DAUPHIN COUNTY — A Dauphin County man will serve a mandatory minimum of at least 10 years in state prison after being convicted of a 2017 home-invasion robbery.
Timothy Aaron Schell, of Middletown, was found guilty of robbery, burglary, criminal trespass, theft by unlawful taking, simple assault, and conspiracy on August 30 in Dauphin County Court.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 31 by Dauphin County Judge William T. Tully, according to the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office.
Schell was accused of breaking into a Middletown home on July 30, 2017, and demanding money from a male victim.
Schell, who was wearing an article of clothing to obscure his face, struck the victim in the head when the victim refused his demands, police say. He then took a knife from the kitchen, placed it to the victim’s throat, and continued to demand money.
After taking about $300 from the victim, Schell fled the apartment, police say.
Through statements provided by a co-conspirator and a positive identification made by the victim. police determined that Schell was the suspect who entered the apartment.
During trial, prosecutors played recorded prison phone conversations from Schell to his co-defendant, where Schell urged the co-defendant to flee the Commonwealth in an effort to avoid testifying.
He also urged the co-defendant to have the victim deported so he would be unavailable to testify at trial, police say.
This is the Schell’s second robbery conviction. He is therefore facing a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence in state prison under Pennsylvania’s “Three Strikes Law.”
