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Criminal Justice

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…
PA Girl Raped Starting At 4-Years-Old: Affidavit PA Girl Raped Starting At 4-Years-Old: Affidavit
PA Girl Raped Starting At 4-Years-Old: Affidavit 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. …
Virginia Man Wanted In Delco Child Rape Case Arrested: Police Virginia Man Wanted In Delco Child Rape Case Arrested: Police
Virginia Man Wanted In Delco Child Rape Case Arrested: Police A Virginia man who was wanted in Delaware County for raping a child was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 8, according to police. Candelario Ochoa Bravo, 47, of Emporia, Virginia, was charged for raping a nine-year-old girl at a residence in Sharon Hill Borough in 2012, according to police documents. **WARNING THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE GRAPHIC** Bravo is accused of taking the girl from a bath, laying her on a bed, and performing oral sex on her in 2012, the criminal complaint states.  **WARNING THE ABOVE DETAILS ARE GRAPHIC** The girl reported the incident to police in 2017 and again more r…
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…
Philly Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At NJ Hotel: Feds Philly Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At NJ Hotel: Feds
Philly Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At NJ Hotel: Feds A Philadelphia man admitted to trying to hire a preteen girl as a prostitute and meet her at a New Jersey hotel, authorities said. Louis Goldenberg, 41, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 18, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. He was charged in September 2023 with attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. According to court documents and statements, Goldenberg started messaging an undercover agent posing as a middle-aged woman with a 12-year-old niece in August 2023. For the next month, Goldenberg continually expre…
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…
Former PA 8th Grade Teacher Accused Of  Sex Abuse With Former Student Former PA 8th Grade Teacher Accused Of  Sex Abuse With Former Student
Former PA 8th Grade Teacher Accused Of Sex Abuse With Former Student A former 8th-grade math teacher at a South Philadelphia school has been charged with unlawful contact with a teenage girl, records show. Michael O'Brien, 48, taught 8th grade math at the Christopher Columbus Charter School starting in 2021, the school told Daily Voice. Administrators immediately fired him after learning about his arrest.  He was taken into custody on Aug. 30, according to court records. The victim is a 16-year-old girl and was previously taught by O'Brien at the K-8 school, according to 6abc.com. The abuse happened multiple times in 2024, including in mid-July, t…
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…
Philly Woman With 15 Warrants Threatened To Kill Atlantic City Boardwalk Store Worker: Police Philly Woman With 15 Warrants Threatened To Kill Atlantic City Boardwalk Store Worker: Police
Philly Woman With 15 Warrants Threatened To Kill Atlantic City Boardwalk Store Worker: Police A wanted Philadelphia woman was accused of threatening to kill a worker at a store on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, authorities said. Fatima Gadson, 33, was arrested on Tuesday, Aug. 20, the Atlantic City Police Department said in a news release. She was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, simple assault, terrorist threats, and obstruction of justice. Police responded to a report of a fight involving a gun at a business on the 2500 block of the Boardwalk at around 11:39 a.m. The employee said Gadson blocked the store's entrance and spat on the employee when the two began argui…
Man Sentenced For Trying To Meet Girl For Sex In Bucks County: DA Man Sentenced For Trying To Meet Girl For Sex In Bucks County: DA
Man Sentenced For Trying To Meet Girl For Sex In Bucks County: DA A Pottstown man was sentenced to 8 ½ to 17 years in Pennsylvania State Prison for trying to meet a 12-year-old girl for sex in Bensalem Township, authorities said. Uturah Golson, 33, pleaded guilty in April to criminal attempt to commit rape of a child, criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and criminal solicitation to photograph or film a child sex act, according to the Bucks County District Attorney. Golson appeared before Common Pleas Judge Charissa J. Liller on Thursday, Aug. 1, and she sent him to state prison for up to 17 years. Additionally, she sentenced…
PA Mom Charged With Attempted Homicide Of Baby, Prosecutors Say PA Mom Charged With Attempted Homicide Of Baby, Prosecutors Say
PA Mom Charged With Attempted Homicide Of Baby, Prosecutors Say A Lansford woman is accused of "causing significant harm" to her infant, said the Northampton County District Attorney's Office.  Abigail Horn, 18, is charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and endangering the welfare of a child, prosecutors wrote in a release.  Witnesses told Bethlehem police in May that they saw Horn "smothering" the then-6-week-old child, according to authorities. Others said Horn caused the baby to "scream and gasp for air," and on a separate occasion, "squeezed the infant and caused the infant to scream in apparent pain." Photo evidence showed …
