Former Mt. Pleasant policeman to stand trial in 5 additional sex assault cases

A former Mt. Pleasant Borough policeman awaiting trial for attempted rape and indecent assault for allegedly assaulting a Westmoreland County woman in 2015 will stand trial for allegedly assaulting five more women throughout Western Pennsylvania.

John A. Brown, 44, of Mt. Lebanon waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday on the separate assault allegations raised in the past year by three women from Allegheny County, and one each from Beaver and Erie counties. The women came forward after hearing about the Westmoreland incident that allegedly occurred at Brown's apartment in Donegal Township.

The five victims in the new cases, which allegedly occurred between 2014 and 2015, were ready to testify Wednesday at preliminary hearings scheduled before Ligonier District Judge Denise Thiel, but Brown chose to forgo the evidentiary proceeding.

Brown's attorney, Valerie Veltri of Natrona Heights, said though her client waived his right to a hearing, Brown maintains he is innocent of all the allegations made by the six women.

“John waived his right to a preliminary hearing today, but again, he vigorously denies any criminal activity took place,” Veltri said. “John is willing to take his chance before a jury. ... He intends to go to trial and fight these complaints.”

State police in Greensburg said the recent allegations came about a year after Brown was charged with attempted rape. The woman said he identified himself as a police officer and choked her at his apartment after she rejected his sexual advances. He was a part-time policeman in Mt. Pleasant at the time.

Brown was slated to go to trial in that case this year, but Veltri believes the trial will be delayed until next year.

Assistant District Attorney Leo Ciaramitaro defended the county's criminal case against Brown.

“Obviously, we appreciate all of the victims who have stepped forward. We will be ready for trial,” he said.

During the past several months, Brown's defense maintained it would be prejudicial for allegations that originated in other counties to be prosecuted in Westmoreland as one consolidated case.

However, Westmoreland Judge Christopher Feliciani ruled in September that the sexual assault charges from the five additional women could be prosecuted here.

In his nine-page opinion, Feliciani said all of the cases against Brown resulted from the continuation of the same criminal episode. The judge ruled that the alleged offenses were “strikingly similar.”

Police said each of the six women, including the case in Donegal, said Brown grabbed them by their faces and hair, then struck and slapped them, called them names and referred to himself as “master.”

“As Mr. Brown's alleged behavior shows a potential common scheme or course of conduct, each victim's testimony would be relevant in each trial,” Feliciani wrote.

The judge said the timing of the alleged assaults was a factor as they occurred in sequence, each several months apart over a two-year period.

Thiel ruled in March 2016 that sufficient evidence was presented at a hearing for charges in the original case to proceed to trial.

Following the filing of the new charges on March 23, Brown was jailed after his bond was increased to $500,000.

Veltri said she and co-counsel Michael Machen of Pittsburgh intend to file a motion for a reduction in bond.

Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.