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Matthew Weintraub

Deadly Police Shooting Of Bucks County Man Was 'Justified,' DA Says Deadly Police Shooting Of Bucks County Man Was 'Justified,' DA Says
Deadly Police Shooting Of Bucks County Man Was 'Justified,' DA Says Northampton Township police were "justified" when they killed 40-year-old Mark Chambers at his Churchville home last month, according to the District Attorney's Office.  Authorities have claimed Chambers was brandishing a knife when officers shot him multiple times at his Elm Street home around 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 5, Daily Voice reported.  Now, Bucks DA Matthew Weintraub says police were called by Chambers' mother after the 40-year-old cut his neck and threatened to jump from the roof.  Police said they found him standing in the doorway holding the knife and commanded him…
'Get Money Squad' Stole $250K In Wire From Philly Area Utility Poles: DA 'Get Money Squad' Stole $250K In Wire From Philly Area Utility Poles: DA
'Get Money Squad' Stole $250K In Wire From Philly Area Utility Poles: DA Authorities in Bucks County say they have taken down a criminal group that stole more than $250,000 in copper wiring from area utility poles.  Eight members of the so-called "Get Money Squad" are in police custody and a ninth is sought, said District Attorney Matthew Weintraub's office.  Investigators say the organization targeted Verizon poles in Makefield, Warminster, Bensalem, and Bristol.  The crew would "case" poles throughout lower Bucks, climb up them when the coast was clear, and "lop off" the wires, prosecutors said. On the ground, they would burn off the plastic coating and remo…
Cousin Stabbed Victim To Death While Mom Watched, PA Judge Finds Cousin Stabbed Victim To Death While Mom Watched, PA Judge Finds
Cousin Stabbed Victim To Death While Mom Watched, PA Judge Finds A man in Bucks County will serve prison time for the 2021 stabbing death of his own cousin, a judge ruled Tuesday, Aug. 1 following a two-day waiver trial.  David Joseph Jenner was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and related crimes, said Bucks District Attorney Matthew Weintraub's Office in a release.  According to evidence presented in court, 43-year-old Charlie R. Thomas Jr. and his mother allowed Jenner to stay with them months before the attack because he was a "distant relative" who "had nowhere else to go." “What happened after f…
84-Year-Old Driver Charged In Fatal Doylestown Hit-And-Run 84-Year-Old Driver Charged In Fatal Doylestown Hit-And-Run
84-Year-Old Driver Charged In Fatal Doylestown Hit-And-Run Bucks County prosecutors are charging an 84-year-old driver for the hit-and-run crash that killed a bicyclist in Doylestown early this year.  Anthony Caulfield was arraigned on Wednesday, June 28, and released on $75,000 unsecured bail, said District Attorney Matthew Weintraub's Office in a release.  The accident, authorities say, happened on Jan. 6 around 3 p.m. Sixty-four-year-old Francis Patrick Montgomery was riding his bike along North Broad Street, near the Central Bucks police building, when he was hit by a white Honda van, according to the DA's Office.  The…
Philly Tow Yard Operated Multi-Million Dollar Catalytic Converter Theft Ring: DA Philly Tow Yard Operated Multi-Million Dollar Catalytic Converter Theft Ring: DA
Philly Tow Yard Operated Multi-Million Dollar Catalytic Converter Theft Ring: DA A Philadelphia-based criminal organization involved in the mass theft of catalytic converters has been shut down, authorities announced in a press conference Tuesday, June 27.  Ten adults and one 17-year-old are accused of targeting cars across the Delaware Valley, said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub.  Catalytic converters, pollution control devices found on the bottom of gas-powered vehicles, are made with "rare and precious metals" that make tempting targets for thieves, and reports of stolen converters have "skyrocketed" across the region in recent years, the DA's Offi…
Killers Stalked Victim In 2020 Neighborhood Bucks County Feud: DA Killers Stalked Victim In 2020 Neighborhood Bucks County Feud: DA
