September 05, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
BREAKING: This is a developing story and is subject to change.
(Tube City Almanac file photo)
McKeesport Area School District’s police chief has been charged with theft, forgery and other offenses related to the misuse of money from her former job at the state Attorney General’s office.
Westmoreland County investigators also allege that Brenda D. Sawyer, 61, of North Versailles Twp. misappropriated money from the community violence fund of the McKeesport unit of the NAACP, which she served as president.
The money was used to cover gambling debts at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and the Hollywood Casino at The Meadows in Washington County, a criminal complaint alleges.
Sawyer was arraigned Thursday evening at a district magistrate’s office on charges of theft by unlawful taking, obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence, forgery and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
She was being held Thursday night in Westmoreland County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bond pending a preliminary hearing Sept. 13 before Magisterial District Judge Henry Lee Moore in North Huntingdon Twp.
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September 05, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
BREAKING: This is a developing story and is subject to change.
A former McKeesport police detective diverted more than $1 million in dues and other funding from his Fraternal Order of Police lodge to support his Christy Park bar and restaurant, the state attorney general alleges.
Joseph A. Osinski, 55, of Haler Heights was charged Thursday by state investigators with using money from Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 91 to pay personal expenses as well as business expenses for his Christy Park business, Puzzlers Restaurant & Lounge on Walnut Street.
Puzzlers closed abruptly in July.
Osinski was placed on leave from the police department Friday when the city learned of the allegations, McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko said. He subsequently retired, Cherepko said, and is no longer employed by the police department.
McKeesport police Chief Mark Steele said there is “no concern whatsoever” about any missing funds from the police department.
Osinski is currently free on $50,000 bond pending a preliminary hearing Oct. 9 before Magisterial District Judge Patrick D. Campbell in Munhall. Court documents did not list an attorney for Osinski.
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September 03, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
The teen-aged suspect charged in connection with a homicide on Monday morning was released from jail less than a month ago after charges were withdrawn in a separate attempted homicide case.
Daemond Artemus, 17, of McKeesport is charged by Allegheny County police with homicide, carrying a firearm without a license and possession of a firearm by a minor in connection with the fatal shooting of Dylan C. Saula, 22, of North Versailles Twp. on a Downtown street.
He is being held without bail in the Allegheny County Jail pending a preliminary hearing Sept. 13.
County police allege that Artemus and a friend saw Saula driving through McKeesport on Monday morning and flagged him down to purchase narcotics. Once Saula stopped, police allege, Artemus and Saula got into the back seat of the car and the friend drove the two around.
That’s when police allege that Artemus produced a handgun and shot Saula once in the head. Police allege that Artemus told his friend to stop the car at the intersection of Lysle Boulevard and Sinclair Street, where Artemus is accused of shoving Saula’s body out of the car, then telling his friend “just drive.”
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September 02, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
(This is a developing story and is subject to change.)
Allegheny County police are investigating a shooting Monday morning that left a North Versailles Twp. man dead on Lysle Boulevard.
Police said first responders were called to the area near Sinclair Street just before 11 a.m. when callers reported that a man was down in the street. Police found the victim suffering from a gun shot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene, detectives said.
The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office has identified the victim as 22-year-old Dylan C. Saula of North Versailles.
On Monday night, Allegheny County police charged 17-year-old Daemond Artemus of McKeesport with homicide and firearm violations. Artemus was detained by McKeesport police shortly after the incident and was being held in the Allegheny County Jail awaiting arraignment, county police said.
Crews remained in the area for more than two hours processing the crime scene. The victim’s name has not yet been released.
Anyone with information concerning this incident is asked to call Allegheny County police at 1-833-ALL-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.
August 29, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for a fire that damaged four McKeesport police vehicles early Wednesday morning.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives is investigating the incident, along with McKeesport police and the Allegheny County fire marshal’s office.
The ATF announced the reward. Investigators said that arson is suspected.
The fire was reported just after 3 a.m. Wednesday in the municipal parking lot at the end of the Jerome Avenue Bridge and damaged four police vehicles. The vehicles were used as backup cars and were not in active use, city officials said.
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August 09, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
An East Hills woman faces a string of charges after McKeesport police arrested her and charged her with racing her car back and forth on Fifth Avenue and Lysle Boulevard on Wednesday night.
Jasmin Reese, 34, of Eymard Street, Pittsburgh, also is accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and assaulting the police officer who attempted to cite her. She is currently free on non-monetary bond pending a preliminary hearing Aug. 26 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.
In a criminal complaint, police state that an officer was monitoring traffic on Lysle Boulevard near Coursin Street around 10 p.m. when a maroon SUV with a loud muffler went east on Fifth Avenue at a high rate of speed.
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August 08, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A North Versailles Twp. teen-ager who was reported missing on Wednesday was found dead two hours later inside a Monroeville apartment.
Allegheny County police allege that Joselyn Thomas, 18, was shot fatally by Albert Williams III, 19, of Wilkinsburg inside a residence at the Cambridge Square Apartments off of Mosside Boulevard.
Wiliams is being held in the Allegheny County Jail without bond pending a preliminary hearing Aug. 23 in Pittsburgh Municipal Court. Thomas’s death has been ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.
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July 26, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
What county detectives described as a night of smoking marijuana and drinking tequila in Versailles Borough ended up with one man dead, multiple people taken to local hospitals, and a McKeesport police officer and police dog injured.
Robert F. Kail, 40, of Peters Twp., Washington County, was being held Friday afternoon in the Allegheny County Jail awaiting arraignment on charges that include homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault, burglary, assault on a police officer, assaulting a police animal and making terroristic threats.
The victim, Vincent “Vin” Bazzone, 38, of Versailles, was pronounced dead Thursday night at the scene of the violent incident from what Allegheny County police described as multiple stab wounds.
Kail is being held without bond pending a preliminary hearing Aug. 2 in Pittsburgh Municipal Court.
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July 11, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A city man is charged with driving under the influence and several moving violations after police said he drove the wrong way on a one-way street and struck a squad car.
Jose Rodriguez-Claudio, 42, is also charged by McKeesport police with speeding, reckless driving, careless driving, driving the wrong way and causing an accident. He is free on his own recognizance pending a preliminary hearing Sept. 16 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.
According to a criminal complaint, an officer was driving on Centennial Street, en route to a call on Grant Street, on the evening of July 7 when he observed a minivan heading toward him at “a high rate of speed.”
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July 11, 2024 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
Four teen-agers — aged 15 to 16 — are being held in the Allegheny County Jail in connection with an armed robbery last week at a Grandview Avenue convenience store.
At a hearing yesterday in Pittsburgh Municipal Court, the youths were ordered held in lieu of $5,000 bond pending a preliminary hearing July 24.
Pennsylvania law requires juveniles who are accused of using a weapon in commission of a felony to be charged as adults. Except in rare cases, Tube City Almanac does not publish the names of minors charged with crimes.
According to a criminal complaint, a group of three young men entered the convenience store on July 4 and a fourth stood outside as a lookout.
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