District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that a Smethport man has pled guilty to growing marijuana. Mark BURLINGAME was reported to be growing marijuana by a Borough employee who observed the suspicious plants at his residence and contacted police.
Former Chief (now retired) Patrick Warnick investigated and filed the charges. District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer advised the court that this is the 2nd offense violation by BURLINGAME of a felony violation under Pennsylvania’s Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act. He will be sentenced in March.
Brandan M. Willoughby, 34, of Olean NY, was taken into custody following a traffic stop on I-86 E in the Town of Great Valley due to multiple vehicle and traffic law infractions. Following an investigation Willoughby consented to the use of a K9 for a vehicle search. K9 Cash positively alerted to the odor of narcotics on the passenger side door of the vehicle operated by Willoughby. Following a subsequent search of the vehicle deputies located a quantity of suspected methamphetamine. Willoughby was transported to the Olean Substation for processing.
Willoughby was processed and released on an appearance ticket and multiple uniform traffic tickets for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th Degree, Operate Unregistered Motor Vehicle, Switched Plates, No/Inadequate Brake Light. Willoughby is due in the Town of Great Valley Court at a later date for further proceedings.
Members of the Olean Police Departments Emergency Response team served a Search warrant at 212 W. Oak St. apartment B on January 16th at approximately 6:00 p.m.. The Search Warrant was a result of an investigation conducted by the Street Crimes Unit into drug sales from this apartment.
Investigators located over 52 Grams of Cocaine and over 4 Grams of Fentanyl as well as cash. Charges of Criminal possession of a controlled substance 3rd. degree ( B Felony ) two counts, was placed on 29 year old Markeel Hilson of 505 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo. Hilson is to appear in Olean City court on February 3rd. The Street Crimes Unit was assisted by the Southern Tier regional drug task force.
January 22, 2026: K9s with the McKean County Detective K9 Unit and the City of Bradford K9 Unit conducted a planned search of Coudersport High School at the request of school administration. Coudersport Borough Police and Pennsylvania State Police-Coudersport assisted in the search.
Pictured are McKean County K9 Rigby and Detective Dakota Eaton, K9 LG, and City of Bradford K9 Duke and Detective Seth Shephard. Missing from photo is K9 handler Bob Rinfrette. District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer: “The K9 Units of the McKean County Detective Bureau and City of Bradford regularly search schools and government buildings upon request. To request a search of your school or government building, please call McKean County Detective Ryan Yingling at the District Attorney’s Office at (814) 887-3312 or McKeanDA.org.
Bryent Wayne JOHNSON, of Kane, has been charged with Theft for allegedly receiving money on behalf of his employer, PV Paving and Concrete, LLC, but not turning the funds over to the company.
McKean County Detective Todd Erickson filed a complaint against JOHNSON charging him with 2 counts Theft by Unlawful Taking (Felony 3) and 2 counts Theft by Failure to Make Required Disposition of Funds Received (Felony 3). JOHNSON is alleged to have committed the crimes between September and November 2025.
JOHNSON is accused of bidding jobs on behalf of PV Paving and Concrete, LLC, obtaining materials and supplies on the accounts of PV Paving and Concrete, LLC, and receiving money from the customers without turning the money over to PV Paving and Concrete, LLC. JOHNSON was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge William Todd who set bail at $40,000 straight. JOHNSON is scheduled for central court next week.
JOHNSON, BRYENT WAYNE
THEFT BY UNLAWFUL TAKING
THEFT BY FAILURE TO MAKE REQUIRED DISPOSITION OF FUNDS RECEIVED
Age 24 Gender Male
Presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that a Bradford woman was convicted after a jury trial at the McKean County Courthouse on January 20th. Samantha HINCHMAN was charged by Bradford City Police Officer Hobie Milliron after a blind man reported three guitars stolen from his Orchard Apartments residence in 2024.
The victim testified that he had been communicating with HINCHMAN and the two made plans for her to spend the night at his apartment on February 5, 2024. After she arrived, she claimed that she had to go babysit in another apartment but she urged him to keep his apartment door open and, after text messages throughout the night and into the next day, he left the door unlocked and went to sleep.
