bail.
