HARRISBURG, PA — A shocking case has emerged involving a former detective from McKeesport, who ran the finances at Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 91. Joseph Osinski, 56, has admitted to diverting nearly $1 million from lodge funds — shocking details reveal that even donations meant for a memorial fund honoring a fallen officer were not spared.
On Monday, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday shared that Osinski has been sentenced to serve between 9 to 18 months behind bars. After that, he’ll be on probation for three years. Additionally, he must repay a whopping $967,160 to the lodge he helped manage.
Osinski pled guilty to various charges including theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, and dealing with the proceeds of his illegal activities. According to prosecutors, he had been using lodge funds for his own needs — a brazen abuse of power while acting as the lodge’s financial secretary from 2020 until April 2024.
“This individual was trusted as a law enforcement officer yet chose to betray that very trust. He funneled nearly a million dollars in funds meant for the lodge to his personal interests,” Sunday expressed, labeling Osinski’s actions as “particularly egregious.” Perhaps most disturbing, some of the stolen funds were intended to support a memorial fund for an officer who was killed in the line of duty.
This scandal came to light following an anonymous letter in January 2024, which raised serious concerns about the lodge’s financial health. There had already been raised eyebrows amongst members due to questionable charges surfacing on a lodge credit card — expenses like booze, hotel stays, and other non-business related purchases.
As the investigation progressed, it was revealed that Osinski had clandestinely opened bank accounts under the lodge’s name at a separate financial institution, falsely identifying himself as the sole owner and authorized user. He funneled checks made out to the lodge into these accounts, evading any oversight.
Some of the funds misappropriated were meant for a memorial fund, money that was never used for its crucial purpose.
The prosecution was led by Senior Deputy Attorney General Alex Cashman.
