Levittown Woman Jailed For Burglarizing Former Roommate

LEVITTOWN, PA — A Levittown woman who pistol-whipped her former roommate while her boyfriend and another man ransacked the victim’s apartment in a December burglary has been sentenced to state prison, authorities said.

Tara Shiplee, 40, was sentenced Tuesday to serve 27 months to five years in state prison.

Shiplee admitted forcing her way into the victim’s unit in the Park Avenue Apartments in Bensalem on Dec. 26. The victim told police she had opened her door when she heard the doorbell because she thought her father was dropping off her children. But instead it was Shiplee and her accomplices, who pushed their way in, authorities said.

Bucks County Common Pleas Court Judge Wallace H. Bateman Jr. accepted her negotiated guilty plea to charges of aggravated assault, burglary, conspiracy, theft, terroristic threats and possessing an instrument of crime.

According to the Bucks County District Attorney's office, Shiplee pointed a small, silver handgun at the victim’s face and threatened to shoot her if she did not cooperate. The victim panicked and tried to run. Shipley stopped her, grabbed her by the hair, threw her to the floor, and pistol-whipped her in the head with what turned out to be a BB gun, the DA said.

A large flat-screen TV, an iPhone 6, a Firestick TV streaming device, and prescription slips for Xanax and Adderall were stolen during the burglary. The items were valued at an estimated $1,400, authorities said.

As she left, Shiplee threatened to kill the victim if she called police.

Shiplee’s boyfriend, Christopher Hannah, 37, was also sentenced for his role in the burglary, as well as two additional burglaries. Bateman sentenced Hannah, also a Levittown resident, was sentenced to serve 11 ½ to 23 months in the Bucks County Correctional Facility for the Dec. 26 burglary. Hannah also received a concurrent six to 23 months for twice burglarizing Penn Life Sciences in Falls Township.

Hannah pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, as well as conspiracy, theft, simple assault, terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person. He must also pay $27,000 in restitution for the industrial burglaries. He and Shiplee will share $1,330 in restitution owed to Shiplee’s former roommate.

Shiplee and Hannah also were placed on seven years of concurrent probation each, and were ordered to have no contact with the victims.

Image via Bucks County DA