YOUNG TWP., Pa. (EYT) – An elderly Big Run man who allegedly exposed his genitals to a Walmart employee entered a guilty plea in court on Tuesday.
Court documents indicate 81-year-old Melvin Edwin Johnson pled guilty to the following charges on June 8:
– Indecent Exposure, Misdemeanor 1
– DUI: General Impairment/Incapable of Driving Safely – 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
As a result of the plea agreement, the following charges were dismissed:
– Open Lewdness, Misdemeanor 3
– DUI: High Rate of Alcohol (Bac.10 – <.16) 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
- Fail To Carry Registration, Summary
- Fail To Carry License, Summary
- Operate Vehicle Without Required Financial Responsibility, Summary
- Disregard Traffic Lane (Single), Summary
- Careless Driving, Summary
- Restrictions on Alcoholic Beverages, Summary
- Fail to use safety belt - driver and front seat occupant, Summary
Sentencing for the case has not yet been scheduled.
Johnson remains free on $5,000.00 unsecured bail.
The charges stem from an incident reports in November 2020.
According to a criminal complaint, Punxsutawney-based State Police received a report on November 4, 2020, that a man driving a blue Ford Escape exposed his genitals to an employee in the Walmart parking lot in Punxsutawney. It was reported that the man was still in the parking lot following people around.
The complaint states police passed the suspect vehicle on the way to Walmart and turned around to follow it, then initiated a traffic stop.
According to the complaint, police then found the driver was not wearing a seatbelt, and also noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the driver. The driver also was noted to have glassy eyes and slurred speech, and he was unable to find his license, registration, and insurance paperwork.
The driver was then identified through PennDOT's online record system as Melvin Johnson, the complaint states.
Jonson was subsequently asked to step out and perform standardized field sobriety testing. He reportedly showed signs of impairment during the tests and was then asked to blow into a portable Breathalyzer test, which indicated the presence of alcohol, according to the complaint.
State police found an empty bottle of Jim Beam Devil’s Cut in the vehicle, the complaint notes.
Johnson was then placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI and submitted to a legal blood draw.
Around 7:35 p.m., police spoke to the Walmart employee from the initial incident, and the employee positively identified Johnson as the man who exposed himself, according to the complaint.
The result of Johnson’s blood test was received on November 18. The toxicology report indicated Johnson’s blood alcohol content was 0.104 percent, the complaint indicates.
The charges were filed against Johnson through Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock’s office on November 24.
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