SHARON, Pa. (WKBN) – A man and two teenagers are now charged in what was described in a criminal complaint as a plot to kill a Sharon woman.
Thomas Shank, Jr., 36, is charged with conspiracy to commit criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit murder of the first degree and two counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.
According to District Attorney Pete Acker, police also arrested two teenagers late Tuesday night, charging them as adults in the case.
Cory M. Blough, Jr., 17, and Kiwi S. Minich, 17, both of Sharon are charged with criminal conspiracy to commit criminal homicide, criminal conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and two counts of criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault. In addition, Blough is also charged with theft by unlawful taking, tampering with evidence and possession of a firearm for taking his father’s gun which was reportedly used in the shooting, according to Acker.
The charges stem from an incident Tuesday morning on Leslie Street, where one woman was shot.
Police were called there around 2 a.m. and found the victim had been shot in the face. They found a spent .380 shell casing from near the victim’s bedroom.
Shank, the victim’s cousin (later identified as Minich), and another family member were also in the home when police arrived.
The victim is expected to survive.
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According to the criminal complaint, Shank had a relationship with the victim in the past, though they were estranged but still living together. The victim told police that Shank had been upset she was seeing another man and had been abusive to her in the past.
According to the criminal complaint, Shank admitted to plotting with Minich and her boyfriend, Blough, to kill the woman. He said the plan was for him to turn off one of the security cameras at the home prior to carrying out the plot, the complaint stated. When police arrived Tuesday morning, they noticed that one of the cameras had been deactivated, according to the report.
During an interview with Blough, Blough admitted to taking his father’s gun and shooting the woman with it, the criminal complaint stated. According to the criminal complaint, Blough then ran from the home and communicated with Shank, requesting that he alter the crime scene.
Gerry Ricciutti contributed to this report.
