A 54-year-old Rimersburg man has been ordered to serve up to a dozen years in state prison for a violent Brady Township home invasion that left an 82-year-old woman bound and robbed in her own house.
Herbert Dale Zellefrow Jr. pleaded guilty this week in Butler County court for his role in the May 2024 break-in. The judge sentenced him to 4 years, 6 months to 12 years behind bars, ordered him to pay restitution and court costs, and credited him with 639 days already served. The case triggered a multi-county search last year as law enforcement scrambled to track down the suspects.
How Investigators Say the Break-in Unfolded
According to WPXI, police say two men first showed up at the victim’s home posing as activists seeking signatures for a gun-rights petition. They allegedly came back the next day, claiming their vehicle had broken down and used that story to get inside.
Once in the house, investigators say, the men tied the woman’s hands behind her back, pointed firearms at her, and demanded $40,000. They then took cash, jewelry, firearms, and prescription medication before fleeing, leaving the 82-year-old bound in her own home.
Guilty Plea and Sentence for Zellefrow
Prosecutors charged Zellefrow in a sweeping case that included 24 felony counts tied to the break-in and seven counts involving illegal possession of the firearm used during the offense. He ultimately pleaded guilty to four of the felony counts from the home invasion and one firearm-related count.
The court imposed a sentence of 4 years, 6 months to 12 years, with 639 days of credit for time already served. Zellefrow was also ordered to pay $14,620 in fines, fees, and restitution, according to ButlerRadio.
Charges, Evidence and the Subsequent Manhunt
Court complaints in the case list charges that include robbery, burglary, theft, and false imprisonment. Investigators say phone records and caller ID traces helped link the suspects to the calls used to draw them back to the home.
Authorities report that one suspect led troopers on a cross-county pursuit before he was taken into custody. Officials say the threats and thefts involved in the Brady Township incident prompted an intensive response involving multiple jurisdictions. Those details and the full slate of charges are outlined in local reporting and court documents from ExploreClarion.
Co-defendant Sentenced Earlier This Year
Co-defendant Damean M. Felmlee was sentenced earlier in the year in connection with the same home invasion. In late January, he pleaded guilty to six counts stemming from the attack and received a combined sentence that included credit for time served and more than $15,000 in fines and costs, ButlerRadio reported.
Prosecutors also said Felmlee admitted to an attempted escape and to a retaliation-related charge that were folded into the broader prosecution.
