Tag:

Criminal Justice

Life In Prison Could Be Avoided For Ex-Harrisburg Concertmaster In Child Rape Case: DA Life In Prison Could Be Avoided For Ex-Harrisburg Concertmaster In Child Rape Case: DA
Life In Prison Could Be Avoided For Ex-Harrisburg Concertmaster In Child Rape Case: DA The 58-year-old former Harrisburg Symphony concertmaster is facing life behind bars for the abhorrent rape of a child that lasted over a decade. But on Thursday, Feb. 13, authorities told Daily Voice that Odon J. Rathnam has been offered a plea deal that could spare him of that.  As previously reported by Daily Voice on July 25, 2024, Rathnam was charged with multiple felonies, including rape of a child and aggravated indecent assault. The victim, who came forward at 22, accused him of abusing her from age six to 17, causing severe physical injuries, according to an affidavit by D…
PA Teacher Marc Fogel Returns Home After Release From Russian Prison PA Teacher Marc Fogel Returns Home After Release From Russian Prison
PA Teacher Marc Fogel Returns Home After Release From Russian Prison Marc Fogel, a Pennsylvania teacher detained in Russia since 2021, is back in the United States following a negotiated exchange facilitated by President Donald J. Trump and his administration, officials announced on Tuesday, Feb. 12. Fogel, who had been serving a 14-year sentence for possessing medical marijuana prescribed for chronic pain, was freed after diplomatic efforts led by Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. His return follows years of advocacy from his family and lawmakers across the political spectrum. Fogel, Family Express Gratitude In his first public remarks since return…
Philadelphia Detective Who Beat False Murder Confession Out Of Innocent Man Sentenced Philadelphia Detective Who Beat False Murder Confession Out Of Innocent Man Sentenced
Philadelphia Detective Who Beat False Murder Confession Out Of Innocent Man Sentenced A former Philadelphia homicide detective has been sentenced to up to 64 months in prison for assaulting a suspect into falsely confessing to murder, then lying about it in court, authorities announced. James Pitts, 55, was sentenced to 32 to 64 months in a Pennsylvania state correctional facility after being convicted of two felony counts of perjury and three counts of obstructing administration of law, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s office confirmed on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Pitts was found guilty in July 2024 for his violent 2010 interrogation of Obina Onyiah, who ultimately …
Teen Guilty Of Fleeing PA Troopers With Guns, Drugs During Traffic Stop: DA Teen Guilty Of Fleeing PA Troopers With Guns, Drugs During Traffic Stop: DA
Teen Guilty Of Fleeing PA Troopers With Guns, Drugs During Traffic Stop: DA A 19-year-old Lancaster City man has been convicted of fleeing Pennsylvania State Troopers with a loaded gun and drugs during a traffic stop, prosecutors announced on Thursday, Feb. 6. Jalen Bowers-Livingston, of the 500 block of South Prince Street, was found guilty of delivery of a controlled substance, carrying a firearm without a license, violating a protection from abuse order, evading arrest, and other charges, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office. Bowers-Livingston was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for speeding along Willow Street Pike in West Lampeter To…
Children Having Sex With Dogs Among Pornography Shared By PA Man: Police Children Having Sex With Dogs Among Pornography Shared By PA Man: Police
Children Having Sex With Dogs Among Pornography Shared By PA Man: Police A Bensalem man is accused of sharing child pornography involving prepubescent children and animals through a Kik messaging account, authorities announced on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Terrel Roane, 21, was arrested following an investigation that began with a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) on Jan. 7, according to Bensalem Police. The tip alerted authorities that a Kik account under the name "Ruckybuckets" was distributing explicit files depicting an adult woman sexually abusing a young boy, as well as prepubescent children engaging in sex acts with dogs,…
GUILTY! NJ Man, Accomplice Murdered PA Man In Parked Car GUILTY! NJ Man, Accomplice Murdered PA Man In Parked Car
Guilty! NJ Man, Accomplice Murdered PA Man In Parked Car A Morrisville man was gunned down while sitting in a parked car with his family, and two men have now been convicted in his murder, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Following a two-week trial, a Bucks County jury found Breon D. McRae, 34, of Morrisville, and Pacqi S. Lassiter, 29, of Trenton, New Jersey, guilty of third-degree murder in the Dec. 22, 2022, killing of Clifton “CJ” Burgess-Williams Jr., 26, authorities said. Burgess-Williams was sitting in a parked car on Lenora Avenue with his sister, brother, and friend when eight shots were fire…