Bergen County Pastor Repeatedly Performed Sex Acts On Child: Criminal Complaint Bergen County Pastor Repeatedly Performed Sex Acts On Child: Criminal Complaint
Bergen County Pastor Repeatedly Performed Sex Acts On Child: Criminal Complaint A 74-year-old Paramus church pastor has been arrested and charged with 21 counts of sexual offenses for disturbing sexual assaults on a girl between ages 13 and 18 for years, authorities announced Friday, July 12. Stephen E. Sweet, the pastor at Grace's Lutheran Church in River Edge, became the center of an investigation on Thursday, July 11, on a tip that he'd sexually assaulted a juvenile in the past, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. ** WARNING: The following news article contains graphic and disturbing information. Reader discretion is advised ** Sweet sexually assaulted…
19-Year-Old Charged With Shooting Into Easton Home: Authorities 19-Year-Old Charged With Shooting Into Easton Home: Authorities
19-Year-Old Charged With Shooting Into Easton Home: Authorities A suspect is in police custody for firing a gun at an occupied home in Easton, officials said Thursday, July 11.  Jaishaun Wright-White, 19, was arrested at his S. 12th Street home, according to city police.  The shooting happened in broad daylight on Monday afternoon, July 1, authorities said previously. A masked suspect reportedly fired multiple rounds into a home on the 1200 block of Spruce Street in what police have described as a targeted attack.  Wright-White is charged with discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure and related counts and is being held on …
Lititz Sex Offender Called 'Dad' By 7-Year-Old Victim, DA Says Lititz Sex Offender Called 'Dad' By 7-Year-Old Victim, DA Says
Lititz Sex Offender Called 'Dad' By 7-Year-Old Victim, DA Says A 29-year-old registered sex offender has been sentenced yet again for sexual contact with a minor but this time the young victim was calling him "dad" at the trial, according to a release by the Lancaster District Attorney's office on Wednesday, June 27.  Derek Alan Manz, who recently had a Manheim address according to the Pennsylvania State Police Sex Offender Megan's Law registry, previously lived in the 400 block of West Marion Street, according to the DA's release. The Lititz address is where he was when he touched the "private parts" of a 7-year-old girl between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. …
Schuylkill County Man Faces Federal Meth Trafficking Charges Schuylkill County Man Faces Federal Meth Trafficking Charges
Schuylkill County Man Faces Federal Meth Trafficking Charges Federal prosecutors have accused a Schuylkill Haven resident of selling methamphetamine.  John Kyle Smith, 40, is charged with possession with intent to distribute, said the US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Prosecutors said the charges stem from an incident on Feb. 29.  If convicted, Smith could face up to 20 years in prison plus a period of supervised release and a fine, according to officials.  The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the state Attorney General's Bureau of Narcotics Investigations. 
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced
Member Of 'Hit List' Burglary Crew That Targeted Asian Homeowners In NJ, NY, PA Sentenced 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A member of a burglary ring that specifically targeted Asian-American small business owners in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware was sentenced to a plea-bargained 33 months in federal prison. James Hurt, 48, of New York, and other members of the second-story crew worked from what the FBI called a hit list of dozens of homes in the four states based on “stereotype and opportunity" from Dec. 2, 2016, to March 20, 2019. The burglars often got into homes through unsecured upper-floor windows before seeking out cash, jewelry and guns, the FBI said In one instance, th…
Daughter Rescues Adoptive Sister Bicycle Chained To Bed By Mom In PA: Affidavit Daughter Rescues Adoptive Sister Bicycle Chained To Bed By Mom In PA: Affidavit
Daughter Rescues Adoptive Sister Bicycle Chained To Bed By Mom In PA: Affidavit A Western Pennsylvania mom was caught by her biological daughter having chained her adoptive daughter to a bed with bicycle chains for approximately five days, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice.  Marylou Dewitt, 53 of Scottdale, was arrested following a police pursuit near Pittsburgh ending near the Fort Pitt Bridge, according to a release by the Pennsylvania State Police.  Dewitt's adult biological daughter contacted the police after she went to Sheetz for midnight snacks and returned home to hear screaming from an upstairs bedroom — where she found her care-de…