Wanted city man found in Williamsport closet

June 26, 2008 05:57 am

— SUNBURY — U.S. Marshals found a city man wanted on felony child rape charges hiding in a closet of a home near Williamsport early Tuesday.
Sunbury police filed a warrant Friday for the arrest of Joseph Gleason, 43, of 316 Linden St., Sunbury, for allegedly sexually assaulting two boys, ages 7 and 17.
He allegedly raped the two children between April 13-14 in the city.
On Monday, three days after District Judge Carl B. Rice signed the arrest warrant, city police asked the U.S. Marshals Service to assist in the search for Gleason.
“Because of the nature and circumstances of the charges against Gleason, the matter was given the highest priority,” U.S. Marshal Michael R. Regan said.
Agents tracked down leads that Gleason had ties to the Williamsport area and at 2 a.m. Tuesday he was found hiding in a first floor closet of a Trout Run home in a rural area of northern Lycoming County.
Gleason was taken into custody without incident and arraigned before District Judge John Gembic III on two counts each of rape of a child; involuntary deviate sexual intercourse; statutory sexual assault; sexual assault; indecent assault; endangering the welfare of a child and corruption of minors; and aggravated indecent assault of a child and criminal solicitation to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.
He was sent to Northumberland County Prison in lieu of $200,000 cash bail.
Assisting in his arrest were members of the Sunbury police, Northumberland County Adult Probation, Penn College police and Lycoming County Sheriff’s Office.