Former Greensburg police chief, veteran cop expected to plead guilty to federal drug charges

Shawn Denning, the former police chief in Greensburg, and retired patrol Officer Regina McAtee are expected to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with drug investigations, court paperwork shows.

Denning, 42, of Delmont was arrested by federal investigators in January 2023. Charges filed against him Wednesday included conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine; two counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine; and three counts of aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.

Defense attorney Steven C. Townsend confirmed Denning had been charged but declined further comment Thursday morning.

Also Wednesday, authorities charged McAtee in federal court with a single count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

She and Denning worked together at Greensburg’s department.

An order signed Thursday by a federal judge indicated Denning will be waiving an indictment on April 16. Another order filed Thursday said McAtee is expected to waive an indictment on May 1 and will plead guilty.

An attorney for McAtee declined to comment.

McAtee is accused of drug violations between November 2020 and January 2023. She was suspended from work after Denning’s arrest and retired in July. She had been with the department for 19 years. The Trib asked about the status of her pension and was told by city officials to file a request under the Right-To-Know Law. That request was being filed.

City solicitor Zachary Kansler said the city was not involved in the investigation of McAtee. He declined to comment on her arrest.

“Ms. McAtee’s personnel-related matters are not subject to disclosure,” Kansler wrote via email.

Those matters didn’t affect any Greensburg Police Department cases or investigations, he said. Kansler acknowledged the impact the arrests have had on the city.

“Obviously, this entire saga has been a surprise to the city,” he said. “To say public officials and fellow employees were shocked about what transpired in these individuals’ private lives would be an understatement.”

Kansler said the city has reviewed the police department’s policies and procedures, and officials are confident in the force. Mayor Robb Bell was not available, and police Chief Charles Irvin declined to comment.

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Bruce Antkowiak, a law professor at Saint Vincent College in Unity, said the type of hearing both suspects are scheduled for is indicative of the culmination of ongoing discussions among the parties. He said he expects guilty pleas to be entered during the hearings.

“It’s an expedited way of reaching a conclusion without going through the grand jury process,” he said.

Denning is accused of communicating with an informant starting in July 2021 and connecting that person with drug dealers in California to buy cocaine and methamphetamine. That would continue for 15 months, according to court papers.

A Marines veteran, Denning was arrested at Greensburg City Hall and resigned in January 2023.

The original complaint filed in January 2023 in Pittsburgh federal court by the Drug Enforcement Administration laid out evidence of Denning reportedly acting as middle man between the informant and dealers in California. They included conversations between the pair on smartphone apps where Denning is accused of providing contact information for the out-of-state suppliers and a “menu” of their available drugs, as well as how to transmit money to them electronically.

Denning vouched for the suppliers, and the DEA provided the informant with money to place orders, according to the complaint. The mailed packages that were confiscated contained drugs, authorities said.

Denning joined the force in 2008. He was appointed captain in September 2020, his third promotion in four years. In January 2022, he took over as interim chief and officially was tapped to lead the department two months later.

He and McAtee face potential prison sentences, according to court filings. Antkowiak said he would expect them to be sentenced at a later date, after pre-sentence investigations are complete.

Denning is awaiting court action in a case filed by Westmoreland County detectives in connection with a backpack containing suspected steroids and psilocybin mushrooms that was missing from the Greensburg police evidence room.