CHICORA — Supposed marijuana for sale was the bait that lured a 22-year-old man to a home in Clay Township last month, but there apparently was no marijuana waiting for him, only a beating and robbery, according to testimony Tuesday at a preliminary hearing in Chicora.

One of the defendants, Bradin A. Bender, 20, allegedly set up the ruse to exact revenge on the victim for unkind comments about his cousin, a trooper testified.

District Judge Lewis Stoughton ordered Bender and co-defendant Michael R. Edinger, 21, of Butler held for court on felony charges of robbery, conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property.

A third defendant, McHayla M. Hoffman, 18, of Clay Township, who is charged with robbery and conspiracy, appeared without an attorney Tuesday. Her preliminary hearing was continued; a new date was not immediately set.

Trooper Brian Palko testified that police were called Aug. 22 to Hoffman's home on Queen Junction Road in Clay Township for a robbery. The incident left the victim in need of treatment at Butler Memorial Hospital for a contusion to his right eye and scrapes to his body.

The man told police that he had gone to the home about 9:30 p.m. to buy marijuana from Hoffman, or so he thought.

When he got there, the victim found Bender at the door and Edinger was nearby with a silver baseball bat, Palko testified, recounting what the man told him.

The victim said Bender went to the back of the home, he believed to “get Hoffman for the drug transaction,” the trooper said.

But when Bender returned, he immediately began assaulting the man, Palko said.

During the assault, Palko testified, Bender told the victim, that he “should stop running his mouth about (Bender's) cousin.”

The man recounted that Bender removed his wallet that had about $520, and also took car keys, a cellphone, cigarettes and two bottles containing prescription medication.

Bender seemed to corroborate at least some of the victim's account.

“Mr. Bender indicated he had no marijuana,” Palko said, “and there was never going to be any exchange for marijuana. But he was attempting to get the victim to come to the house so he (could) assault him for talking bad things about his cousin.”

Bender also admitted taking the money from the victim, Palko said, and hiding it on the property. Police never recovered the money or most of the other items.

Edinger, in his police interview, “indicated that Bender told him the victim would be coming for marijuana,” Palko said, “and he was going to be in possession of a firearm.”

According to Edinger's account, Bender told him to “have a bat ready for that encounter.”

But Edinger acknowledged that the victim did not have a gun. At one point, he even went outside and looked in the victim's car but found no gun.

Palko said the victim recalled escaping the home and running to a neighbor's house for help. While running away, he heard an unknown voice yell “get in.” He then heard his car being driven away, allegedly by Bender and Edinger.

Palko said police later found the car crashed, up against a mailbox, just 40 yards from the home. Police also found all three defendants in the house, where they were taken into custody.

Following testimony, Edinger's court-appointed attorney, Gail Suhr, asked Stoughton to dismiss the charges against her client.

“Based on the testimony,” she said, “it seems like Mr. Edinger was just a bystander ... He did not seem to know that there was any kind of robbery or assault being planned.”

She argued that he also was under the impression that “somebody was coming to their house armed.”

But prosecutor Russ Karl, a county assistant district attorney, countered that Edinger was no innocent bystander. He was there with a bat.

“He's there while the robbery actually does occur, which means the property is being stolen,” Karl said. “He's with them after the property is stolen. He then does nothing to help assist with getting back any of the property.”

Public defender Maura Palumbi, who represented Bender, offered no argument about the charges. But, she said, “I think there's a lot more in discovery that needs to be uncovered.”

Bender remains in the Butler County Prison in lieu of $35,000 bond. Edinger and Hoffman are free on $25,000 bail and nonmonetary bond, respectively.