Two recovering heroin addicts testified on Tuesday how they helped a Braddock police officer commit two burglaries in Westmoreland County and later blackmailed him for drugs and money.
The women, Billie Jo Fosnaught, 30, and Roxann Sheesley,the landscape oil paintings pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. 22, both of West Deer in Allegheny County, testified that the officer, James J. Scuffle, 29, of 9013 Oak St., Plum, took crack cocaine from the evidence room of the department to buy their silence.
After listening to the women's testimony and that of eight other witnesses yesterday during a five-hour preliminary hearing, Ligonier District Judge Denise Snyder Thiel ruled there is sufficient evidence for Scuffle to stand trial in connection with five criminal cases in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.
Scuffle, who was placed on unpaid adminstrative leave after his arrest last Wedneday by state police, is free after posting $100,000 bail.
His attorney, Lee Rothman of Pittsburgh, pleaded not guilty on behalf of Scuffle to multiple counts of theft, receiving stolen property,Als lichtbron wordt een offshore merchant account gebruikt, criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy, burglary, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence, insurance fraud and making false reports to law enforcement.If any food cube puzzle condition is poorer than those standards,
Fosnaught testified that she lived with Scuffle for five years before they broke up last spring just weeks before a 4 a.m. April 20 burglary of Laurel Highlands Campground in Donegal Township. She said she continued to live "on and off" at Scuffle's residence after the break-up and agreed to participate in the burglary because she and Sheesley needed cash.
"Initially, Roxann and I were in (Scuffle's) truck to act as lookouts while he went inside the building where there is an ATM. But he came back out and said he needed someone with smaller hands to get inside (the ATM)."
After Scuffle and Sheesley went back inside the clubhouse, Fosnaught said, two policemen pulled up and began questioning her. She testified Scuffle and Sheesley fled on foot and when the police began chasing the pair, she drove off in Scuffle's truck.
Fosnaught said she later met Scuffle and Sheesley near the turnpike interchange and they drove back to Plum. She testified Scuffle was worried that the police had obtained the license number from his 2002 Dodge Durango, and he decided he would report his vehicle stolen and that Fosnaught would admit to stealing it.
"I agreed to take the (criminal) charges because Jim couldn't take charges because of his job, and Roxann has a prior criminal record," Fosnaught testified.
Sheesley later testified that she disagreed with Scuffle's decision to have Fosnaught take the blame. She testified under cross-examination by Rothman that Fosnaught and she became romantically involved after Fosnaught broke up with Scuffle.
"Jim thought it would be good for Billie to take the blame, and me and Billie Jo battled over that," Sheesley said.
Under direct examination of Assistant District Attorney James Lazar, Sheesley said "Jim gave Billie Jo money, crack and rides" in return for keeping quiet about that burglary and another that Fosnaught committed in March 2010 at Stone & Co. in New Alexandria. A $2,795 motorcycle trailer was taken in that burglary,he believes the fire started after the lift's China ceramic tile blew, according to testimony.
The trailer was recovered outside Scuffle's house in Plum last week after he was arrested.
About five hours after the Donegal burglary, campground manager Dawn Rydle said she noticed a strange sport utility vehicle enter the campground and saw a man with a "hoodie jump out and retrieve tools" used in the burglary.
"It was definitely him," Rydle said as she pointed toward Scuffle, who was seated next to Rothman.
Rydle testified Scuffle had visited the clubhouse about a week before the burglary.
In July, Fosnaught testified that Scuffle gave her 20 to 30 packets of crack cocaine to sell as bond to help get Sheesley out of the Allegheny County Jail. She said she threatened him with reporting the burglaries to police before he provided the cocaine.
"He said, 'Let me go to the Braddock police station to see what I can do and meet me at the jail.' Later, out of a Braddock police evidence envelope, he handed me a glass jar containing all these plastic baggies of crack and said he never wanted to see me again," Fosnaught said.
Trooper Patrick Nied testified that after Scuffle's arrest, police acquired a search warrant to look through his Durango.
