Greensburg strong-arm robbery suspect sentenced to jail, drug rehab

A Mercer County man will serve up to 23 months in jail for the robbery of a stranger they offered to drive home from a Greensburg home last year.

Nikolaus A. Beers, 41, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of robbery and theft in connection with an Jan. 21, 2020 incident in which police said a Greensburg man was injured during an incident on Battleboro Drive that left him without pants, his wallet and a cell phone.

Police said Beers and Jonathan Stewart Kostial attended a gathering at the home of a man they met while serving together in a drug rehabilitation program. They offered their accuser a ride home.

As their passenger rode in the backseat of an SUV he was choked by Kostial, forced to take off his pants, turnover his wallet and cell phone to Beers and thrown out of the vehicle, police said.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani sentenced Beers to serve 5-to-23 months in jail and an additional five years on probation. Beers was not given credit for the more than 13 months he served in jail following his arrest last year.

The judge ordered that Beers is to be paroled to a drug and alcohol treatment program on Dec. 28.

Beers denied attacked his accuser.

“I never physically put my hands on that person,” Beers said.

Strangulation, reckless endangerment, conspiracy and receiving stolen property counts were dismissed.

Kostial, 28, of Moon Township, pleaded guilty last year to one count of theft. He was sentenced to serve five years on probation. Robbery and strangulation charges were dismissed.