A Springfield, PA man will serve probation on charges he made false
statements to officials regarding prior marriages when he applied for a
license to marry an Ambler woman.
John A. Melchiorre Jr., 39, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to one year of probation after he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of unsworn falsification to authorities in connection with a July 2008 incident.
Judge William J. Furber Jr., who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Melchiorre to complete 12 hours of community service as a condition of probation.
Other charges of bigamy and false swearing in an official proceeding were dismissed against Melchiorre as part of the plea agreement.
"He pleaded guilty to lying on his application for a wedding license. He indicated that he had no previous marriages when in fact his divorce had not gone through yet with his ex-wife," alleged Assistant District Attorney James Zoll, adding that even if Melchiorre didn't know that his divorce hadn't been finalized he still lied about his previous marriage. "Lying on the document is a crime."
Authorities originally alleged that Melchiorre committed bigamy by getting married to a woman in Ambler while still married to a North Carolina woman.
An investigation of Melchiorre began in August 2008 when a North Carolina woman notified county detectives with the bigamy allegations. The woman told detectives she married Melchiorre in August 1994 in North Carolina and that Melchiorre moved from their marital residence in June 2008.
John A. Melchiorre Jr., 39, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to one year of probation after he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge of unsworn falsification to authorities in connection with a July 2008 incident.
Judge William J. Furber Jr., who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Melchiorre to complete 12 hours of community service as a condition of probation.
Other charges of bigamy and false swearing in an official proceeding were dismissed against Melchiorre as part of the plea agreement.
"He pleaded guilty to lying on his application for a wedding license. He indicated that he had no previous marriages when in fact his divorce had not gone through yet with his ex-wife," alleged Assistant District Attorney James Zoll, adding that even if Melchiorre didn't know that his divorce hadn't been finalized he still lied about his previous marriage. "Lying on the document is a crime."
Authorities originally alleged that Melchiorre committed bigamy by getting married to a woman in Ambler while still married to a North Carolina woman.
An investigation of Melchiorre began in August 2008 when a North Carolina woman notified county detectives with the bigamy allegations. The woman told detectives she married Melchiorre in August 1994 in North Carolina and that Melchiorre moved from their marital residence in June 2008.
The North Carolina woman told authorities she had recently learned that Melchiorre married again in Montgomery County while he was still married to her.
By Carl Hessler, Jr. of The Reporter Online
I have followed this story and have found out that the ex wife had prior knowledge of this wedding before it had taken place. Her attorney from Throndale PA. had made a mess of the process and she had been aware of this. She had intercepted a remand letter that had been sent to Mr. Melchiorre, making her part of the problem. I have also spoken to a source that she had sold illegal drugs to some "friends" of hers as they also have done home improvements. So who can you believe? A man who loved the wrong woman or a part time drug dealer?
Posted by: Bob | 11/16/2009 at 09:25 PM