Killers Stalked Victim In 2020 Neighborhood Bucks County Feud: DA Another person has been charged in a neighborhood feud that left a 28-year-old man dead in 2020, authorities in Bucks County announced. Kelvontae Nasheed Perry, 28, has been charged with murder in the December 2020 Bristol Township shooting death of Shaquille Love, Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said. Love, 21, was not involved in the feud, but he had a childhood friend associated with one of the feuding neighborhoods, police said. Quashaad Rodney James was also charged in the case after he lied to the Grand Jury under oath by falsely accusing another person as Love’s kill…
Man Told Witness To Call 911 Before Wife Shot Him Dead At Bristol Borough Wharf: DA Man Told Witness To Call 911 Before Wife Shot Him Dead At Bristol Borough Wharf: DA
Man Told Witness To Call 911 Before Wife Shot Him Dead At Bristol Borough Wharf: DA A Bucks County woman is charged with homicide after authorities say she shot her husband dead — while he lay defenseless — in the middle of an argument at the Bristol Borough Wharf.  It happened around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 30, said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub's Office in a release.  Witnesses told police that 40-year-old Sammar Khan and her husband, 38-year-old Faisal Iqbal, were having a conversation near the coastline when Khan began "speaking loudly in another language," the DA's Office wrote.  A short time later, witnesses reported hearing a …
Bucks Dad 'Violently Shook' 4-Month-Old Son To Death, DA Says Bucks Dad 'Violently Shook' 4-Month-Old Son To Death, DA Says
Bucks Dad 'Violently Shook' 4-Month-Old Son To Death, DA Says A Bucks County father is accused of killing his 4-month-old son, said District Attorney Matthew Weintraub's Office.  Tyler Sullivan, a 30-year-old Bristol resident, is charged with homicide and two counts of aggravated assault, the DA wrote in a release on Thursday, May 25.  It started the night before at 11:35 p.m. when Bristol police were called to the 1000 block of Radcliffe Street for an infant in cardiac arrest, authorities said. When they arrived, the 4-month-old child was "not breathing and cold to the touch," according to the release.  Officers performed life-saving …
'Explosive Devices' Found At Bucks County Residence: DA 'Explosive Devices' Found At Bucks County Residence: DA
'Explosive Devices' Found At Bucks County Residence: DA Multiple law enforcement organizations — including federal agents — were in Bucks County on Thursday after "explosive devices" were located at a residence, officials say.  It happened at a Morrisville home, said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub's Office in a release.  Authorities did not give an address but said that "a number of explosive devices" were collected Thursday morning.  "We can assure the public that there is no immediate threat to the community," the DA's Office wrote. An investigation is ongoing, they added. 
Bucks 20-Year-Old Pointed Fake Gun At Cops Before They Shot Him, DA Claims Bucks 20-Year-Old Pointed Fake Gun At Cops Before They Shot Him, DA Claims
Bucks 20-Year-Old Pointed Fake Gun At Cops Before They Shot Him, DA Claims The shooting of a 20-year-old man by Falls Township police nearly two months ago was a "justified" use of force, says the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.  On March 28, DA Matthew Weintraub said his office was investigating an "officer-involved shooting" during an early morning traffic stop in Levittown. A driver was accused of pointing a gun at police twice before allegedly "fleeing from police in his vehicle," prosecutors said at the time.  Now, in a statement from First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Schorn, the DA's Office said the policemen acted in accorda…
'That Baby Never Had A Chance': Bucks Dad Sentenced In Infant Son's Overdose Death 'That Baby Never Had A Chance': Bucks Dad Sentenced In Infant Son's Overdose Death
