A former McKeesport detective and Fraternal Order of Police financial officer was handed his sentence on Monday for stealing nearly $1 million from his union lodge.
Joseph Osinski, 56, previously pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and dealing in the proceeds of illegal activity for using lodge funds for personal expenses, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office says.
Osinski was sentenced to nine to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of probation. He must also pay back $967,160 to FOP Lodge 91.
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Between 2020 and April 2024, Osinski served as the lodge’s financial secretary, being one of three people with access to its bank account, the AG’s office says.
In January 2024, FOP board members received an anonymous letter questioning the lodge’s finances. Other lodge members had noticed previously that the credit cards had been used for alcohol, hotels and other items that didn’t benefit the organization.
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The AG’s office says it found Osinski had opened separate bank accounts in the FOP’s name, with only him as the owner and authorized user. There, he deposited checks that were made payable to the lodge.
Some of the stolen funds were originally intended as contributions to a memorial fund for an officer who died on the job, the AG’s office says.
“This trusted member of law enforcement betrayed public trust and trust among his peers, for years, by diverting nearly a million dollars in lodge funds for his personal use,” Attorney General Dave Sunday said. “This theft was particularly egregious as in one instance he stole donations that were to benefit a memorial fund for a fallen officer. The defendant’s repeated betrayal devastated the lodge’s viability and also left an indelible mark on hard-working law enforcement across the Commonwealth.”
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