York Co. Residents Indicted for Threatening Police Officers

HARRISBURG – In a chilling case of defiance against law enforcement, Chad Stoner, 28, and Emily Winand, 27, both residents of Conewago Township, York County, Pennsylvania, have been indicted on federal charges for threatening to injure police officers. The duo’s sinister plot was revealed after they allegedly used social media to broadcast their menacing intentions.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced the charges against Stoner and Winand following an investigation led by the Harrisburg Resident Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Northern York County Regional Police Department, and the West York Borough Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph J. Terz is handling the prosecution.

The indictment details how Stoner, a felon with a previous conviction for an offense punishable by more than one year in prison, was caught with three firearms on July 8, 2016. His partner-in-crime, Winand, is accused of using her YouTube account to post the incendiary video featuring Stoner’s threat against police officers.

Winand made her initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Susan E. Schwab in Harrisburg on December 9, 2016, while Stoner remains incarcerated at York County Prison on state charges. The indictment was unsealed on December 16, 2016, a week after Winand’s appearance.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, the charges against Stoner and Winand are serious. Stoner faces up to 20 years in federal prison, while Winand could be sentenced to 10 years. Both face fines and terms of supervised release following their sentences. The court will also consider a range of factors as dictated by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines when determining their final penalties.

As per standard legal procedures, these charges are merely allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Indictments and Criminal Informations do not predict actual sentences, which are determined by federal judges based on the specifics of each case.