Tag: July 2015
Donora Women Plead Guilty in Stolen Credit Card Plot
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A grim day in court as two Donora women, Kayla Doree Willis, 22, and Takeisha Lynn Martin, 22, faced the music for their role in a sinister plot to steal credit cards and cash in on the chaos. In a plea deal that sent chills down the spine of every consumer, Willis…
Cook Sentenced for DEA Property Theft in PA
PITTSBURGH – In a grim reminder of the corruption that can rear its head within law enforcement ranks, Holly A. Cook, 44, of Monongahela, PA, has been sentenced to one year probation and 50 hours of community service for her conviction of stealing $1,800 from the DEA. Cook’s crime came to light in June 2012…
Nichole Rankin Guilty
A Tire Hill, Pa., woman has pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, according to the United States Attorney David J. Hickton. Nichole L. Rankin, 25, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson. The guilty plea is in connection with a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams…
Deported Honduran Back in Court: Immigration Violation
Deported Honduran Back in Court: Immigration Violation ERIE, Pa. – Mario Roberto Villatoro-Castro, 38, of Yoro, Honduras, is facing federal charges after a grand jury indictment revealed a blatant disregard for U.S. immigration law. The indictment, announced today by United States Attorney David J. Hickton, accuses Villatoro-Castro of illegally re-entering the country after being previously…
Repeat Offender Stevens Nabbed With Illegal Pistol
PITTSBURGH, PA – Another career criminal walks the streets no more… at least, not freely. Byron Stevens, 33, of Pittsburgh, admitted in federal court today to being a convicted felon illegally packing heat. He pled guilty before United States District Judge Maurice B. Cohill, Jr., sealing his fate for possessing a .380 caliber AMT pistol…
Rodeo Ruse: PA Woman Admits Sprint Scam
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Susan Rowan, 39, of Vanderbilt, Pennsylvania, admitted in federal court today to a brazen scheme to defraud Sprint Communications, leveraging a fabricated identity and a mountain of lies. The plea brings an end, for now, to a case that reads more like a bad country western than a serious federal offense –…
Stafford Gets 37 Years for Sickening Crimes
ERIE, Pa. – Eric Lee Stafford, 33, formerly of Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, will spend the next 37 years behind bars after being sentenced in federal court today for offenses related to the sexual exploitation of children. The sentence, handed down by United States District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin, also includes lifetime supervised release, ensuring Stafford…
Pittsburgh Post Office Hit: Filbert Admits Robbery
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A brazen daylight robbery of the Bloomfield Post Office landed 50-year-old Joseph R. Filbert in federal court, where he finally admitted guilt this week. Filbert pleaded guilty to one count of robbery of a U.S. Post Office before United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak, bringing a close – though not a…
Jioio’s Owner Skims Cash, Faces Fed Tax Evasion Rap
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Greed and a blatant disregard for the law landed Jeanean C. Smith, the owner of Jioio’s Restaurants, in federal court today. Smith, a resident of Greensburg, Pa., pleaded guilty to one count of federal income tax evasion, admitting to a years-long scheme to cheat the government out of hundreds of thousands of…
Pittsburgh Dad Stole Siblings’ Life Insurance
GRIMY NEWS ALERT: Pittsburgh resident William R. Cook Sr., 34, has pleaded guilty in federal court for his despicable scheme to steal $117,307.77 from his own siblings’ life insurance benefits. Cook, who was the Postal Service employee Clarence Williams’ son, is accused of filling out forged federal forms, posing as his sister and two brothers,…
