Rich Cholodofsky stories, Page 22
Jeannette man not guilty of ordering teen brother to shoot adversary
A Westmoreland County jury on Thursday cleared a Jeannette man of allegations that he ordered his teenage brother to shoot his opponent after losing a street fight nearly four years ago. Following just one of hour deliberations, jurors returned not guilty verdicts for all five counts against Brandon Ingram. Ingram,...
Jury finds Monessen man not guilty of rape, sex assault charges
A Monessen man was acquitted of sexual assault charges on Wednesday. After nearly two hours of deliberations by a Westmoreland County jury, Jerry Francis Griest, 63, was found not guilty of three charges in connection with allegations made by an autistic woman who claimed she was raped after she rejected...
Defense claims Mt. Pleasant woman’s drinking not the cause of crash that injured pedestrians
Westmoreland County prosecutors contend a Mt. Pleasant woman was severely drunk when she drove her sports utility vehicle off the road and struck two pedestrians in early July 2020. Assistant District Attorney Theresa Miller-Sporrer told jurors on Wednesday that Elizabeth Sirianni’s decision to drive home after drinking at two local...
Trial begins for brother accused of ordering gunfire that started Jeannette shootout
Terra Dudley knew her son was in trouble but hesitated when she pulled out a gun to defend him as he fled from a barrage of bullets. She then fired at the teenage boy who had taken aim at her 17-year-old son, James Sanders. “My heart broke. I had just...
Trial begins for Monessen man accused of sexually assaulting autistic woman
The lawyer for a Monessen man told a Westmoreland County jury that a sexual relationship between his client and a Rostraver woman more than two years ago was consensual. Jerry Francis Griest, 63, is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault in...
Commissioners look to ‘retool’ Westmoreland election bureau
The search for a new director of Westmoreland County’s election bureau could begin in earnest this month as officials said Monday they want to have a new leadership team in place before the May primary. Former director Greg McCloskey retired in December, leaving a vacancy officials have yet to begin...
North Belle Vernon man accused of withholding dog’s medical care pleads guilty
A North Belle Vernon man will serve six years on probation after he pleaded guilty Friday to animal cruelty charges. Westmoreland County prosecutors said Dan Karbowsky, 55, intentionally withheld medical care for his aging and cancer-ridden dog. According to prosecutors, humane officers went to Karbowsky’s home in March 2022 and...
Arnold man who killed intruder in self-defense could serve 17 years in prison for firearms violations
An Arnold man who admitted to fatally shooting a home intruder in self-defense was sentenced Friday to serve up to 17 years in prison because he wasn’t allowed to own guns. Malique Jamal Black, 26, pleaded guilty in October to weapons and drug charges in three cases dating to 2022...
‘There is no such thing as a non-political decision,’ Duquesne prof says of Biden’s U.S. Steel decision
The intersection of politics and national security likely played a role in President Joe Biden’s decision to reject the proposed sale of U.S. Steel to a Japanese company, according to experts. The White House announcement Friday morning to halt the nearly $15 billion deal to transfer ownership of the iconic...