'That Baby Never Had A Chance': Bucks Dad Sentenced In Infant Son's Overdose Death A Bensalem father will spend up to two years behind bars for the fatal overdose of his 4-month-old son, a Bucks County judge has ruled.  Daniel S. Howarth was convicted of child endangerment, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia by Judge Gary B. Gilman after a two-day waiver trial that began on Monday, May 8, said District Attorney Matthew Weintraub in a release.  Gilman heard testimony from Bensalem police officers who responded to an Oak Avenue home on Jan. 7, 2022 for a call about an infant in cardiac arrest.  Body came…
'Killing Zone': Gunman Shot Witness's Boyfriend, Sister In Front Of Her, Bucks DA Says 'Killing Zone': Gunman Shot Witness's Boyfriend, Sister In Front Of Her, Bucks DA Says
'Killing Zone': Gunman Shot Witness's Boyfriend, Sister In Front Of Her, Bucks DA Says A Philadelphia man accused of killing two people in cold blood in 2007 — and then arranging for the murder of a witness from prison — was convicted of multiple felonies by a Bucks County jury this week, authorities say.  Alfonso Sanchez, 41, was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder as well as burglary, aggravated assault, and solicitation to commit murder on Monday, May 1, said Bucks District Attorney Matthew Weintraub's Office.  According to evidence and testimony presented in court, Sanchez was joined by Steven Miranda and Alex Martinez when he stoppe…
Ex-Wendy's Employee Stabbed Former Co-Worker To Death, Bucks Jury Finds Ex-Wendy's Employee Stabbed Former Co-Worker To Death, Bucks Jury Finds
Ex-Wendy's Employee Stabbed Former Co-Worker To Death, Bucks Jury Finds A former Wendy's employee who was fired after getting in a fight with a coworker sought vengeance by stabbing his former colleague to death, a Bucks County jury has ruled.  Dominique Harris, 31, of Philadelphia, was convicted of first-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime after two hours of jury deliberations, District Attorney Matthew Weintraub's Office said in a release.  Harris was employed at a Bensalem Wendy's until January 2022, when he was fired for fighting with co-worker Michael Pickens, prosecutors said.  Two months later, in the early morning hours o…
'He Should Never Be Free': Beth Capaldi's Daughter Torn Between Loving, Grieving Dad 'He Should Never Be Free': Beth Capaldi's Daughter Torn Between Loving, Grieving Dad
'He Should Never Be Free': Beth Capaldi's Daughter Torn Between Loving, Grieving Dad While Emma Capaldi can't help but feel both grief and love for the dear old dad she once knew, she hopes there's never a day he's free from prison. "My mother is dead, and my father killed her,” said Emma, whose dad, Stephen, recently learned his fate for the grisly killing of his wife, Elizabeth. "I have the love of friends, family, even strangers, but my own father took the person who loved me most... he should never be free from prison to finally leave my mother’s memory in peace." In a Bucks County courtroom on Tuesday, April 11, Stephen Capaldi pleaded guilty to killing his wife …
Bucks Son Put Fentanyl In Mom's Iced Tea, Shot Her Dead In Philadelphia: DA (UPDATE) Bucks Son Put Fentanyl In Mom's Iced Tea, Shot Her Dead In Philadelphia: DA (UPDATE)
Bucks Son Put Fentanyl In Mom's Iced Tea, Shot Her Dead In Philadelphia: DA (Update) A 28-year-old Bucks County man is accused of killing his mom by spiking her iced tea with fentanyl then killing her in Philadelphia over the weekend, authorities said. Sean Rivera, of the Morrisville section of Falls Township, drugged his 72-year-old mom, Carol J. Clark, before driving her to Philadelphia where he shot and killed her, Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said. Rivera left his mom's body in a shed, but officials found her early Monday morning, April 10, and pronounced her dead, Weintraub said. The investigation began on Sunday afternoon for a report of a do…
Late Caribbean Yacht Pirate Implicated In 1980 Bucks Murder: DA Late Caribbean Yacht Pirate Implicated In 1980 Bucks Murder: DA