Murder-For-Hire Plot: PA Wife, Ex-Girlfriend Plotted To Kill Husband, DA Murder-For-Hire Plot: PA Wife, Ex-Girlfriend Plotted To Kill Husband, DA
Murder-For-Hire Plot: PA Wife, Ex-Girlfriend Plotted To Kill Husband, DA A Palmerton wife is accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot that ended with her husband's fatal shooting in a Whitehall Township parking lot, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced on Tuesday, Jan. 29. Brenda Rodriguez, 51, was arrested on Monday, Jan. 28, and is being held in Lehigh County Jail without bail. Rodriguez is charged with Criminal Solicitation – Criminal Homicide, Conspiracy – Aggravated Assault, and Aggravated Assault, all felonies of the first degree, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled fo…
Explicit Video Shown To Students, Threatened Teen By Pennsylvania Paraprofessional: DA Explicit Video Shown To Students, Threatened Teen By Pennsylvania Paraprofessional: DA
Explicit Video Shown To Students, Threatened Teen By Pennsylvania Paraprofessional: DA A Reading School District employee showed sexually explicit material to middle school students, inappropriately touched a 13-year-old boy, and threatened another teen, the Berks County District Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Stephanie Quintero-Ochoa, 19, of Reading, was charged with unlawful contact with a minor, indecent exposure, dissemination of explicit sexual material via electronic communication, corruption of minors, and endangering the welfare of children. The investigation began in December 2024 after multiple ChildLine reports alleged that Quintero-Ochoa was en…
Infant Assault Found In 2K+ Images On NJ Music Teacher Sentenced In PA: DA Infant Assault Found In 2K+ Images On NJ Music Teacher Sentenced In PA: DA
Infant Assault Found In 2K+ Images On NJ Music Teacher Sentenced In PA: DA A former Pennsbury School District music instructor who admitted to having thousands of child pornography images and videos has been sentenced to three years of probation, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. Christopher Bygott, 47, of Hamilton, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to felony charges of possession of child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility. Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey L. Finley also ordered Bygott to undergo sex offender treatment, barred him from having unsupervised contact with minors, and mandated hi…
Trump Justice Department To Investigate January 6 Prosecutors Trump Justice Department To Investigate January 6 Prosecutors
Trump Justice Department To Investigate January 6 Prosecutors The Trump administration will investigate prosecutors who oversaw the criminal cases against Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack defendants, according to a brand-new report. Earlier report - Trump Ends All Jan. 6 Cases With Pardons, Dismissals, Commutations, Signs Flurry Of Orders Calling the probe a "special project," Ed Martin, the acting US Attorney for Washington, DC, asked prosecutors to turn over notes, documents, files emails and other information related to the cases in an email on Monday, Jan. 27, the Wall Street Journal reports. Hours after being sworn in to a second non-consecuti…
ICE Enforcement Allowed At Schools, Churches Under New Trump Policy ICE Enforcement Allowed At Schools, Churches Under New Trump Policy
ICE Enforcement Allowed At Schools, Churches Under New Trump Policy Federal immigration authorities now have the ability to arrest individuals in and around  schools and churches — areas previously considered sensitive.  This new policy change involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, announced on the second day of the new Trump Administration on Tuesday, Jan/ 21 by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman and represents a significant shift from long-standing guidelines. “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest," Huffman said in a statement. "The Trump Administration …
Jehovah's Witness Sexually Abused Family Member Under 7 Years Old: PA AG (UPDATE) Jehovah's Witness Sexually Abused Family Member Under 7 Years Old: PA AG (UPDATE)
Jehovah's Witness Sexually Abused Family Member Under 7 Years Old: PA AG (Update) A former Jehovah’s Witness from Butler County has been convicted of sexually assaulting a young family member over several years, beginning when the victim was just seven, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced Friday, Jan. 17. Shaun Sheffer, 45, was found guilty this week of multiple charges, including rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, and corruption of minors, according to the AG's Office. The assaults took place between 1995 and 2000, during which Sheffer had a close relationship with the victim. Authorities said the abuse began wh…
Woman Fights Off Rape Attempt At PA Business: State Police Woman Fights Off Rape Attempt At PA Business: State Police
