Knowledge is power, and this blog is dedicated to providing the most updated information on Pennsylvania Criminal Defense, related topics, and criminal law in general. It's our goal for you to use the information on this site, including the individual practice area pages, to help you understand your rights, obligations, and the best course of action for your Pennsylvania Criminal Defense case.
In October 2024, PA Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that she would pursue charges against a Philadelphia man for seeking fraudulent tax refunds. This alleged tax refund fraud scheme involved making online deposits to an individual tax account with stolen bank account information and the...
In October 2024, a Lancaster County man was sentenced to 12-24 years in prison after admitting to sexually assaulting three teenage girls. The sexual assaults occurred between 2006 and 2020 at his home and barn in West Earl Township. Sexual assault is a horrible crime, but not every defendant is ...
In September of 2024, the FBI released its Cryptocurrency Fraud Report, which included estimated losses in Pennsylvania of $123,530,269 with 1,773 complaints. Pennsylvania ranked 8th among states for monetary losses in the Crypto Market. Crypto crime is challenging for law enforcement because of ...
In October of 2024, a Pennsylvania judge sentenced a Sayre man to prison for aggravated assault of a child under the age of six. The defendant pleaded guilty and received 11-24 months of prison time with 36 additional months of court supervision after his release. This case highlights the swift n...
In Ambridge, Pennsylvania, Manuel Turcios-Perez was arrested after allegedly using his 2-year-old daughter as a human shield during a standoff with police. The incident began as a domestic dispute, but Turcios-Perez escaped. Authorities tracked him down to a home on the following day, but Turcios...
In October of 2024, two Altoona residents were charged with abusing a 15-month-old toddler. The Clearfield Regional Police Department received a complaint of alleged abuse, and they maintain that an investigation revealed injuries consistent with abuse. Officers allege that the toddler was forced...
Former "Jackass" star Bam Margera has been released to a rehabilitation facility after spending a week in a suburban Philadelphia jail. Margera was recently pulled over and charged with driving under the influence (DUI) in south-central Pennsylvania. During a hearing in September, Chester County ...
A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to charges that he possessed child pornography on his mobile phone. As a condition of his sentence, he must not have contact with minors and must also follow recommendations made by probation officials after undergoing a sex...
The recent sentencing of two former Penn State fraternity leaders serves as a sobering reminder of how campus activities can lead to serious criminal charges. Brendan Young and Daniel Casey, former leaders of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, were sentenced to 2-4 months in jail for their roles in the 20...
In early September, Imani Lewis was charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child after a 3-year-old nonverbal boy in her care drowned in a Tredyffrin Township pond in early September. Video footage showed Lewis distracted by her phone while the child played. After ...
In October 2024, a Centre County man was arrested on charges of sexual assault while out on bail for a prior charge of sexual assault months earlier. After his first arrest, he was released on $100,000 bail, but the judge revoked bail on the second charge when the details of the subsequent allege...
A man in Wilkes-Barre is facing assault charges after a domestic incident involving an 11-year-old boy. Lawrence Nathaniel Bowman, 49, was arrested after allegedly throwing the boy to the floor and striking him following an argument over perceived disrespect. Police say Bowman threw a baked potat...
A tragic accident occurred in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, when a toddler accidentally shot himself with a firearm that had been left on a bed. The father, Luis Marin, 34, now faces serious charges, including felony endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person. Accordi...
Malinda Hoagland, a Chester County 12-year-old, recently passed as a result of alleged long-term child abuse. According to prosecutors and law enforcement, she may have been the victim of prolonged abuse at the hands of her father, Rendell Hoagland, and his live-in girlfriend, Cindy Marie Warren....
Denise Johnson, 56, has been charged with the tragic abuse and murder of her three-year-old granddaughter, as reported by the Pittsburgh Police Department (PPD). Johnson faces multiple charges, including criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, aggravated assault, corruption of minors, and endangeri...
