BEAVER, Pa., March 25 (UPI) — A Pennsylvania sheriff was indicted Monday on 11 misdemeanor charges, including allegations he used his service revolver to threaten an Internet journalist.
Beaver County Sheriff George David, 65, of Hopewell pleaded not guilty to all 11 counts, including making terroristic threats, simple assault, and official oppression and intimidation of witnesses. A grand jury investigated the threats allegedly made against John Paul Vranesevich, operator of the Beaver Countian, a local news website, after Vranesevich wrote an article alleging David sold contracts for deputies’ uniforms.
During a meeting between the two, Vranesevich said David unholstered his service revolver and used it to threaten him, saying if he wrote another article, “I’ll blow your [expletive] brains out,” the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.
The conversation allegedly took place in the presence of two deputies. The indictment charged David threatened the deputies if they spoke about it to state police investigators.
David’s lawyer denied the allegations and his client posted $50,000 bail. District Judge Tim Finn barred David from carrying a firearm but he remains on the job. David said he planned to return to work Tuesday.
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).