Woman Fights Off Rape Attempt At PA Business: State Police A Glen Mills man is accused of attempting to rape a woman at a Concord Township business before being apprehended nearby, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Patrick O'Shea, 46, was arrested after troopers responded to a report of an assault in progress at a business in the 200 block of Wilmington-West Chester Pike at 9:36 a.m., police said. The investigation revealed that O'Shea entered the business and began conversing with the woman, who was alone at the time, authorities said. When she entered a small room at the rear of the business, O'Shea allegedly followed, ph…
Arrest Of Guest After Room Service  Rape At Courtyard Marriott In Central PA, Police Say Arrest Of Guest After Room Service  Rape At Courtyard Marriott In Central PA, Police Say
Arrest Of Guest After Room Service Rape At Courtyard Marriott In Central PA, Police Say A Millersville man accused of raping a hotel employee has been arrested nearly a year after the assault, Lower Allen Township police announced. Michael Thomas Cates, 28, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals on Tuesday, Jan. 7, in connection to the February 2024 rape of a staff member at the Courtyard Marriott on Gettysburg Road in Mechanicsburg, police said. The assault occurred around 9:20 p.m. on Feb. 11, 2024, when the victim, a hotel employee, told police she had been serving a man later identified as Cates at the hotel bar. He asked her to bring food and drinks to his room, which sh…
Upper Leacock Township Man Sentenced To 5-10 Years For Assaulting Girl Upper Leacock Township Man Sentenced To 5-10 Years For Assaulting Girl
Upper Leacock Township Man Sentenced To 5-10 Years For Assaulting Girl An Upper Leacock Township man has been sentenced to five to 10 years in state prison after pleading guilty to indecently assaulting a 13-year-old girl, Lancaster County prosecutors announced. Gerald Stanley Hanna Jr., 48, was sentenced by Judge Dennis Reinaker following his guilty plea to multiple charges, including: Felony Corruption of Minors. Felony Aggravated Indecent Assault Without Consent. Felony Aggravated Indecent Assault of a Person Under 16. Felony Unlawful Contact with a Minor. Felony Indecent Assault of a Person Under 16. Hanna assaulted the girl at his home in the 200 block o…
Serial PA Bank Robber Caught Red-Handed Fleeing PNC Bank With $4K Cash: FBI Serial PA Bank Robber Caught Red-Handed Fleeing PNC Bank With $4K Cash: FBI
Serial PA Bank Robber Caught Red-Handed Fleeing PNC Bank With $4K Cash: FBI A suspected serial bank robber was apprehended moments after he fled the PNC Bank on Hulmeville Road with $4,000 in cash on Monday, Dec. 23, authorities announced on Tuesday, Dec. 24.  Marc Masich, 47, of Amherst, NY, was captured by officers outside the bank at 5:21 p.m. while carrying a gray-and-white bag containing the stolen money, according to Bensalem police. Masich had handed a teller a demand note similar to one used earlier that day at the TD Bank on Street Road, where he reportedly fled after being told cash was unavailable. He also attempted a robbery at the Santander Bank…
PA Sex Offender Assaulted Two Young Girls Over Three Years: Affidavit PA Sex Offender Assaulted Two Young Girls Over Three Years: Affidavit
PA Sex Offender Assaulted Two Young Girls Over Three Years: Affidavit A Middletown man convicted as a sexually violent predator in for assaulting a girl under 13 years old in 2017 has been accused of grooming and sexually assaulting two girls, ages 6 to 9, over a span of three years, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Timothy Joseph Miller, 34, abused his victims at multiple residences in Cumberland, Franklin, and Dauphin counties, police detailed in the affidavit of probable cause. Miller, who police say sent explicit messages and gave secret cell phones to his victims, is accused of committing these crimes from April 20…
Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA
Two Men Charged In Berks County Underage Human Trafficking Sting: DA Two men have been charged in connection with an undercover operation targeting underage human trafficking in Berks County, authorities announced on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Keith George Manwiller, 49, of Hummelstown, and Mathew Christian Koroma, 23, of Sinking Spring, were arrested during the sting conducted by the Berks County District Attorney’s Human Trafficking Task Force, according to Chief County Detective Michael Gombar. Both men are accused of responding to online ads placed by detectives on websites commonly used for sexual advertisements. The suspects allegedly agreed to meet and p…
PA Foster Mom Admits To Strangling Infant PA Foster Mom Admits To Strangling Infant
