The Pennsylvania Attorney’s General’s Office filed charges against six people who it said were involved in an Arnold-based drug trafficking organization that operated in Allegheny, Westmoreland and Armstrong counties and Cleveland. Those charged Wednesday and Thursday were Michael Terrance Scott, 45, and Melinda Tavarez, 42, of Arnold; Joseph Michael Cook,
The former national leader of the Pagans motorcycle club will have an additional period of freedom before he must report to the Westmoreland County Prison to serve out the remaining months of his sentence on prior drug offenses. Dennis “Rooster” Katona, 54, of Hempfield was expected to turn himself in
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In-person visits with inmates at the Westmoreland County Prison will resume in June as officials ease restrictions enacted last year during the coronavirus pandemic.
Inmates have been limited to video visits with friends and family as the coronavirus surged through the community and inside the Hempfield lockup. Warden Bryan Kline said starting June 1, the facility will move to more normal operations with the resumption of several in-house social service programs.
A week later, in-person visits and work release programs will restart.
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The wife of Dennis “Rooster” Katona, the former national president of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, said Wednesday neither she nor her husband knows why Victor F. Steban repeatedly mentioned Rooster’s name as Steban was arraigned Tuesday in the shooting deaths of a Penn Township couple.
“We don’t know Victor Steban, never met him and have no link to him. We want the public to know we simply do not know this guy,” said Shari Katona of Hempfield.
And, she said, they don’t know why Steban may have shot at their home over the weekend.
Pa. firefighter charged with arson sent messages suggesting department prepare for blaze: report
Updated May 14, 2021;
A former firefighter from Westmoreland County was arrested this week, accused of setting an abandoned mobile home on fire and warning a neighboring fire department they might get called in.
Shawn Mann, 25, is charged with felony arson and misdemeanor reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, according to online court dockets.
TribLive reports crews were called to Brookville Road in North Huntingdon Township around 11:16 p.m. on April 27.
Citing the affidavit filed against Mann, TribLive reported that Mann admitted to investigators that he started the fire.
Concern grew when the chief of the Irwin Fire Department, which responded to the call and was Manns’ former firehouse, discovered Mann was making comments about his involvement in the fire.