From staff reports

LEWISTOWN — A Mifflin County jury on Monday convicted an Allensville man of two counts of prohibited firearm possession following a trial he did not attend.

Henry Franklin Worthington Jr. was convicted after jurors deliberated for about 20 minutes, according to a news release from the Mifflin County district attorney’s office. Worthington was not present for the trial, and a bench warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Worthington was charged Aug. 14, 2024, after police found him in possession of a .223-caliber rifle and a muzzleloader. Because of prior convictions, Worthington is prohibited from owning firearms, testimony showed.

His bail was revoked, and authorities are seeking information about his whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to contact state police at 717-320-1010.

The trial was held before Mifflin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jonathan Reed. First Assistant District Attorney Mark Remy presented testimony from five witnesses.

According to the release, Mark Yoder testified that in 2023 Worthington assisted him with paperwork. Yoder said Worthington suggested accepting a firearm as payment rather than cash, and Yoder agreed, giving him a .223-caliber rifle and ammunition. Yoder later became concerned that Worthington might not be legally permitted to possess a firearm and reported the matter to police.

Shannon Himes testified that she witnessed Worthington take possession of the rifle in 2023 and reported the incident to police. Himes said Worthington later claimed during a recorded call that he had donated the rifle to the Allensville Fire Company for a raffle.

However, Lynn Fisher, chief of the Allensville Fire Company, testified that Worthington did not donate a rifle to the fire company.

A Pennsylvania State Police trooper testified that he obtained a search warrant for Worthington’s Allensville residence on Aug. 14, 2024. During the search, police found the rifle loaded and leaning against a fireplace in a second-floor bedroom. A muzzleloader containing a primer was also found in the room, along with personal items linking Worthington to the bedroom and the firearms.

Sentencing is scheduled for March.