Ex-McKeesport detective charged with stealing $1 million from police union

A former McKeesport police officer who served as financial officer for his police union is accused of stealing more than $1 million from the lodge’s bank accounts over five years.

Joseph Osinski, 55, is charged by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office with multiple counts of theft, theft by deception, access device fraud and other counts dating back to 2019.

He was arrested on Thursday and released the same day on unsecured bond.

Osinski resigned from the McKeesport police department, where he served as a detective, the day before.

“It has nothing to do with the McKeesport police department,” said Osinski’s attorney Lee Rothman.

He would not comment further on the case.

Another officer faces theft accusations

Osinski’s arrest came on the same day that another former McKeesport police officer, Brenda Sawyer, was charged by detectives in Westmoreland County with theft, forgery, obstruction and tampering with evidence.

Sawyer, 61, of North Versailles, was working as an agent with the state AG’s office when she was accused of stealing $121,000 from the agency’s North Huntingdon office. She retired in February as regional director of the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control.

Sawyer then took a position as police chief at McKeesport Area School District.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Sawyer was writing checks from an AG’s account used to make undercover and controlled drug buys and depositing them into her personal accounts.

Sawyer is also accused of stealing more than $50,000 from the McKeesport branch of the NAACP.

Held in Westmoreland County Prison since her arrest, Sawyer posted a $10,000 cash bond on Tuesday.

Anonymous letter led to charges

Rothman, who represents Osinski, said that he is not aware of any connection between the two cases against Sawyer and Osinski.

“There’s no correlation that I’m aware of,” Rothman said.

According to the affidavit of probable cause in Osinski’s case, he became the financial secretary for the union in 2020.

The lodge represents 1,260 members, including active and retired law enforcement, from 102 police departments.

Detectives said Osinski used the money he allegedly stole for both personal expenses and to fund his now-closed business, Puzzlers Restaurant & Lounge in McKeesport.

The alleged financial wrongdoing came to light in January after board members of FOP Lodge No. 91 received an anonymous letter alleging theft of union funds.

Board members also learned that the lodge’s credit card had been maxed out with purchases for liquor, alcohol and hotels pertaining to restaurant expenses.

Osinski was interviewed by investigators on Aug. 30, according to the affidavit, and admitted to taking money from the union.

“I am not going to sit here and justify what I did,” Osinski said. “What I did was wrong. I am not going to lie to you.”

According to the affidavit, Osinski admitted taking dues checks from the union’s members and then cashing them to pay expenses for his business, which permanently closed in June.

Investigators said that when Osinski deposited the checks payable to the FOP, “he would generally immediately withdraw most, if not all, of the funds he just deposited via cash withdrawals.”

In his interview with investigators, Osinski said “the whole reason behind it was to try to keep my business afloat.”

“The pandemic hitting and just crushes my business, and the business was there for a purpose, it wasn’t to feed my pockets cause I don’t take out of the business … but in order to continue doing what I was doing … to service the kids that we opened the business for … special needs, my son … in order to keep that going … I wasn’t going to let it fail,” Osinski said.

According to the restaurant’s website, the business was named in honor of people living with autism. It also employed teens and young adults with autism and other special needs.

Credit card statements for the union showed purchases of nearly $15,000 including payments to Dirt Dog Cigar Shoppe, GNC, Jordan Banana Distributor, Restaurant Depot, Sig Sauer and Stan’s Transmission, the affidavit said.

Payments were also made to Duquesne Light to pay the electric bill for Puzzlers.

According to the criminal complaint, Osinski also set up a Sean Sluganski Memorial Fund to honor the officer who was killed in McKeesport in February 2023.

Investigators said that Osinski also took two checks, totaling $890, written by the FOP Butler Lodge 32 to go to the memorial fund.