PENNSYLVANIA: State Police charged Leon James Charles with DUI homicide for killing his pal James Muse in I-81 crash

James Muse killed in this DUI crash in vehicle driven by Leon J. Charles.
Photo courtesy of WNEP

Pennsylvania State Police report that Leon J. Charles, of Kingston, Pa., was charged Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019, with causing a November crash that killed his passenger in Kline Township, Schuylkill County.

Leon John Charles, 49, also of Mount Rainier, Maryland, is charged with vehicular homicide, driving under the influence and other offenses in the Nov. 28 crash resulting in the Nov. 29 death of passenger James Muse, 48, of Glen Allen, Virginia, at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest.

At 6 a.m. Nov. 28, 2019, Police say that Charles was driving on Interstate 81 North, near milepost 139.2, when the vehicle entered the median and rolled over. Charged also with driving with a suspended or revoked license, Charles was held under $500,000 bail.

Misdemeanor charges included possession of a controlled substance and DUI of a controlled substance, and motor vehicle code violations of driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked, reckless driving and careless driving.

He was arraigned before on-call District Judge David Plachko, of Port Carbon, and committed to the county prison in Pottsville after failing to post $500,000 cash bail.

A passenger, James R. Muse, 48, of Glen Allen, Virginia, was injured and taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital. He died of his injuries on Nov. 29.

Leon John Charles, (DOB 07/23/1970) also has a residence at 512 Roosevelt Street, Kingston, Pa. according to Maryland court records when he was charged on May 3, 2019, in Prince Georges County Circuit Court with driving while suspended. The case was disposed of by Prince Georges County States Attorney Alisha Braveboy with a plea deal resulting in a verdict of Probation Before Judgement on Aug. 9, 2019.

In a 2018 drug arrest in Prince Georges County, Md., Charles was listed as being homeless.

Leon John Charles was found guilty on Nov. 7, 2003, in Prince Georges County Circuit Court of transporting, carrying and illegally wearing a firearm as a convicted felon.  At that time, Charles was living in Suitland, Md.