A Fayette County man was sentenced Monday to five to 10 years in prison on kidnapping and assault charges connected to an attempted prison escape.
John Michael Vanorsdale, 38, of Connellsville was sentenced by Judge Steve Leskinen in accordance with terms of a plea bargain.
Vanorsdale was one of three inmates who ambushed and assaulted a corrections officer May 14 at the Fayette County Prison in a failed attempt to break out of the jail.
According to a police affidavit, Vanorsdale rushed Corrections Officer Tammy R. Popiesh and physically restrained her when she opened a main door for a prison trustee.
The two other inmates, Jeffrey Wayne Tarpley Jr., 32, and Jonathan Raymond Jordan, 20, both of Uniontown, allegedly took Popiesh's beeper, radio and keys from her belt.
Popiesh was gagged with a torn shirt and handcuffed to a railing for 40 minutes while the inmates used fire extinguishers to try to smash through glass block windows.
According to the affidavit, Vanorsdale sprayed Popiesh and other corrections officers with a fire extinguisher before he and the other inmates were restrained.
All three inmates were charged with various offenses, including risking a catastrophe, attempted escape, riot, unlawful restraint, using weapons to attempt an escape, simple assault, false imprisonment, tampering with a fire apparatus, disorderly conduct, theft by unlawful taking, criminal mischief and criminal conspiracy.
Vanorsdale entered guilty pleas in exchange for a lighter sentence, according to court documents. Leskinen said he accepted the plea agreement because no one was injured and the five-to-10-year sentence falls into the standard sentencing range.
The sentence is to be served concurrently with those imposed in two other cases out of Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.
District Attorney Nancy Vernon wanted Leskinen to order Vanorsdale to testify at trial against Tarpley, who is the only one of the three who has not yet entered into a plea agreement. Leskinen declined, noting Vernon can subpoena Vanorsdale.
Should Vanorsdale not cooperate, Leskinen said he will risk having to serve out the full 10-year sentence.
Jordan entered guilty pleas last month and was sentenced to five to 10 years in prison.
Tarpley is scheduled to appear before Judge John F. Wagner Jr. at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday for a hearing.