"We found a Braddock Police Department evidence envelope in between one of the seats, and there was still a small plastic baggie squeezed in the corner of it. We've sent the white powder inside the baggie to the crime lab to be analyzed," Nied testified.
Rothman argued that the evidence should not be considered at the hearing because it had not been tested and the incident at the jail in Pittsburgh occurred "several months ago."
"There's no evidence at all that this envelope is tied to that event," he argued. "This man was a police officer until Oct. 4 and handled evidence."
However, Thiel agreed with Lazar's argument that Nied's testimony about the recent discovery should be permitted and corroborated prior testimony from Fosnaught and Sheesley.
Thiel also heard testimony from Garrett Flotta, a resident of Tartan Court in Plum, who said he last confronted Scuffle about 3:30 a.m. May 14 when he caught him trying to enter unlocked vehicles in the neighborhood.
"(Scuffle) said he was with the Plum Underage Drinking Task Force ... and I asked where was the rest of the force. He said it was a roving force," Flotta said.
Flotta, who was carrying a two-by-four, said he asked Scuffle to provide an identification card, and Scuffle presented him with his driver's license and a Braddock Police Department identification.
Flotta said he remained skeptical, returned Scuffle's driver's license, but kept Scuffle's police identification card and telephoned Plum police. Scuffle fled.
Outside the courtroom, Fosnaught said she came forward at the urging of her family because she is facing criminal charges in Allegheny County in connection with her reportedly "false" admission to authorities there that she stole Scuffle's vehicle.
"I'm facing three charges that he did. I'll tell you that when all this was going on and I was living with him, he thought he was the greatest thing going," she said.
"He would tell me that he was the next greatest thing to God ... as a policeman he could give you freedom or take away your freedom," Fosnaught said.You will need to know ahead of time, exactly what type of Hong Kong business that you wish to setup. Many zentai will choose a subsidiary type of company as it gives them a great deal of protection over something like a branch office.
Rothman argued to Thiel that all charges should be dismissed because there was no independent evidence proving there were drugs involved or evidence logs indicating drugs were taken from the police department.
The women, Billie Jo Fosnaught, 30, and Roxann Sheesley,the landscape oil paintings pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. 22, both of West Deer in Allegheny County, testified that the officer, James J. Scuffle, 29, of 9013 Oak St., Plum, took crack cocaine from the evidence room of the department to buy their silence.
After listening to the women's testimony and that of eight other witnesses yesterday during a five-hour preliminary hearing, Ligonier District Judge Denise Snyder Thiel ruled there is sufficient evidence for Scuffle to stand trial in connection with five criminal cases in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.
Scuffle, who was placed on unpaid adminstrative leave after his arrest last Wedneday by state police, is free after posting $100,000 bail.
His attorney, Lee Rothman of Pittsburgh, pleaded not guilty on behalf of Scuffle to multiple counts of theft, receiving stolen property,Als lichtbron wordt een offshore merchant account gebruikt, criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy, burglary, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence, insurance fraud and making false reports to law enforcement.If any food cube puzzle condition is poorer than those standards,
Fosnaught testified that she lived with Scuffle for five years before they broke up last spring just weeks before a 4 a.m. April 20 burglary of Laurel Highlands Campground in Donegal Township. She said she continued to live "on and off" at Scuffle's residence after the break-up and agreed to participate in the burglary because she and Sheesley needed cash.
"Initially, Roxann and I were in (Scuffle's) truck to act as lookouts while he went inside the building where there is an ATM. But he came back out and said he needed someone with smaller hands to get inside (the ATM)."
After Scuffle and Sheesley went back inside the clubhouse, Fosnaught said, two policemen pulled up and began questioning her. She testified Scuffle and Sheesley fled on foot and when the police began chasing the pair, she drove off in Scuffle's truck.
Fosnaught said she later met Scuffle and Sheesley near the turnpike interchange and they drove back to Plum. She testified Scuffle was worried that the police had obtained the license number from his 2002 Dodge Durango, and he decided he would report his vehicle stolen and that Fosnaught would admit to stealing it.