Late Caribbean Yacht Pirate Implicated In 1980 Bucks Murder: DA After more than four decades, authorities in Bucks County say they have solved a cold case murder in Nockamixon Township. The 1980 killing of 34-year-old Richard Wheeler was carried out by German national Peter Marschner on the order of Bucks County methamphetamine dealer Leslie Schmidt, claimed District Attorney Matthew Weintraub in a release on Friday, March 31.  Both suspects have since died — Marschner in 2006 and Schmidt in 2022, according to Weintraub's office — but prosecutors and state police investigators say they have uncovered evidence that officially closes the case.  Accordin…
'Officer-Involved Shooting' Under Investigation In Levittown: DA 'Officer-Involved Shooting' Under Investigation In Levittown: DA
'Officer-Involved Shooting' Under Investigation In Levittown: DA The Bucks County District Attorney's Office is investigating after police shot a man in Falls Township on Tuesday, March 28.  It happened during an early-morning traffic stop, said DA Matthew Weintraub in a release. The driver allegedly "displayed a handgun" to Falls Township officers two separate times, and at one point, "fled from police in his vehicle," Weintraub claimed.  After shooting the man, police confiscated his firearm and rendered medical aid until paramedics were on-scene, according to the release. He was taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery, though his cond…
Former Bucks Cop Convicted Of Sexually Abusing Teen Boys Learns Sentence Former Bucks Cop Convicted Of Sexually Abusing Teen Boys Learns Sentence
Former Bucks Cop Convicted Of Sexually Abusing Teen Boys Learns Sentence The former Warminster police officer who was convicted of sexually abusing five boys will spend the next several decades behind bars, authorities say.  James Carey, 54, will serve 24.5 to 55 years in prison, said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub in a statement.  Carey, during his tenure with the Warminster Township Police Department in the 1980s and 1990s, was a D.A.R.E. officer working with school students, a volunteer firefighter, and ran a "troubled youth" program, according to the DA.  Prosecutors argued that Carey used these positions and his status as a…
Bucks Contractor Abused Homeowner's Son At Job Site, Jury Finds Bucks Contractor Abused Homeowner's Son At Job Site, Jury Finds
Bucks Contractor Abused Homeowner's Son At Job Site, Jury Finds A contractor in Bucks County awaits sentencing after being convicted of sexually assaulting the child of a client in 2021, officials say.  Jeffrey T. Lukens, 62, of Buckingham Township, was found guilty of felony indecent assault of a child under 13 and unlawful contact with a minor, said Bucks District Attorney Matthew Weintraub. The jury delivered its verdict Wednesday, March 15 following a three-day trial, the DA said.  In September 2021, jurors were told, Lukens was hired by a Newtown Township homeowner to remove bees from the basement. While on the site, prosecutors said…
California Trio Who Trafficked $1 Million Of Fentanyl In PA Headed To Prison California Trio Who Trafficked $1 Million Of Fentanyl In PA Headed To Prison
California Trio Who Trafficked $1 Million Of Fentanyl In PA Headed To Prison Three California men who were arrested in Bucks County last summer with over $1 million in fentanyl have pleaded guilty and are headed to prison, prosecutors say.  Nineteen-year-old Ramon Caro, 37-year-old Arturo Avila, and 22-year-old Alex Zaragoza each pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, possession, and conspiracy charges before Judge Wallace H. Bateman Jr. on Monday, March 13, District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said.  During a joint operation between Bensalem police and Drug Enforcement Administration's Philadelphia office, the three men were seen leaving a township hotel…
Road Rage Driver Who Ran Down Victim In PA McDonald's ID'd As NJ Man: Authorities Road Rage Driver Who Ran Down Victim In PA McDonald's ID'd As NJ Man: Authorities
