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LOCK HAVEN -- William Sean Laubscher, 55, of Dunnstable Township, was sentenced to 20-84 months in state prison in Clinton County Court after being convicted of terroristic threats, simple assault.
Laubscher, along with his wife Candy, were prosecuted by District Attorney Dave Strouse and convicted by a jury in June of 2023, on charges of terroristic threats, simple assault and firearms charges, according to a release from the DA's office via Crimewatch.
The Laubschers were accused of kicking the door in on a rental home they owned in September of 2022 in the apparent attempt to evict their tenants.
But instead, according to the release, they brandished several firearms at one of the tenant's guests, a 19-year-old woman, who was sleeping inside the residence.
The Laubschers then fired several shots near the front door area of the residence in the apparent effort to scare the woman away, the release said.
At trial, Strouse showed the jury the collection of weapons the Laubschers used to scare the young woman, including a semi-automatic rifle with an affixed bayonet and two large-capacity magazines, two hand guns and several throwing knives.
After they were convicted, the Laubschers remained on bail pending sentencing after claiming they needed to make arrangements for their pets which included a dog with major medical issues, the release said.
Later, on the date of their scheduled sentencing, the pair did not appear for court. They apparently fled Pennsylvania before their July sentencing and were apprehended in the state of North Carolina on July 21, the release said.
But before the pair could be brought back to Clinton County, the Laubschers then contested extradition in North Carolina, taking the better part of two months, and requiring Strouse to enlist the help of both Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Governor Roy Cooper in North Carolina, the release said.
Both were scheduled for sentencing in Clinton County on Halloween 2023, but only Candy was sentenced at that time.
William Laubscher claimed his attorney was ineffective and sought the appointment of new counsel, the release said.
As a result, his sentencing was continued on multiple occasions while his claims of ineffective assistance of counsel were heard, and ultimately dismissed, by the court, the release said.
On March 19, Judge Michael F. Salisbury imposed a 20-84 month sentence upon William Laubscher on charges of terroristic threats, simple assault and one count of default in required appearance (for his flight from Pennsylvania while on bail).
Prior to imposing sentence, Salisbury told Laubscher that he had shown no remorse at any stage of the proceeding, "including today," calling Laubscher, "absolutely defiant."
Laubscher refused to cooperate with pre-sentence investigative requests by Clinton County Adult Probation, the release said.
Salisbury said that Laubscher still continues to try to portray himself as a "victim of the court system," but pointed out that the real victim was a young 19-year-old girl who he confronted and terrified with a gun, the release said.
"You continue to blame everyone but yourself," Judge Salisbury said, and pointed out that Laubscher had earned himself an increased sentence through his defiance and flight to avoid punishment.
Candy Laubscher was previously sentenced by Judge Salisbury to a maximum of 144 months, with parole eligibility after 26. Candy was convicted and sentenced to the same charges as her husband, but also was found guilty of unlawfully carrying a concealed firearm, the release said.
She has since filed an appeal with the PA Superior Court alleging that Salisbury's sentence was "manifestly unreasonable," the release said.