PITTSBURGH — A former Pittsburgh mayoral candidate and community activist who has blamed his many legal troubles on racism and police persecution has been jailed again on charges that he and his wife conspired to make false 911 calls from their home.
Allegheny County police said Abdula "A.J." Richardson and his wife, Felecia Richardson, were responsible for five calls made on a cellphone from their East Pittsburgh address on April 2.
FREE APPS | NOW | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
- NY woman writes blog thanking Pittsburghers who helped save her partner
- GALLERY: Troy Polamalu's career in Black & Gold
- Mom says baby born with nose 'perfect the way he is'
- Lauren Hill, teen battling cancer, dies
According to the criminal complaint, the caller didn’t say anything and only “yelling could be heard in the background.”
Police said that when they went to the apartment, Felecia Richardson claimed she and her three sons did not make the calls and that no one else was home. Authorities, however, said that wasn’t true and found said A.J. Richardson lying in bed.
The couple was already awaiting trial in July on charges that they made more than 100 calls from their former residence in Pittsburgh last year.
District attorney's spokesman Mike Manko said the new charges, which were filed late Thursday, "involve what we and the Allegheny County police allege to be continued abuse of the 911 emergency phone system."
“I'm being charged with something that I'm not guilty of,” said A.J. Richardson.A.J.
Richardson told Channel 11's Dave Bondy that he is being set up, calling himself a victim of a spoof and the claims politically motivated.
“I'm a servant of the Lord. I'm a prophet of God in handcuffs, but God will deliver me,” he said.
In a rare public stance, the district attorney’s office responded to A.J. Richardson’s accusations, saying, “The only people being set up are the police officers who are being forced to respond to baseless 911 calls when their resources may be needed elsewhere. This type of abuse can put an entire community at risk.”
A.J. Richardson and Felecia Richardson were both charged but only he remained in the Allegheny County Jail Friday.
The Richardsons face a preliminary hearing April 21.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
RELATED STORIES:
- Police: A.J. Richardson back in jail after more bogus 911 calls
- Activist, former mayoral candidate opts for assault trial
- Former mayoral candidate A.J. Richardson, wife appear in court
- Former mayoral candidate, his family arrested for alleged bogus 911 calls
- Former mayoral candidate A.J. Richardson expected to be released
- Police: Former Pgh. mayoral candidate calls officers 'white devils' during arrest