PA Foster Mom Admits To Strangling Infant A North Whitehall Township foster mother has admitted to asphyxiating and strangling a 1-year-old girl in her care, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Brenda Broadwater, 49, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a victim under 13 and endangering the welfare of children during a hearing before Judge Robert L. Steinberg. Both charges are felonies, and her plea agreement includes a minimum prison sentence capped at three years. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. The charges stem from a call to Pennsylvania State P…
Florida Man Traveled To Pennsylvania To Rape Child In Sting Operation: DA Florida Man Traveled To Pennsylvania To Rape Child In Sting Operation: DA
Florida Man Traveled To Pennsylvania To Rape Child In Sting Operation: DA A Florida man is behind bars after attempting to pay $300 to sexually assault a child in Chester County, the district attorney’s office announced on Tuesday, Dec. 3. **WARNING THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE DISTURBING** James Richards, 53, of Satellite Beach, Florida, was arrested on Nov. 30, 2024, as part of a sting operation by Chester County detectives. Authorities said Richards believed he was meeting a 9-year-old child and brought $300, lubrication jelly, and Skittles candy to a prearranged location where he was taken into custody. Richards is charged with Attempted Rape of a Child, Traffic…
Trump Taps Loyalist Kash Patel As FBI Director Trump Taps Loyalist Kash Patel As FBI Director
Trump Taps Loyalist Kash Patel As FBI Director President-elect Donald Trump announced that 44-year-old loyalist and New York native Kashyap “Kash” Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,  Trump described Patel as a "brilliant lawyer, investigator, and 'America First' fighter, in an announcement shared to social media on Sunday, Dec. 1. He praised Patel’s career of “exposing corruption, defending justice, and protecting the American people.” "He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution," Trump sai…
PA Kids Club Employee Who Showed 'Dark Web' Suicides To Boys He Assaulted Sentenced: DA PA Kids Club Employee Who Showed 'Dark Web' Suicides To Boys He Assaulted Sentenced: DA
PA Kids Club Employee Who Showed 'Dark Web' Suicides To Boys He Assaulted Sentenced: DA A former Neshaminy Kids Club worker was sentenced to 35 to 88 years in state prison for sexually assaulting seven boys and filming some of the abuse, Bucks County authorities announced on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. Gerald William Spoto, 42, of Disk Lane in Bristol Township, pleaded guilty in July to nearly three dozen charges for crimes committed between the late 1990s and 2023. He was also declared a sexually violent predator, requiring lifetime sex offender registration and treatment. These assaults of seven boys included "sleepovers" in New Jersey, Detectives with the Middletown Township Pol…
PA Man Shots, Kills Friend During Fight Over Video Game, DA Says PA Man Shots, Kills Friend During Fight Over Video Game, DA Says
PA Man Shots, Kills Friend During Fight Over Video Game, DA Says A 21-year-old man from Phoenixville has been charged with homicide following the fatal shooting of his friend in Schuylkill Township allegedly during a fight over a video game, authorities announced Friday, Nov. 8. Holden Hoffsis was arrested and charged with First Degree Murder, Third Degree Murder, and related offenses for allegedly shooting 21-year-old Daniel Gray in the chest during an argument early in the morning, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office and Schuylkill Township Police Department. Police were dispatched to a residence on Westhorpe Lane at approximatel…
More Family Members Charged For Child Rape, Incest, Lebanon County DA More Family Members Charged For Child Rape, Incest, Lebanon County DA
More Family Members Charged For Child Rape, Incest, Lebanon County DA A husband and wife have been arrested as part of a disturbing case of child rapes involving children as young as 5 years old, the Lebanon County District Attorney's Office detailed in a release on Friday, Nov. 1.  Katherine Theraisa Longo, 47, of Lebanon, was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 29, as Daily Voice previously reported. Shortly after news of her arrest was shared with Daily Voice, the DA informed us about charges of two more members of the Longo family. Kelly Longo, 43, and her husband, Christopher Longo, also 43, both of Lebanon are in the Lebanon County Prison after being arreste…
Central PA Man Arrested For Child Luring Attempt: Police Central PA Man Arrested For Child Luring Attempt: Police
Central PA Man Arrested For Child Luring Attempt: Police A 23-year-old man has been arrested following a "child luring" incident, Swatara Township police announced in a release on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Nestor Monsalve-Prieto of Harrisburg was charged with a Felony for Lure Child Into A Motor Vehicle on Thursday, Oct. 10, the police said and court documents confirmed.  The charge stems from an incident at Brisban and Kelso Streets in Paxtang Borough around 3:50 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, the Swatara Township Police detailed in the release.  Officers were called to a report of child luring and learned that a Hispanic man, they now b…
