Police chief arrested on drug charges involving distribution of cocaine, meth

PITTSBURGH (Gray News) - A police chief in Pennsylvania has been arrested and charged with violating federal narcotics laws.

According to the Department of Justice, 41-year-old Shawn Denning, the chief of the Greensburg Police Department, is accused of helping distribute narcotics that included cocaine and methamphetamine.

The complaint alleges that Denning facilitated the acquisition of cocaine and methamphetamine multiple times over a 16-month period between June 2021 and October 2022.

The Justice Department reports that the drugs were sourced in California and Arizona with Denning facing six total counts of drug distribution-related charges.

Federal prosecutors said the 41-year-old is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting the case with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is taking up the investigation, according to the Justice Department.