A man accused of abusing over 400 animals is currently on trial in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. In June 2021, authorities removed the animals from the farm of 64-year-old Barry Orndorff, who was arrested for not providing water, clean shelter, or vet care. The Speranza Animal Rescue rescued b...
Many kinds of conduct are inappropriate but are not illegal. If the state prosecuted everyone who acted unkindly, virtually the entire adult population of Pennsylvania would have been locked up at one time or another. The state generally only criminalizes conduct when it presents a clear and pres...
During a search of a Danville man's apartment, police reportedly uncovered 42,000 files, including pictures and videos, related to child sexual abuse material on his cell phone. Devin Rhys Fowler, 24, confessed to having these materials stored on his phone, laptop, and a malfunctioning computer i...
A 37-year-old resident of King of Prussia has two new criminal charges on her record: Endangering the Welfare of Children and Recklessly Endangering Another Person. Officers responded to a parking lot after receiving reports of an infant locked in a car. The details are still fuzzy, but police of...
Serious charges have been brought against a man after state police report that he assaulted his three-year-old son at the Butler Farm Show on August 9, 2024, around 6 p.m. Gary Fend, 45, of Butler, is alleged to have slapped his son on two occasions and then pushed the child back into the stroll...
Two young girls in Pennsylvania sought care at local hospitals following physical and sexual assaults, but no one informed law enforcement. Now, the public has questions. Pennsylvania law classifies healthcare workers as mandated reporters who must report suspected instances of abuse against min...
In today's digital era, social media impacts almost every part of daily life — including how the judicial system works. Social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok provide a stage for public discourse, the distribution of information, and the gathering of evidence. The legal sy...
On June 20, 2024, Philadelphia lobbyist and campaign spokesperson Mustafa Rashed was accused by his wife of domestic violence for an incident occurring in their Brewerytown home. The allegations, which include claims that Rashed struck his wife in the face, led to a temporary protection-from-abus...
A now-former middle school teacher has been accused of sending a single nude image of himself to a student. According to one report, the teacher claims to have sent the image to the student by mistake. The teacher has been charged with two felony counts of disseminating explicit sex material to a...
Have you ever seen video of a rock concert featuring the destruction of a guitar? Scores of artists — including Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Garth Brooks, Pete Townshend, Kurt Cobain, and even Billy Joel — have all smashed a guitar or two on stage as thousands of fans watched. What about amateur and...
The LLF Law Firm Team has decades of experience successfully resolving clients' criminal charges in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania counties. If you are having any uncertainties about what the future may hold for you or a loved one, contact the LLF Law Firm today! Our Criminal Defense Team will go above and beyond the needs of any client, and will fight until the final bell rings.
This website was created only for general information purposes. It is not intended to be construed as legal advice for any situation. Only a direct consultation with a licensed Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York attorney can provide you with formal legal counsel based on the unique details surrounding your situation. The pages on this website may contain links and contact information for third party organizations - the Lento Law Firm does not necessarily endorse these organizations nor the materials contained on their website. In Pennsylvania, Attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout Pennsylvania's 67 counties, including, but not limited to Philadelphia, Allegheny, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Schuylkill, and York County. In New Jersey, attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout New Jersey's 21 counties: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren County, In New York, Attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout New York's 62 counties. Outside of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, unless attorney Joseph D. Lento is admitted pro hac vice if needed, his assistance may not constitute legal advice or the practice of law. The decision to hire an attorney in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania counties, New Jersey, New York, or nationwide should not be made solely on the strength of an advertisement. We invite you to contact the Lento Law Firm directly to inquire about our specific qualifications and experience. Communicating with the Lento Law Firm by email, phone, or fax does not create an attorney-client relationship. The Lento Law Firm will serve as your official legal counsel upon a formal agreement from both parties. Any information sent to the Lento Law Firm before an attorney-client relationship is made is done on a non-confidential basis.