Suspended Mt. Pleasant police officer wants 5 rape charges dismissed

Lawyers for a suspended part-time Mt. Pleasant police officer argued that five rape charges filed against their client should be dismissed.

John Brown, 44, of Mt. Lebanon has been in jail unable to post bail since March when prosecutors said he was a “serial rapist” of women in Westmoreland, Allegheny, Erie and Beaver counties.

“These allegations involve different victims, different counties and different witnesses,” attorney Michael Machen said during a court appearance Thursday. He asked Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani to dismiss five of the six rape cases against Brown.

Those cases were filed earlier this year, more than 12 months after Brown was first charged with the sexual assault of a woman in Donegal Township. Investigators said when news of Brown's arrest broke they were contacted by women throughout Western Pennsylvania who claimed they were victims.

Brown was first arrested after a woman claimed he identified himself as a police officer and choked her when she resisted his sexual advances at a home in Donegal Township in late 2015.

In March, police in Westmoreland charged Brown with rape and other offenses in connection with sexual assault allegations raised by five other women: three in Allegheny and one each in Erie and Beaver counties.

“We're looking at a single course of conduct. What we have here is what we believe to be a serial sex offender,” Assistant District Attorney Leo Ciaramitaro said, arguing why all six cases should be prosecuted in Westmoreland County. “It's the same modus operandi Mr. Brown is using in each case.”

Ciaramitaro said having one county prosecute all six cases would serve as judicial economy, and that each allegation against Brown could be used as evidence in all the cases. He gave the judge letters from district attorneys in the other counties authorizing Westmoreland to prosecute all of the cases.

But Brown's defense maintains it would be prejudicial for allegations that originated in other counties to be prosecuted as part of one consolidated case.

The judge said he would rule on the defense motion for dismissal after reviewing written arguments.

Meanwhile, Brown has been in jail since March, unable to post $850,000 bail. Feliciani reduced bond to enable Brown to be released if he can post $450,000.

Defense attorney Valerie Veltri said she doesn't know if Brown can raise the money for his release.

“It certainly won't be today,” she said.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.