Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 111
Massage parlor chief from Mt. Pleasant admits to human trafficking, promoting prostitutionVideo
A Chinese native who state prosecutors said ran a string of local massage parlors that were fronts for prostitution pleaded guilty Thursday to human trafficking offenses. Hui Xu, 45, also known as Sherry Caruso, of Mt. Pleasant operated four Tokyo Massage Parlors in Murrysville, Delmont and Monroeville, where police said...
Greensburg man gets jail time for grabbing girl, 9, by throat
A Greensburg man pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of child endangerment for a physical altercation in September with a 9-year-old girl. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani sentenced Roger E. Russell Jr., 64, to nine-to-23 months in jail as part of a plea bargain in which prosecutors...
Man gets probation for trying to run over ex-lover’s boyfriend in Derry Township
A former Greensburg man was ordered Wednesday to serve five years on probation for an attempt to run over a romantic rival with his car this year in Derry Township. Robert Kuszajewski, 28, now of Jeannette, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of simple assault, reckless endangerment and making terroristic threats...
Westmoreland dog owners warned of website selling fake dog licenses
Westmoreland County Treasurer Jared Squires on Wednesday warned residents to avoid a fraudulent website that is selling bogus dog licenses. Squires said the state Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement identified the bogus site as selling fake Pennsylvania dog licenses. Operators of the sham site paid internet search...
Jeannette man gets at least 6 years in prison for fatal Yukon DUI crash
A Jeannette man will serve at least six years in prison for his role in a fatal vehicle crash in March in which his 25-year-old passenger was killed. Trey L. Cue, 24, pleaded guilty Tuesday to homicide by vehicle, drunken driving and other offenses in connection with the crash that...
Former Leechburg police Chief Mike Diebold to remain in jail on parole violation
Former Leechburg police Chief Michael Diebold will remain in jail for an indefinite period pending a hearing to determine whether his parole will be revoked. Diebold, 42, a convicted sex offender, was jailed late last week after he was accused of accessing a social media site that specializes in sadomasochism....
Derry Township man to serve at least 8 years in jail for drug overdose death
A Derry Township man will serve at least eight years in prison for his role in the overdose death of a friend in early 2017. Eric B. Vogel Jr., 31, pleaded guilty in September to a charge of drug delivery resulting in death in connection with the overdose of 29-year-old...
Jeannette man gets 10 years probation for his brother’s overdose death
A Jeannette man will serve 10 years on probation for selling the drugs his younger brother used before he died of an overdose nearly three years ago. Markus McGowan, 32, was facing a potential 10-year prison term but, following testimony from his mother and a family friend, a Westmoreland County...
South Greensburg’s former secretary admits to stealing from elderly father to repay borough
In an attempt to avoid going to jail and repay money he embezzled from South Greensburg accounts, a former borough secretary stole more than $60,000 from his elderly father and then lied about it in court. On Monday, a contrite Dennis Lee Kunkle Jr. stood in a downtown courtroom and...
Former Leechburg police chief jailed again, accused of accessing porn website
A former Leechburg police chief — who was fired and prosecuted for seeking sex from what he thought was an underage girl — used his cellphone while meeting with a probation officer to access a website devoted to fetishes, bondage and sadomasochism, state investigators said in court. In doing so,...
Westmoreland County cashier resigns after being charged with bringing drugs into courthouseVideo
Westmoreland County’s Park Police typically arrest a person or two every month for bringing illegal drugs in to the downtown Greensburg courthouse. A recent arrest was the first time in recent memory that a county employee was the person who was charged, Chief Henry Fontana said Friday. “Everybody is subject...
Greensburg serial rapist loses appeal of 100-year prison sentence
A Greensburg man in prison for raping a teen-aged boy lost a legal appeal claiming his potential century-long sentence was excessive. Kenneth Richie, 64, pleaded guilty in 2013 to nine counts, including rape, in connection with sexual assaults against a 15-year-old boy in April 2011. Greensburg police said Richie developed...
