Ronald Postreich

A 73-year-old man was sentenced to jail Tuesday for attacking his Penn Township neighbor in 2017.

Ronald A. Postreich pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated assault and one count of defiant trespass, and county Judge William Shaffer sentenced him to a total of nine to 20 months in jail followed by 64 months of probation.

Pennsylvania law recognizes no difference between a plea of “guilty” and “no contest” for purposes of conviction and sentencing.

Postreich originally pleaded no contest in March 2019 to charges that he ambushed his neighbor with a Halloween-style mask while holding a rusty hatchet in one hand and a stun gun in the other on Oct. 18, 2017. But Postreich's sentencing was delayed several times after questions arose over his mental and physical health.

With a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation complete, Shaffer was able to sentence Postreich.

Postreich, who now lives in Gibsonia, initially was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, possessing an instrument of crime, possessing a prohibited offensive weapon and trespass.

As part of Postreich's plea deal, he must continue to have no contact with the victim and the victim's wife.

Under the plea deal Postreich accepted in March 2019, he is supposed to sell his house on Morgan Road, which is next door to the victim's property. Additionally, Postreich is not allowed to enter the Morgan Road residence alone or without permission from authorities.

Postreich's lawyer, Jerry Russo, previously told the court that his client's home is up for sale.

Postreich must also continue to take medications as required along with any treatment.

In September 2019, Postreich was scheduled to be sentenced, but Shaffer at the time declined.

“I have a defendant who entered a (no contest) and told presentence investigators that he did not do this, a victim who expressed ongoing safety concerns, and I'm supposed to fashion a sentence,” Shaffer said of his reasons for the sentencing delay, adding he needed to take all of the issues into consideration.

At the time, Assistant District Attorney Mark Lope requested that Shaffer sentence Postreich to jail for “this especially brutal attack that was premeditated,”

But Russo asked for a more lenient sentence of house arrest, citing his client's continual health issues and bipolar disorder diagnosis.

Shaffer rescheduled sentencing and ordered Postreich to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

During a hearing in 2017, the victim, Russell Callenberg, recounted the October attack. He said he was mowing the grass on a lawn tractor when suddenly he was knocked to the ground. Callenberg's glasses came off, but when he looked up he was able to see a man in a Halloween-style mask holding a rusty hatchet in one hand and a stun gun in the other.

“You think you're going to die,” Callenberg said.

He was treated for injuries at Butler Memorial Hospital. Within a week, he went for additional treatment at VA Butler Healthcare, where he was told that he had suffered a collapsed lung and fractured rib in the assault.

And at another hearing, he elaborated on the attack.

“I was knocked unconscious from behind, left completely vulnerable,” Callenberg said, adding that he is a Vietnam War veteran. “I thought I was going to die. I woke up with a man in a mask over me, putting his full force down on me.”

And as part of Postreich's sentence, he must pay Callenberg $498 for his medical co-pay and counseling fees.

While a possible motive for the incident was never discussed during court proceedings, police in their complaint mentioned “previous civil issues” between the men.

Court records at District Judge Sue Haggerty's office and the Butler County Courthouse showed a list of claims and counterclaims between the neighbors over the years involving matters of property damage, trespassing and Postreich's dogs.