Aug. 7 – A Herminie man pleaded guilty Monday to charges that he made a gun-pointing gesture at potential witnesses during a court hearing last year.
Michael Wichelmann, 60, was sentenced to 23 months in prison in connection with the July 7, 2022 incident in a Westmoreland County courtroom. Wichelmann had appeared in court for a hearing on a prosecutor’s request to revoke his bail in relation to allegations that he assaulted family members at a home in North Huntingdon in 2021.
Prosecutors said Wichelmann turned to his accusers during the hearing and used his fingers to simulate firing a gun and uttered the words “bang bang.”
He pleaded guilty to a felony of witness intimidation and a felony of intimidation and was sentenced by County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani. Wichelmann was released on parole after receiving credit for 303 days in prison.
In May 2022, Wichelmann was sentenced to three years’ probation in connection with the North Huntingdon incident and is awaiting trial on assault charges related to another case brought against him last year, according to court documents.
Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at [email protected] or via Twitter.
