Greensburg, PA – Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli, in cooperation with Westmoreland County Detectives, announce criminal charges filed against former Greensburg Police Chief Shawn Denning.

Following the federal indictment and arrest of Denning, Greensburg City Police Department sought the need and requested an audit of the evidence room to preserve the integrity and credibility of department investigations.

Chief County Detective Ronald Zona and Detectives John Swartz and Todd Roach performed an audit of the evidence room and a separate storage space designated for the destruction of evidence in February of 2023.

After a thorough investigation of all of the evidence, current and slated for destruction, county detectives found a single backpack containing a various number of illegal steroids and suspected psilocybin mushrooms missing.

Denning had access to the evidence room and the destruction of evidence as the chief.

The backpack was part of a drug case in which Denning was the investigating officer.

Upon further investigation, that case involving the backpack was classified as previously closed.

The backpack was slated for destruction, but was never actually destroyed and detectives were not able to locate the backpack or its contents.

Due to the outcome of the audit, Westmoreland County Detectives are filing charges of theft by unlawful taking or disposition, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and tampering with public records or information.

Disclaimer: To the extent that pending criminal matters are discussed, all such charges are merely accusations and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.