A man from Hanover Township, who had previously been sentenced for stalking and terrorizing his former employer, was arrested on Thursday for similar accusations involving the same victim, including a reporter/anchor from a local TV station.
John Peter Arnone Jr., 63, of Lee Park Avenue, was arrested by Dallas Township police after investigating a complaint from Chelsea Strub about disturbing emails she received earlier this month.
Strub, a reporter/anchor at WNEP-TV, is in a relationship with Robert Bresnahan, the Republican candidate in the 8th Congressional District.
Arnone used to work for Kuharchick Construction, which is owned by Bresnahan's family, until he was fired in 2020.
After getting fired, Arnone was arrested in December 2020 and again in January 2021, for stalking and harassing employees, including Bresnahan, at the construction business.
In September 2021, Arnone pleaded guilty to two counts of terroristic threats and a single count of stalking, and was sentenced by Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas to seven-to-23 months at the county correctional facility and five years probation.
While serving the probationary sentence, Arnone allegedly sent three emails to Strub causing her to become alarmed.
According to the criminal complaint:
Strub reported receiving one email on May 6 and two on May 7 from an email address registered to Arnone.
In the first email, Arnone discussed “the death of friends and coworkers” and blamed Bresnahan for his troubles. Police characterized the first email as a “manifesto,” which is believed to be eight pages in length.
The first email allegedly sent by Arnone ended, “Thank you, Robert for being such a great citizen, future Congressman (expletive!!!!!)”
Police in the complaint say the first email was also sent to four employees at WNEP.
The second email read: “Chelsea. I’m very sorry. My daughter just told me. Who you were…..He knows I never wanted to do this. Even after I got out of jail. I TRULY SORRY. I NEVER WANTED TO DO THIS.”
In Arnone’s third email sent to Strub, police in the complaint say he wrote about the Lord and evil, and “Chelsea. I’ve spent 63 years on this earth….I am truly sorry. I never wanted to do this to him.”
After police spoke with Bresnahan, court records say, they learned Arnone delivered a letter to the local Republican campaign office in Kingston and Arnone also viewed a social media account of Bresnahan.
Under the terms of his sentence imposed by Lupas in September 2021, Arnone was ordered not to have any direct and indirect contact with Bresnahan or the construction business.
Arnone was arraigned by District Judge James M. Dixon of Hazle Township on two counts each of stalking and harassment. Arnone was jailed at the county correctional facility without bail as Dixon deemed him a danger to society.
