A Douglass Township man arrested for allegedly instigating a Memorial Day riot in the municipality will face seven fewer charges in Montgomery County Court. Last week, a Limerick district judge dismissed four criminal counts in the case against Brandon Dominic Cantamaglia.

            Prosecutors withdrew three additional counts during the Sept. 11 preliminary hearing. Three other defendants will face four fewer charges from the May 27 incident in Common Pleas Court.

            However, more than 70 percent of the original charges against the quartet of Boyertown area residents were held over by Richard H. Welsh, according to information posted on a state judicial website. A formal arraignment for all four defendants is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 6.

            Craig Cantamaglia, 58, and Brandon Dominic Cantamaglia, 21, both of Green Hill Road in Douglass Township, along with Tyler Cassel Alderfer 24, of Kauffman Lane in Colebrookdale, and Jeffrey Ala Alderfer, 21, of West Philadelphia Avenue in Boyertown Borough, will each face at least two felony riot charges when they are arraigned formally in Norristown. Jeffrey and Tyler Alderfer each face an additional first degree felony aggravated assault charge from the incident that occurred at the intersection of Green Hill and Hoffmansville roads.

            Brandon Cantamaglia allegedly displayed a gun during the incident, according to multiple police criminal complaints filed in the New Hanover court of District Judge Maurice Saylor.

            Last week, Welsh dismissed four original misdemeanor charges against Brandon Cantamaglia. They include two counts of possession of an instrument of crime and one each of making terroristic threats and disorderly conduct. The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office withdrew one of the three felony riot charges and two additional misdemeanors.

            Prosecutors withdrew one felony riot charge and a misdemeanor count of making terroristic threats against each of the defendants. The DA also pulled back a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge against Craig Cantamaglia. The judge dismissed a similar misdemeanor charge and one count of making terroristic threats, according information posted on the website.

            Craig and Brandon Cantamaglia Both are represented by Nathan John Schadler, a private attorney based in Eagleville.

            Additionally, Welsh dismissed two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct against Jeffrey Ala Alderfer – who is represented by Michael Peter Gottlieb, a Norristown lawyer – and one similar count against Tyler Cassel Alderfer. Prosecutors also withdrew a disorderly conduct charge against the latter defendant, who was represented by Timothy Woodward – a Norristown attorney and the husband of a local district judge – according to the legal documents.

            At 2:15 p.m. on May 27, a Douglass Township police officer responded to the intersection for a disturbance between two motorcyclists and a resident on Hoffmansville Road. A verbal altercation became physical and 9 to 12 people were eventually involved, according to the police criminal complaint against Craig Cantamaglia.

            Officer Andrew Poux, assisted by two officers from New Hanover, observed a group of people pushing, shoving and yelling in the middle of the intersection. Two motorcycles were parked in the street which forced traffic to be diverted, according to an affidavit of probable cause. 

            The officers stepped into the middle of the altercation and separated the parties. However, Craig and Brandon Cantamaglia attempted to usurp police authority in order to continue the altercation, according to legal paperwork.

            Officers secured a Smith and Wesson folding knife from Jeffrey Alderfer and the .45 caliber handgun from Brandon Cantamaglia, who told police he had a permit to carry it. However, an NCIC search of the weapon did not turn up an owner, according to court paperwork.

            Once additional units arrived at the scene to help with security and traffic control, Poux spoke to the victim, who said the situation came to a head after years of reckless behavior with motor vehicles by the Cantamaglias and their friends.

            On this day, the resident told the officer that Brandon Cantamaglia stopped his motorcycle near his home and made an obscene gesture. The victim then walked to the intersection and engaged in a verbal altercation with Brandon Cantamaglia, who lifted his shirt and displayed the weapon, the legal document states. 

            Brandon Cantamaglia then used a cell phone to summon his father, Craig, his mother, Tyler Alderfer and Jeffrey Alderfer to the scene. At this point, uninvolved bystanders began to contact 911 to request a police response. One neighbor recorded the incident, which shows Craig Cantamaglia shoving down a woman, Jeffrey Alderfer striking a man by swinging his motorcycle visor and his helmet and punching a commuter in the face for no good reason. The blow broke the man's jaw. The man, who had stopped his vehicle in an attempt to deescalate the situation, required major surgery for the placement of plates and screws in his jaw, according to the legal document.

            The recusal of Saylor led to the change of venue for the defendants.  All four cases were transferred on June 14. Saylor is not required to provide a reason for his recusal, according to an employee in the judge's office.

             The charges for all four defendants were also filed in the Red Hill court of District Judge Maureen Coggins on June 10 and closed 11 days later, according to information posted on the website.