He heard what he thought was his apartment door closing a few hours later, but no one was in the apartment. He later discovered that the guitars were missing. He kept them in a certain place within his apartment and he regularly handled them. He called the building manager to look for video footage of the guitar thieves.
The jury viewed video of the building showing HINCHMAN and her co-defendant Justin ANDERSON leaving the apartment with the guitars. Another resident of the building testified that he knew HINCHMAN from school and, when he saw her in the elevator of the building that day, she asked him for a ride and he did not think it was suspicious at the time. HINCHMAN then directed the man to take her and ANDERSON to various locations in Bradford including Kiwanis Court and then a parking lot in the rear of a Main Street apartment building where City cameras showed the man exit the vehicle in the direction of a known apartment, then return to the vehicle, and exit again with what appears to be the guitars.
Two of the three stolen guitars were then taken by ANDERSON to a music store in Jamestown, whose owner testified that the guitars were worth $3950. He agreed to buy them but cancelled the check after learning they were stolen and he turned the guitars over to Officer Milliron. HINCHMAN and ANDERSON were both charged in the case with Theft and conspiring to commit theft.
ANDERSON pled guilty to Theft (Felony 3) last year. The jury convicted HINCHMAN of Theft (Felony 3) (value more than $2000) and could not agree on a unanimous verdict on the Conspiracy charge so a verdict of hung jury was declared as to that count alone. HINCHMAN will be sentenced by the Judge for Theft on March 5.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that the McKean County Drug Task Force has arrested three out of the same residence for drug crimes following a search warrant executed at 15 Belleview Avenue in Bradford on January 20, 2026. Raymond KELLEY is accused of three counts of Possession with Intent to Deliver (crack cocaine) – Felonies; 2 counts of Possession; and 2 counts Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Deliver – Felonies.
KELLEY is charged with conspiring with Justina AMES and selling crack cocaine while under the surveillance of the McKean County Drug Task Force. Detective Seth Shephard accuses KELLEY of committing the crimes out of a residence on Belleview Avenue in Bradford over the last month.
KELLEY was arraigned by on-call magisterial district judge William Todd who set bail at $75,000 straight. KELLEY was remanded to the McKean County Jail and is scheduled for central court next week. If you suspect drug crimes, please report it to Chief County Detective Ryan Yingling at the District Attorney’s Office at (814) 887-3312 or McKeanDA.org.
All accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that a Bradford woman was arrested after the McKean County Drug Task Force arrested three out of the same residence for drug crimes following a search warrant executed at 15 Belleview Avenue in Bradford on January 20, 2026.
Patricia AMES is charged by Detective Seth Shephard with Possession with Intent to Deliver (crack cocaine) – Felony; Possession; and Criminal Use of a Communication Device (Felony 3). P. AMES is accused of setting up a drug sale and delivering crack cocaine in exchange for $100 while under the surveillance of the McKean County Drug Task Force earlier this month. P. AMES was arraigned by on-call magisterial district judge William Todd who set bail at $75,000 straight. P. AMES was remanded to the McKean County Jail and is scheduled for central court next week.
If you suspect drug crimes, please report it to Chief County Detective Ryan Yingling at the District Attorney’s Office at (814) 887-3312 or McKeanDA.org.
All accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that a Bradford woman is accused of selling drugs out of a residence at 15 Belleview Avenue arrested after the McKean County Drug Task Force arrested her and two others out of that residence on January 20, 2026.
Justina AMES is charged by Detective Seth Shephard with 3 counts of Conspiracy Possession with Intent to Deliver (crack cocaine) – Felonies; 2 counts Criminal Use of a Communication Device (Felony 3); Possession with Intent to Deliver (Felony); Drug Paraphernalia; and Dealing in Unlawful Proceeds (Felony 1).