Red Lion Girl Raped Starting At 4-Years-Old: Affidavit Red Lion Girl Raped Starting At 4-Years-Old: Affidavit
James Arroyo Charged With Child Rape: Police A man has been arrested for sexually assaulting a girl for nearly a decade beginning when she was just 4-years-old, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice.  James Andrew Arroyo, 64, of Columbia, PA, is accused of sexually assaulting and raping a child victim from 1985 to 1994 in Windsor Township, York County, the police explained.  The girl first reported the abuse in 1994 when she was only 13-years-old, according to the police. Now in her early 40s, the woman was interviewed and shared graphic details of the abuse, according to the affidavit of probable cause. …
Amish PA Dad Sentenced For Raping Daughters: DA Amish PA Dad Sentenced For Raping Daughters: DA
Amish PA Dad Sentenced For Raping Daughters: DA An Amish dad has been sentenced after pleading guilty to raping his daughters repeatedly for his daughters over 18 years, the Lancaster County District Attorney's office announced and as detailed in court documents obtained by Daily Voice.  Amos Ebersol, 60, of the 500 block of South Fairmont Road, Ephrata, pleaded guilty to numerous felonies and misdemeanors for raping and sexually assaulting his daughters, which was accepted by Judge David Ashworth on Friday, Oct. 4, according to the DA. He was sentenced to spend 12 to 24 years in state prison.  Ebersol was charged with the fol…
Convict Sexually Assaults 2 Woman In Elizabethtown Parking Lot, Police  Say Convict Sexually Assaults 2 Woman In Elizabethtown Parking Lot, Police  Say
Convict Sexually Assaults 2 Woman In Elizabethtown Parking Lot, Police Say A convict was found with blood coming from his face in an Elizabethtown parking lot following two sexual assaults, borough police announced on Tuesday, Sept. 10.  Richard J. Copenhaver III, 29, of Mountville, was found in the 200 block of South Market Street in Elizabethtown Borough by Corporal Goshen and Officer John Stewart at 9:10 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, as detailed in a release.  Copenhaver had a "laceration to her nose and was covered in blood," as stated in the release, where police also noted he was "under the influence." Although he was uncooperative and resisted he…
3-Year-Old Ayla Miller Beaten To Death By PA Grandma Johnson: Affidavit 3-Year-Old Ayla Miller Beaten To Death By PA Grandma Johnson: Affidavit
3-Year-Old Ayla Miller Beaten To Death By PA Grandma Johnson: Affidavit A 56-year-old grandmother is accused of beating her 3-year-old granddaughter to death over Labor Day weekend, Pittsburgh Public Safety announced on Sunday, Sept. 1. Denise Johnson of Pittsburgh's North Side has been charged with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, aggravated assault, corruption of minors, and endangering the welfare of children, according to the police and court records.  The charges stem from an investigation by homicide detectives after her 3-year-old granddaughter Ayla Miller was found dead by other family members — including another child — in Johnson's apartment, as …
Convicted Child Rapist Extradited To PA From England: DA Convicted Child Rapist Extradited To PA From England: DA
Convicted Child Rapist Extradited To PA From England: DA A convicted child rapist was extradited to Pennsylvania from England after fleeing the country, authorities said. Gerard Zalewski, 41, skipped bail in April 2006 before his sentencing hearing on child rape charges, according to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent In Charge Wayne A. Jacobs. Zalewski was located 10 years later in Lancashire, England when he was convicted and sentenced to prison on charges similar to those he was convicted of in Montgomery County, they said on Tuesday, Aug. 27. An investigation r…
Western PA Man Convicted For Fake 'Kidnapping For Drugs' Plot: DA Western PA Man Convicted For Fake 'Kidnapping For Drugs' Plot: DA
Western PA Man Convicted For Fake 'Kidnapping For Drugs' Plot: DA A McKean County man was convicted on Friday, Aug. 23 in a fake "kidnapping for drugs" plot, authorities said. Tuesday Hale, formerly of Bradford, was found guilty of crimes related to the staged kidnapping in August 2023, according to District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer. The conviction followed a two-day jury trial at the McKean County Courthouse, she said. Hale was charged after the City of Bradford Police received a report from a Bradford man who had received messages – including a staged picture – from his girlfriend’s cell phone stating that his girlfriend had been kidn…