Ricketts

HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Philadelphia man convicted on four felony firearm charges was sentenced Monday to 15.5 to 31 years in a state correctional institute.

A Blair County jury found Kemar Ricketts, 35, guilty on two felony counts each of firearms not to be carried without a license and possession of firearms prohibited following a two-day jury trial that concluded Nov. 5.

President Judge Wade A. Kagarise subsequently found Ricketts guilty on the remaining counts in the case, and in a second separate but related case, during a bench trial in early March. The charges across the two cases include two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, single felony counts of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession with intent to deliver cocaine, four misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Before handing down Ricketts’ sentence, Kagarise heard arguments from Blair County District Attorney Pete Weeks and defense attorney Jason Kadish.

Weeks asked Kagarise to make Ricketts’ sentence at every count consecutive to each other, saying that he believed Ricketts to be “a repeat felon offender.”

His “chief concern” was the juvenile charges dating back to 2001, Weeks said.

Ricketts, who Weeks said previously served an eight- to 20-year sentence, had five juvenile arrests that were adjudicated, as well as 19 adult arrests that resulted in nine convictions.

Weeks argued that Ricketts “consistently” had serious charges brought against him, including attempted homicide, solicitation for kidnap, robbery and aggravated assault.

“No prior effort for rehabilitation has been effective,” Weeks said.

Kadish acknowledged that Ricketts “doesn’t have the easiest background” but asked the court to consider fashioning Ricketts “some sort of concurrent sentence.”

Kadish said he “was not asking for a disproportionate amount of leniency” and just “wanted (Ricketts) to have the ability to lead a decent life.”

Ricketts also addressed the court and began crying while apologizing to “the people of Blair County.”

“Please give me an opportunity for a better life,” Ricketts said. “I never had an opportunity to have a life.”

Kagarise thanked Ricketts for his comments before imposing his sentence.

In addition to being sentenced to 186 to 372 months in a state correctional facility, Kagarise ordered Ricketts to pay the cost of prosecution in the amount of about $6,192 and pay about $1,600 in fines.

Ricketts has two other active cases against him and is scheduled for jury selection on April 20. He is also awaiting sentencing on May 15 in three additional cases.

Ricketts was taken into custody by local law enforcement and U.S. Marshals in early June 2023 after discharging a firearm at Evergreen Manors and for a large amount of drugs recovered from a local hotel room. Police had announced at that time that Ricketts was a suspect in a May 21, 2023, kidnapping and assault.

While being held at the Blair County Prison, Ricketts was charged with possessing contraband as an inmate. Surveillance from the prison allegedly showed Ricketts taking a book from the cell of another inmate, which was later discovered to be hollowed out so it could contain a cellphone.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.