Justina AMES is accused of setting up drug sales and conspiring with Patricia AMES and Raymond KELLEY to sell crack cocaine and possessing additional crack for sale while under the surveillance of the McKean County Drug Task Force. During a search warrant, additional crack cocaine was located along with scales and packaging material commonly used to package crack cocaine. In addition to directing drug sales of her co-conspirators, Justina AMES is accused of accepting cash for the sale of crack cocaine and using those drug proceeds to facilitate future illegal drug sales. Justina AMES was arraigned by on-call magisterial district judge William Todd who set bail at $150,000 straight.
Justina AMES was remanded to the McKean County Jail and is scheduled for central court next week. District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer notes: “Drug tips by citizens and business owners often are the catalyst for a drug investigation that leads to an arrest and, with it, the removal of a suspected trafficker from the community.
Tips that have led to arrests and, ultimately, conviction have been received by the County Detective Bureau at the District Attorney’s Office from citizens across the county from Kane to Bradford. If you suspect drug crimes, please report it to Chief County Detective Ryan Yingling at the District Attorney’s Office at (814) 887-3312 or McKeanDA.org.”
All accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
On January 18th, 2026 at approximately 5:01am, Nicole A. Nodes was arrested on an active bench warrant from Chemung County following a traffic stop in the City of Olean. Nicole was taken into custody and eventually turned over to New York State Police.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that a Salamanca woman arrested by the McKean County Drug Task Force in July was sentenced today by a judge during a sentencing hearing at the McKean County Courthouse.
Tonya RILEY was sentenced to 2 months to 15 months in the McKean County Jail and 15 months’ concurrent probation. RILEY was ordered to obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow through with all recommended treatment, pay restitution to the McKean County Drug Task Force and pay the lab user fee.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that a Bradford man arrested by the McKean County Drug Task Force during a coordinated drug detail in July was sentenced today. The judge sentenced Brian FITZPATRICK to serve a state sentence of 7 months to 24 months. FITZPATRICK was ordered by the judge to pay restitution to the McKean County Drug Task Force, pay the lab user fee, and provide a DNA sample among other terms.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that the Canadian woman who was convicted of firing toward Troopers has been sentenced to state prison for her crimes.
The case was the result of a 9 hour standoff between Sharon VANDRISH and State Police at a camp in Marshburg where VANDRISH shot a firearm in the direction of Troopers and refused to exit the camp. After she was convicted, she failed to appear for sentencing and fled to New York where the District Attorney’s Office had to obtain her return to Pennsylvania through the extradition process.
During the sentencing hearing for VANDRISH today at the courthouse, District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer told the Judge that VANDRISH continued to blame everyone else for the events and took no accountability for her crimes.
DA Shaffer told the Judge that Vandrish has written her several letters and emails and left countless voicemails at the District Attorney’s Office both prior to the trial and since the trial where she has blamed her brother, the jury, the police and Shaffer, herself, including threats that DA Shaffer described as blackmail if the case was not withdrawn. DA Vettenburg-Shaffer noted that the law allows a court to take a defendant’s lack of accountability into consideration when fashioning a sentence and, in this case, her ongoing blame of everyone else should be considered.
DA Vettenburg-Shaffer told the judge that VANDRISH’s attempts to blame others was misplaced because she was convicted after a jury trial where the jury heard from witnesses and heard the actual radio communication of the Troopers on-scene. DA Vettenburg-Shaffer reminded the court that the jury heard the Troopers on the radio recordings describe in real time what VANDRISH was doing- Troopers radioing to each other that she had a firearm, radioing each other that VANDRISH said she was not coming out, radioing to each other that she had just fired a gun, and, most significantly according to Shaffer, a Trooper radioing to his colleagues that he was now trapped by a shed due to VANDRISH’s shooting.
Shaffer noted that Homeland Security has a detainer for VANDRISH. The Judge directed his comments to VANDRISH’s lack of remorse and danger to society because she placed Troopers as well as herself in a very dangerous situation and still does not recognize that what she did was dangerous. The judge pointed out that he did not hear much remorse from VANDRISH and stated that there is nothing different about her accountability today than the day she fired the gun toward the troopers. The Judge sentenced VANDRISH to state prison for a period of 16 months to 48 months. She is not eligible for any early parole program.
