Fayette County government and jail officials among 30 indicted by grand jury
Alyssa Choiniere | 蘑菇视频
Fayette County District Attorney Rich Bower announces grand jury indictments against 30 people, including county officials and jail guards at a press conference Thursday. In background, from left are State Police Capt. Leo Hannon, Lt. Jeff Schaeffer and Tpr. Robert Broadwater.
Alyssa Choiniere | 蘑菇视频
Charges were filed in 12 cases against 30 people including county and jail officials following investigations by the Fayette County District Attorney蘑菇视频 Office, state police, Uniontown City Police and Connellsville Police.
Alyssa Choiniere | 蘑菇视频
Capt. Leo Hannon, head of the Western Organized Crime Unit of the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, discusses the investigations that led to charges filed against county jail and government officials during a press conference Thursday. In background, from left are Lt. Jeff Schaeffer and Tpr. Robert Broadwater.
Alyssa Choiniere | 蘑菇视频
Fayette County District Attorney蘑菇视频 Office, state police, Uniontown City Police and Connellsville Police conducted investigations that resulted in 30 people charged, including county and jail officials. From left are Fayette County Assistant District Attorneys Sean Lementowski and Christine DeMarco-Breeden, Connellsville Police Chief Bill Hammerle, Uniontown City Police Capt. David Rutter and Assistant District Attorney Melinda Dellarose.
Alyssa Choiniere | 蘑菇视频
Fayette County District Attorney Rich Bower discusses charges filed against 30 people, including county officials and jail guards at a press conference Thursday. From left are Connellsville Police Chief Bill Hammerle, Fayette County Assistant District Attorneys Sean Lementowski and Christine DeMarco-Breeden, Uniontown City Police Capt. David Rutter and Fayette County Detective John Marshall.
Alyssa Choiniere | 蘑菇视频
Fayette County District Attorney Rich Bower discusses charges filed against 30 people, including county officials and jail guards at a press conference Thursday. At right is Fayette County Detective John Marshall.
Fayette County government and county prison officials were among 30 indicted by a grand jury after the discovery of alleged corruption and a drug ring, county District Attorney Rich Bower announced Thursday.
The seven-month investigation, dubbed 鈥淥peration Clean Sweep,鈥� was conducted by the Fayette County district attorney蘑菇视频 office, the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Uniontown City Police and Connellsville Police, with the support and assistance of other law enforcement and government organizations, including the Fayette County Commissioners. Many of the charges are related to contraband in the Fayette County Prison and drug dealing inside and outside of the prison.
Bower requested an investigating grand jury for criminal activity within the county in December, following allegations reported to the office in November. President Judge John F. Wagner Jr. signed an order approving the grand jury in January, and 300 residents were first called to appear Feb. 24.
鈥淲hen we started this, we had no idea how deep the corruption was that we were going to find,鈥� Bower said at a Thursday morning press conference.
Among those charged are former Fayette County Prison Deputy Warden Michael Zavada, four former corrections officers, Cordavan Bussey, Riley Platt, Angela Powell and Scott Bush, former assistant to the court administrator Tammy Cable and former law clerk Ryan Marshall.
Captain Leo Hannon, head of the Western Organized Crime Unit of the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, lauded those involved with the investigation, and the officials who reported alleged corruption to law enforcement.
鈥淵ou just heard announced by Attorney Bower allegations of significant egregious misconduct perpetrated by individuals, some of whom held positions of significant power over others. You heard of acts of corruption 鈥� corruption that can corrode away trust in our public officials, corruption that can cause good people to feel cynicism toward a system put in place to protect and, indeed, to serve our society,鈥� Hannon said. 鈥淏ut you also heard of relentless pursuit by representatives of that same system 鈥� attorneys, detectives, police officers and troopers 鈥� whose insatiable thirst for justice drove them to honestly, objectively and tirelessly wade through mountains of potential evidence, and through good police work, present that evidence to a patient and equally honest and diligent grand jury.鈥�
Hannon and Bower said the investigation would not have been possible without officials within the system bringing light to the allegations.
鈥淭he individuals you see represented here today individually are strong, and joined, we can accomplish anything,鈥� Hannon said.
Bower said their work is far from over.
鈥淲e never knew the depth to which the drug activity was going on in the prison, and then we never knew that we had court personnel violating the trust of individuals that they worked with, but this is a deep-seated problem, and, very bluntly, corruption has gone on here, has gone unchecked for many years,鈥� Bower said.
An investigation by Connellsville Police Department will later be presented to the grand jury, he said, and a total of 30 additional cases are forthcoming. The grand jury investigation also led to two federal cases under investigation by the U.S. District Attorney蘑菇视频 Office.