Appeal denied for Donora man found guilty of assaulting pregnant girlfriend
A Westmoreland County judge on Thursday denied the appeal of a Donora man convicted earlier this year in a brutal assault against his pregnant girlfriend. In a 23-page opinion, Common Pleas Court Judge Rita Hathaway ruled there was no basis for the appeal filed by Travis Magash, who was convicted...
Woman sentenced in Greensburg torture slaying pleads for clemency
The Greensburg woman who testified against her roommates in connection with the 2010 torture slaying of a mentally disabled friend has applied for clemency, saying she wants to rejoin society. Amber Meidinger, 29, filed paperwork last month with the state’s Board of Pardons, seeking early termination of her 40- to...
Father of convicted cop killer has trial on intimidation charge delayed until February
The witness intimidation trial of the father of the Harrison man convicted of the murder of New Kensington police officer Brian Shaw has been delayed until February to allow the defense to investigate claims of new evidence. Just before a jury was to be selected to hear his case on...
Jury finds Youngwood man not guilty of serious assault charges
A Youngwood man was found not guilty Wednesday of all serious felony charges filed against him after he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in two separate attacks two years ago. Charles R. Agger Jr., who served as his own lawyer during the two-day trial, claimed he acted in self-defense....
Board certifies local election results in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County’s board of elections on Wednesday issued a final certification of results from last month’s municipal balloting. The board made official the results from township supervisor, borough and city councils, mayors and other municipal races, according to Elections Bureau Director Beth Lechman. Elections officials last week certified the results...
Trial begins for Youngwood man accused of twice attacking girlfriend
Renee Scott said she thought her life was about to end as she struggled but failed to pull away from her boyfriend as he sat atop her and clasped both hands around her throat. “I thought this was it. I couldn’t even fight. He was too overbearing on me,” Scott...
Penn Hills man described by police as ‘one-man crime spree’ gets 5 years in prison
A Penn Hills man will serve at least five years in prison for two incidents described by Westmoreland County prosecutors as “strikingly similar” to one in which a New Kensington police officer was shot and killed two years ago. Brandon M. Jeter, 20, pleaded guilty Monday to firearms offenses and...
Derry Township man pleads to drug charge in friend’s overdose death
A Derry Township man pleaded guilty Monday to selling doses of fentanyl-laced heroin blamed for the fatal overdose two years ago of his friend in a Greensburg apartment. Westmoreland County prosecutors charged Glenn A. Levtzow with drug delivery resulting in death and child endangerment in connection with the Nov. 18,...
Former Franklin Regional student pleads guilty in 2016 cyber attack case
A former Franklin Regional High School student pleaded guilty Monday to launching a cyber attack on the school’s computer network that disrupted servers at more than a dozen other local school districts and government offices. Police said Michaela G. King, 21, of Murrysville, was a high school senior in November...
Charges dropped against key witness who testified against convicted police killer Rahmael HoltVideo
Prosecutors on Monday dropped criminal charges against a man they said provided key testimony against convicted cop killer Rahmael Sal Holt, just weeks after insisting no deal had been promised for his cooperation. Tavon Harper, 29, had been in custody since his arrest following the November 2017 fatal shooting of...
Westmoreland native tapped to lead county lawyers association
Alahna O’Brien was one of more than 50 people who last summer submitted resumes to replace the Westmoreland Bar Association’s retiring executive director. “When she came into the room, we knew. What stood out is her energy and her people skills,” Joyce Novotny-Prettiman, president of the bar association board, said...
Jeannette residents say they still support Terrelle Pryor despite domestic fight, arrest
Jeannette was where Terrelle Pryor first became a football star. The day after news of his serious wounding during a domestic dispute at his Pittsburgh apartment, his hometown fans said they still have his back. “It’s unfortunate, but he’s done a lot of great things for Jeannette,” said Brooke Fornalczyk....
Fire damages Greensburg home; residents get out unharmed
Greensburg officials said a late morning blaze Saturday at a home on South Maple Avenue was caused by an overload of electrical appliances. Both residents of the two-story family home were able to escape the fire, which was reported shortly before noon and was quickly extinguished, Greensburg fire Chief Tom...
