The Shawn Denning case ended in May 2025 with the former Greensburg, Pennsylvania police chief sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for helping run a multi-state methamphetamine and cocaine conspiracy while he was still wearing a badge. Denning, a 15-year veteran of the Greensburg Police Department and a Marine who had deployed to Iraq in 2003, also pleaded guilty to state charges after a backpack of drugs went missing from the department’s evidence room. A former Greensburg officer, Regina McAtee, was convicted alongside him.
How the DEA Built the Case
The investigation began in the summer of 2021, when a confidential source told the Drug Enforcement Administration that Denning, then a captain with the Greensburg Police Department, could obtain narcotics. The source was cooperating in hopes of leniency on a separate federal case. Over the next 16 months, from June 2021 through October 2022, the two communicated on Facebook, by phone, and through the encrypted app Wickr, where Denning used the handle “jarhead3307.”1Union Progress. Greensburg Police Chief Charged in Federal Court With Drug Dealing Following DEA Bust
Denning connected the source with suppliers in California and Arizona, who shipped cocaine and methamphetamine by U.S. mail into the Pittsburgh area. He processed payments through a CashApp account that agents later traced to him. The methamphetamine was disguised as counterfeit Adderall pills, and the conspiracy stretched across Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma.2CBS News Pittsburgh. Former Greensburg Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Conspiracy Charges
Using DEA funds, the source bought 35 grams of cocaine and 325 methamphetamine tablets, which agents intercepted. In October 2022, the source wore a wire during a meeting with Denning at a cornhole tournament in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, and captured incriminating conversations. Agents also obtained encrypted chats and photos of narcotics field tests Denning had sent.1Union Progress. Greensburg Police Chief Charged in Federal Court With Drug Dealing Following DEA Bust
The Federal Charges and Sentence
Federal agents arrested Denning at Greensburg City Hall on January 25, 2023. He had been chief for about a year at that point. He was initially charged with six felony counts covering distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine, attempted distribution, and conspiracy.2CBS News Pittsburgh. Former Greensburg Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Conspiracy Charges He was released on a $250,000 bond and resigned from the department.1Union Progress. Greensburg Police Chief Charged in Federal Court With Drug Dealing Following DEA Bust
On April 16, 2024, Denning pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine. The count carried a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.3U.S. Department of Justice. Former Greensburg Police Chief Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine
At sentencing on May 1, 2025, the defense asked for no jail time, requesting community supervision and rehabilitation and citing safety concerns tied to Denning’s law enforcement background and post-traumatic stress disorder from his service in Iraq. Prosecutors asked for “a reasonable sentence of incarceration.” U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed 15 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release and a $2,000 fine. She called Denning’s conduct “egregious” and told him he should be “thankful I’ve not sentenced you to a much longer period of incarceration.”4TribLIVE. Ex-Greensburg Police Chief Shawn Denning Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison The case was worked as an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation with the DEA, FBI, IRS, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.3U.S. Department of Justice. Former Greensburg Police Chief Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine
The Missing Backpack from the Evidence Room
Denning’s federal arrest prompted the Greensburg City Police Department to request an audit of its evidence room. In February 2023, Westmoreland County detectives reviewed both the evidence room and a separate storage area used for evidence destruction.5Crimewatch. County Detectives File Theft, Tampering Charges Against Former Greensburg Police Chief
They found one problem: a backpack containing illegal steroids and suspected psilocybin mushrooms was gone. It had been logged in a closed drug case for which Denning was the investigating officer, and it had been slated for destruction but never destroyed. As chief, Denning had access to both the evidence room and the destruction process.6CBS News Pittsburgh. Former Greensburg Chief Shawn Denning New Charges
County detectives filed five charges, including theft by unlawful taking and tampering, and alleged Denning had falsified records to cover the theft.7WTAE. Former Greensburg Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Theft Charges Two charges were dropped when he pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of tampering with public records and fabricating physical evidence. He received three concurrent one-year probation terms, to run concurrently with his federal sentence.8CBS News Pittsburgh. Former Greensburg Police Chief Pleads Guilty Evidence Tampering
The Officer Who Worked With Him
Denning had a co-defendant inside the department. Regina McAtee, a Greensburg police officer who later retired, ordered and paid for methamphetamine pills from online suppliers with Denning between November 2020 and January 2023. She admitted receiving the pills at her home and selling a portion to Denning, who then passed them on to others.9U.S. Department of Justice. Former Greensburg Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Conspiracy
A February 2023 disciplinary agreement showed McAtee had tested positive for methamphetamine while on duty, which led to her suspension and retirement. She was charged in March 2024, pleaded guilty in May 2024, and was sentenced in May 2025 to 36 months of federal probation. U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan said McAtee’s “job was to stop drug dealing,” but she instead “worked with her boss at the time, Shawn Denning, to push more methamphetamine out into the community.”10TribLIVE. Retired Greensburg Police Officer Regina McAtee Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Distribution The Greensburg police pension commission later suspended her benefits and sought repayment of about $75,400. McAtee appealed, arguing the crimes were not committed on duty; a ruling was pending.11TribLIVE. Judge to Consider Return of Former Greensburg Police Officer’s Pension
What the Department Did Next
Mayor Robb Bell said the city “immediately took steps to create higher oversight” after the arrest and launched an internal investigation. Security cameras were installed in the evidence room. Sergeant Donald Sarsfield served as acting chief in the interim.12WPXI. Months After Arrest, Former Police Chief, Greensburg Promotes Within to Replace Him On April 11, 2023, Charles Irvin, an 18-year veteran of the department, was sworn in as the new chief.13TribLIVE. Greensburg Hires New Police Chief, Looks to Rebuild Trust After Predecessor’s Arrest
Where Denning Is Now
Denning reported to the satellite camp at the Federal Correctional Institution in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania on June 10, 2025 to begin his 15-month sentence.14TribLIVE. Ex-Greensburg Police Chief Shawn Denning Reports to Prison As of August 2025 he remained at that facility. After release, he faces two years of federal supervised release and will then begin his one-year state probation for the evidence tampering convictions.7WTAE. Former Greensburg Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Theft Charges