Road Rage Driver Who Ran Down Victim In PA McDonald's ID'd As NJ Man: Authorities Over a month after 47-year-old Jason Smith of Levittown was run over and killed in the parking lot of a Bristol McDonald's, authorities say they found the driver responsible.  Daniel S. Dietrich, 45, of Palmyra, New Jersey, was arrested Friday, March 10, and charged with homicide, driving on a suspended license, and related counts, said Bucks District Attorney Matthew Weintraub.  Prosecutors say Smith and Dietrich had already been involved in a "driving incident" about a mile away before they both arrived at the 7700 Bristol Pike McDonald's at 4 p.m. on Feb. 5.  Police …
Bucks Teacher Tried To Meet Teen For Sex, DA Claims Bucks Teacher Tried To Meet Teen For Sex, DA Claims
Bucks Teacher Tried To Meet Teen For Sex, DA Claims A high school teacher in Bucks County faces felony charges after prosecutors say he tried to meet up with a minor for a sexual encounter.  Steven A. Struzinski, a 42-year-old Plumstead resident and a teacher at Council Rock North High School in Newtown, was arrested Thursday, March 9, and late released on a $25,000 cash bond, state court filings show.  According to Bucks District Attorney Matthew Weintraub, Struzinski came under investigation on March 1, when an unnamed individual told Buckingham Township police that they had "been posing as a 13-year-old boy and had engaged in a …
Suspect Groped, Stalked Teen On SEPTA Bus: Bucks DA Suspect Groped, Stalked Teen On SEPTA Bus: Bucks DA
Suspect Groped, Stalked Teen On SEPTA Bus: Bucks DA A teenage SEPTA commuter was harassed, stalked, and assaulted by another bus rider in Bucks County last month, prosecutors say.  Bensalem police were dispatched to Neshaminy Mall on Jan. 22, where a 17-year-old told them she had been groped and followed, District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said in a statement.  The girl said she had been followed by a man when she boarded a SEPTA bus at 10:30 a.m. that morning at Philadelphia's Frankford Terminal on her way to work. The man then sat down next to her so closely that "his body was touching hers," despite there being other available …
Dealer Sold Fentanyl-Laced Pill That Killed Victim: Bucks DA Dealer Sold Fentanyl-Laced Pill That Killed Victim: Bucks DA
Dealer Sold Fentanyl-Laced Pill That Killed Victim: Bucks DA A 24-year-old Bensalem man has been charged with selling a 23-year-old woman a fentanyl-laced pill that killed her in November 2022, authorities said. Shakur Ali Brisbon was arraigned Thursday, Feb. 23, and remanded to the Bucks County lockup on charges of drug delivery resulting in death, involuntary manslaughter, and related counts, said District Attorney Matthew Weintraub in a statement.  According to prosecutors, Bristol Township police were dispatched to a home on the 6900 block of Bristol-Emelie Road for a medical emergency at 4 a.m. last year on Nov. 24.  There, Olivia Sea…
Levittown Man Charged With Woman's Fatal Overdose, DA Says Levittown Man Charged With Woman's Fatal Overdose, DA Says
Levittown Man Charged With Woman's Fatal Overdose, DA Says A Levittown man is charged with a woman's fatal overdose in 2021, and prosecutors say he took more drugs before calling for help on her behalf.  Steven Yard, 31, is charged with drug delivery resulting in death, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and related offenses for the death of 39-year-old Mary Coyle, said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub in a statement.  Officials say that on Nov. 16, 2021, Falls Township police were called to a Yardley Avenue home at 11:15 p.m. They arrived to find Coyle dead and Yard "actively overdosing" on the floor next to…
Arsonist Who Killed 81-Year-Old Bucks Man Learns Sentence Arsonist Who Killed 81-Year-Old Bucks Man Learns Sentence
Arsonist Who Killed 81-Year-Old Bucks Man Learns Sentence The convicted arsonist who torched a Bucks County home and killed its 81-year-old owner will spend the rest of his life behind bars, a court has ruled.  Christopher Gillie, 62, of Lackawanna County, pleaded guilty in exchange for a life sentence without the possibility of parole on Tuesday, Feb. 7, said District Attorney Matthew Weintraub in a statement.  The charges stemmed from the 2021 fire that killed his girlfriend's father, 81-year-old Julius Drelick, in his Buckingham Township home. First responders were called to Drelick's 5777 Private Drive residence at 3 a.m. on Dec. 5 a…
