Warrant issued for Liebetrau; Wilkes University increases security

Ed Lewis, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read

Apr. 19—WILKES-BARRE — A warrant for the arrest of former Wilkes University student Max August Liebetrau was issued Wednesday when Luzerne County Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr. revoked his bail, while the university imposed stricter enhancements when entering campus buildings.

Liebetrau, 22, of Butler Street, Kingston, failed to appear for the hearing held on a petition filed by Luzerne County District Attorney Samuel Sanguedolce and Assistant District Attorney Carly A. Levandoski.

Levandoski said Liebetrau violated bail conditions when he was released from custody following a preliminary hearing in Central Court on April 12.

Liebetrau was charged by Wilkes University police with threatening a male student inside the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center on campus and trespassing inside a residence on Somerset Drive, Hanover Township.

Wilkes University President Dr. Greg Cant in a letter sent to the campus community Wednesday outlined new procedures that require a Wilkes ID card to gain access to all campus buildings through May 31.

"It is important to know that this action is not in response to any specific threat. Recent safety issues locally and nationally have provided opportunities for us to examine best practices and implement new strategies to maintain a safe environment for our campus community," Cant stated.

The Sordoni Art Gallery at Wilkes University also imposed new guidelines requiring appointments to visit through May 13.

'He didn't follow through'

"The reasoning was there were certain bail conditions that were in place on the defendant he was to follow upon his release from custody," Levandoski said. "He did not follow through with those. We don't know his whereabouts at this point ... a condition of his bail was to live at a certain address.

"We're unable to locate him and he's not following through on bail conditions. Today's hearing was to get him into court, revoke his bail and put him back in custody since he didn't follow through on his end of the bargain and what he is required to do by the court," Levandoski added.

Sanguedolce and Levandoski said Liebetrau sent a text message to a witness stating, "pass a message onto (victim's name)," and failed to admit himself to an inpatient treatment facility.

The text message was in violation of his unsecured bail conditions.

Sanguedolce and Levandoski said there hasn't been a specific threat but Liebetrau sent "disturbing messages" that raises a concern for the safety of Wilkes University and for Liebetrau himself.

"He's sending disturbing text messages; nothing with any action involved but in this state that we are in with the university and students being a little on edge and without knowing his whereabouts, there is a concern," Levandoski noted.