Courts. (Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons)
Matthew Scharneck sentenced to probation after entering student’s room without permission, citing homelessness
A West Pottsgrove Township man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a felony count of criminal trespassing-entering a structure in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court for entering a student’s dorm room after wandering suspiciously around the campus of Ursinus College in December and sentenced to one year probation.
Matthew Tyler Scharneck, 29, of the 600 block of Holly Drive, was not prosecuted on a felony burglary charge, according to court records.
Scharneck was reported to authorities by Ursinus College campus safety on Dec. 10, 2024 after he wandered inside Isenberg Hall at 801 E. Main St. in Collegeville Borough, police said.
The victim told police that Scharneck was inside his dorm room and he did not know him and never gave him permission to be in his room, police said.
Police and campus security began searching for the defendant, who was found inside Thomas Hall at 800 Main Campus Drive on the school’s campus. The victim confirmed Scharneck was the man inside his dorm room, police said.
Scharneck was taken into custody without incident, and he admitted to being inside Isenberg Hall even if he had no right to be there, police said.
He told police he has been homeless for the past year but recently reconciled with his mother and will be staying with her in Stowe, police said.
Scharneck was represented by public defender John Pavloff.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