"I agreed to take the (criminal) charges because Jim couldn't take charges because of his job, and Roxann has a prior criminal record," Fosnaught testified.
Sheesley later testified that she disagreed with Scuffle's decision to have Fosnaught take the blame. She testified under cross-examination by Rothman that Fosnaught and she became romantically involved after Fosnaught broke up with Scuffle.
"Jim thought it would be good for Billie to take the blame, and me and Billie Jo battled over that," Sheesley said.
Under direct examination of Assistant District Attorney James Lazar, Sheesley said "Jim gave Billie Jo money, crack and rides" in return for keeping quiet about that burglary and another that Fosnaught committed in March 2010 at Stone & Co. in New Alexandria. A $2,795 motorcycle trailer was taken in that burglary,he believes the fire started after the lift's China ceramic tile blew, according to testimony.
The trailer was recovered outside Scuffle's house in Plum last week after he was arrested.
About five hours after the Donegal burglary, campground manager Dawn Rydle said she noticed a strange sport utility vehicle enter the campground and saw a man with a "hoodie jump out and retrieve tools" used in the burglary.
"It was definitely him," Rydle said as she pointed toward Scuffle, who was seated next to Rothman.
Rydle testified Scuffle had visited the clubhouse about a week before the burglary.
In July, Fosnaught testified that Scuffle gave her 20 to 30 packets of crack cocaine to sell as bond to help get Sheesley out of the Allegheny County Jail. She said she threatened him with reporting the burglaries to police before he provided the cocaine.
"He said, 'Let me go to the Braddock police station to see what I can do and meet me at the jail.' Later, out of a Braddock police evidence envelope, he handed me a glass jar containing all these plastic baggies of crack and said he never wanted to see me again," Fosnaught said.
Trooper Patrick Nied testified that after Scuffle's arrest, police acquired a search warrant to look through his Durango.
"We found a Braddock Police Department evidence envelope in between one of the seats, and there was still a small plastic baggie squeezed in the corner of it. We've sent the white powder inside the baggie to the crime lab to be analyzed," Nied testified.
Rothman argued that the evidence should not be considered at the hearing because it had not been tested and the incident at the jail in Pittsburgh occurred "several months ago."
"There's no evidence at all that this envelope is tied to that event," he argued. "This man was a police officer until Oct. 4 and handled evidence."
However, Thiel agreed with Lazar's argument that Nied's testimony about the recent discovery should be permitted and corroborated prior testimony from Fosnaught and Sheesley.
Thiel also heard testimony from Garrett Flotta, a resident of Tartan Court in Plum, who said he last confronted Scuffle about 3:30 a.m. May 14 when he caught him trying to enter unlocked vehicles in the neighborhood.
"(Scuffle) said he was with the Plum Underage Drinking Task Force ... and I asked where was the rest of the force. He said it was a roving force," Flotta said.
Flotta, who was carrying a two-by-four, said he asked Scuffle to provide an identification card, and Scuffle presented him with his driver's license and a Braddock Police Department identification.
Flotta said he remained skeptical, returned Scuffle's driver's license, but kept Scuffle's police identification card and telephoned Plum police. Scuffle fled.
Outside the courtroom, Fosnaught said she came forward at the urging of her family because she is facing criminal charges in Allegheny County in connection with her reportedly "false" admission to authorities there that she stole Scuffle's vehicle.
"I'm facing three charges that he did. I'll tell you that when all this was going on and I was living with him, he thought he was the greatest thing going," she said.
"He would tell me that he was the next greatest thing to God ... as a policeman he could give you freedom or take away your freedom," Fosnaught said.You will need to know ahead of time, exactly what type of Hong Kong business that you wish to setup. Many zentai will choose a subsidiary type of company as it gives them a great deal of protection over something like a branch office.
Rothman argued to Thiel that all charges should be dismissed because there was no independent evidence proving there were drugs involved or evidence logs indicating drugs were taken from the police department.
没有评论:
发表评论