Bucks McDonald's Hit-Run Victim Was Arguing With Driver: DA Bucks McDonald's Hit-Run Victim Was Arguing With Driver: DA
Bucks McDonald's Hit-Run Victim Was Arguing With Driver: DA Authorities in Bucks County have shed new light on the hit-and-run accident that killed a man in the parking lot of a Bristol Township McDonald's Sunday afternoon.  The victim was struck at the 7700 Bristol Pike restaurant just after 4 p.m. on Feb. 5, Daily Voice has reported. He was rushed to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.  He's now identified as Jason Smith, a 47-year-old Levittown resident, said District Attorney Matthew Weintraub at a press conference Monday, Feb. 6.  The DA also said that Smith and the driver who ran him over were "involved in…
Bucks Man Who Shot Police Chief During Standoff Sentenced Bucks Man Who Shot Police Chief During Standoff Sentenced
Bucks Man Who Shot Police Chief During Standoff Sentenced The Bucks County man who fired a shotgun at a police chief before engaging in a four-hour standoff with authorities will spend 15 to 30 years in prison.  Colin Petroziello, now 25, pleaded no contest in September to attempted murder, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, and a host of other felonies stemming from the summer 2021 incident, said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub in a statement Monday, Feb. 6.  As prosecutors argued in court, Petroziello was with his mother in their shared apartment at the Yardley Common Condominiums on Aug. 18, 2021 at 11 a.m., when his mom …
Driver Sought In Fatal Hit-Run At Bucks McDonald's: Police Driver Sought In Fatal Hit-Run At Bucks McDonald's: Police
Driver Sought In Fatal Hit-Run At Bucks McDonald's: Police Investigators are seeking the driver who they said hit and killed a pedestrian at a Levittown Mcdonald's before fleeing the scene. It happened in the parking lot at 7700 Bristol Pike just after 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 5, said Bristol Township police in a statement. The victim was rushed to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital where he later died from his injuries, they wrote.  The suspect vehicle is described as a four-door Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck circa 2013. The truck has a 4x4 sticker on either side of the bed and may be missing a black, oval-shaped cover for its fog light, they continu…
Bucks Felon Sentenced For Strangling, Beating Girlfriend Bucks Felon Sentenced For Strangling, Beating Girlfriend
Bucks Felon Sentenced For Strangling, Beating Girlfriend A Bucks County convict is going back to prison for beating, strangling, and threatening to kill his then-girlfriend, District Attorney Matthew Weintraub has announced.  Qadir Jones, a 31-year-old Doylestown resident, previously pleaded guilty in November to simple assault, strangulation, terroristic threats, and related charges stemming from a domestic incident early last year, the DA said.  On Jan. 11, 2022, police were called to the 400 block of Dogwood Lane in Richland Township by a woman who said she was being threatened with a knife. Authorities arrived to find the woman with…
Fake 'Marine' Who Conned Elderly Bucks Couple For $320K Learns Fate Fake 'Marine' Who Conned Elderly Bucks Couple For $320K Learns Fate
Fake 'Marine' Who Conned Elderly Bucks Couple For $320K Learns Fate The conman who posed as a US Marine Corps veteran to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from an elderly couple in Bucks County is going to prison.  Marc Cheeseman, a 50-year-old Silverdale resident, was sentenced to five to seven years in a Pennsylvania state prison in a hearing on Thursday, Jan. 19, District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said in a statement.  Cheeseman previously pleaded guilty in September to several felony theft charges and one misdemeanor count of impersonating a veteran, the DA said.  In court, prosecutors argued that he carried on a yearslong scheme t…