Latest news with #PennsylvaniaStatePolice
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Man tries killing ex-landlord with explosive device under lawnmower, PA cops say
A man planted an explosive device under his former landlord's lawnmower, causing it to explode as the property manager was riding it, Pennsylvania authorities say. Troopers are now searching for the former tenant, 54-year-old James Sever, who was evicted from the Salem Township property in June, Pennsylvania State Police said July 25. He is charged with attempted criminal homicide. The property owner told troopers he started his riding mower on July 20 in his garage and left it idle for about 10 seconds, according to an affidavit of probable cause. After he began to drive the mower forward, 'a loud explosion occurred, jolting him forward,' state police said. Troopers said the man jumped off the mower and ran outside. He told investigators he believed it was a bomb underneath the mower. Another man doing yardwork heard the explosion, then ran into the garage to turn off the mower, according to state police. He noticed a wooden cat box was on fire and dragged it outside. When troopers interviewed the property manager, they learned he had evicted Sever in June and Sever told him, 'You're going to end up getting yourself hurt over this,' according to the affidavit. A search warrant was executed on Sever's phone number, which troopers said showed he was near the property a day before the explosion. Tire tracks that investigators said appeared to be from his Dodge Ram were also visible nearby. Troopers located Sever's truck later in the day July 20 and searched inside, finding zip tie cords identical to ones found within the shrapnel in the garage, investigators said. Witnesses in contact with Sever also noticed signs of his alleged involvement in the incident. A woman who lives nearby said she saw Sever 'acting nervous and erratic' on July 20, according to state police. A man who lived in the same building as Sever said Sever was 'upset at the property manager' in 2023 and made threats that he would 'blow that ... up,' court records show. Sever faces 10 charges, including attempted criminal homicide and aggravated assault, court records show. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. Salem Township is about a 30-mile drive east from Pittsburgh.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Woman killed in crash on Rt. 40 in Henry Clay Township
A woman was killed early Sunday morning in a crash along Rt. 40 in Henry Clay Township. Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker said Sunday that his office was called to the scene of the crash where 20-year-old Zoey Baughman, of Chambersburg, was pronounced dead. Fayette County dispatchers told KDKA the crash happened just after 3 a.m. Sunday. "Please remember Zoey's family today in your thoughts and prayers," Dr. Baker said. Details of the crash are still limited at this time but dispatchers said it was a single-vehicle crash. Pennsylvania State Police out of the Uniontown barracks are investigating.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- CBS News
3 injured when school bus, tour bus crash on I-380 in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains region
Three people were seriously injured on I-380 in Coolbaugh Township, Pennsylvania, in a crash involving a school bus and a tour bus on Saturday morning, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The crash happened just before 9 a.m. on the southbound side of the highway near milemarker 10.1. The three adults injured in the incident were aboard the school bus. There were about 40 passengers on the tour bus, none of whom were injured in the crash, police said. Images from CBS affiliate WYOU-TV show the damaged school bus loaded onto a flatbed truck. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash.
NBC News
6 days ago
- NBC News
Pennsylvania police seek help after 'imposter nurse' allegedly used aliases to land jobs
The Pennsylvania State Police is asking healthcare companies to review their employment records as it investigates a woman who allegedly used at least 10 aliases to pose as a nurse for five years. Shannon Nicole Womack, 39, allegedly used the aliases to pose as a licensed practical nurse, a registered nurse, and a registered nurse supervisor at rehabilitation and nursing homes across the state, according to a police press release. She is facing several charges, including corrupt organizations, endangering the welfare of care, unlawful use of a computer, identity theft, forgery, theft by unlawful taking, and multiple other charges, state police said. "She is charged with securing the nursing positions through staffing agencies by submitting fraudulently signed documents and also by creating a false LLC to deploy herself to jobs. Reports indicate Womack worked at each of these jobs for only a short time," state police said. If any of her aliases match employment records, the facilities are asked to call the state police. Investigators confirmed that some of the names she used were Shannon Nicole Parham, Shannon Nicole Abiola, Shannon Nicole Armstrong, Shannon Abiola-Parham, Shannon Nicole Grimes, Shannon Nicole Lawson, Shannon Nicole Lethco, Shannon Nicole Robinson, Shannon Lee Lawson, and Shannon Nicole Womack. It's unclear whether she has retained an attorney. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation began investigating Womack in April after a routine traffic stop in Pittsburgh, during which they claim she presented a fake ID, according to the criminal complaint. Police say her vehicle was registered in Georgia, but the registration had expired. Inside the vehicle, troopers say they found several forms of ID, prescription medications from different nursing facilities that were prescribed to residents, medical documents, patient logs and medical equipment, according to the complaint. Womack had multiple warrants in several states related to fraud and impersonating a nurse, according to state troopers. Authorities allege she used the identities of four real healthcare workers from multiple southern states to obtain employment in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, and Georgia. A probable cause affidavit states that she is not a licensed medical professional in any state. She was also listed on the Georgia "Nursing Imposter Alerts" site, according to the affidavit. The State's Attorney General issued a cease and desist order, but could not locate her. In Pennsylvania, nine employers had placed Womack on "Do Not Retain" status due to professional misconduct before her arrest, according to investigators. Authorities alleged that seven Social Security numbers were connected to Womack and accused her of using fake references to secure jobs and creating a phony staffing agency to funnel work to herself. "She was going through proper host agency channels and then created her own, as like her own fake secretary, answering the phone call, giving it to herself," Pennsylvania State Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said at a Monday news conference. "She put a lot of time and effort to get approved from these different agencies." During a brief stint at Southmont of Presbyterian Senior Care in Washington County, Pennsylvania, Womack allegedly diverted oxycodone pills intended for residents, according to a criminal complaint. Investigators stated that she was in charge of the medical cart during her shift and failed to distribute medication to residents. "Five residents were affected by said acts as over 120 oxycodone 5mg pills were missing," the affidavit reads. Womack allegedly worked at the facility in March for one shift before being placed on "do not retain" status due to professional misconduct, according to the affidavit. "This is a vile act or acts, I should say, not only taking advantage of older citizens in this way," Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh said at a news conference. Police said the scheme dates back to the early days of the COVID pandemic when the need for nursing staff was critical. "It wasn't uncommon for these different residence locations, agencies to reach out to host agencies and say, we need some extra shifts filled," said Gagliardi. "That started in 2020 and it was such an easy transition. She just kept going after that."
New York Post
6 days ago
- New York Post
Pennsylvania fraudster used 10 different aliases to pose as nurse across multiple facilities
A 39-year-old woman is accused of using fraudulent documents and at least 10 different aliases to land nursing jobs across Pennsylvania. Shannon Nicole Womack, 39, has been charged with crimes including forgery, identity theft, procurement fraud, unlawful use of a computer, theft by unlawful taking, and endangering the welfare of care, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. Advertisement Womack allegedly used different aliases to pose as a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse and registered nurse supervisor at nursing facilities and rehabilitation centers. Investigators say she secured the jobs through staffing agencies by submitting fraudulently signed documents. She also created a fake limited liability company (LLC), according to a news release from Pennsylvania State Police. In April, state troopers conducted a traffic stop of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle in western Pennsylvania. Advertisement Womack, the driver, provided the troopers with false identification, and an investigation revealed that around 20 different aliases and seven different Social Security numbers were associated with her. Investigators believe Womack began this pattern of fraud in 2020 and continued it across other states in the eastern part of the US, according to a separate news release from Pennsylvania State Police. While a motive is not yet clear, the criminal complaint outlined that Womack had also stolen medication from several healthcare facilities. 3 Shannon Nicole Womack was charged with crimes including forgery, identity theft, procurement fraud, unlawful use of a computer, theft by unlawful taking, and endangering the welfare of care. Georgia Secretary of State Advertisement 3 Corner View Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, Penn. Google St View 3 Harmar Village Health and Rehab Center in Allegheny County. Google St View 'This case is particularly notable as it spans multiple states along the East Coast, suggesting a broader scope than initially anticipated,' a spokesperson for Pennsylvania State Police told Fox News Digital in an email. 'As court proceedings unfold, we may gain further insight into the underlying motive. However, the complaint already outlines a pattern of medication theft from several healthcare facilities.' The spokesperson added, 'What stands out is not only the financial aspect, including payment for services, but also the involvement of high-value pharmaceuticals, which currently appears to be a significant link in the investigation.' Advertisement Pennsylvania State Police — along with the Department of Health, Department of State, and multiple district attorneys and states — are asking healthcare providers across Pennsylvania to review their employment records to assist in their ongoing investigation. The aliases Womack used across different areas of Pennsylvania include: Shannon Nicole Parham, Shannon Nicole Abiola, Shannon Nicole Armstrong, Shannon Abiola-Parham, Shannon Nicole Grimes, Shannon Nicole Womack, Shannon Nicole Lawson, Shannon Nicole Lethco, Shannon Nicole Robinson and Shannon Lee Lawson.
