Former Pittsburgh-Area Cop Involved In Nearly $1M Theft

PITTSBURGH, PA — A former Pittsburgh-area police officer will spend time in prison and must pay back nearly $1 million after stealing from his Fraternal Order of Police Lodge.

Joseph Orsinski, 56, a former McKeesport detective, pleaded guilty to charges of theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property and dealing in the proceeds of illegal activity for using FOP Lodge 91 funds for personal expenses.

He will spend up to 18 months in prison and must pay $967,160 in restitution to the lodge. His prison sentence also will be followed by three years of probation.

“This trusted member of law enforcement betrayed public trust and trust among his peers, for years, by diverting nearly a million dollars in lodge funds for his personal use,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said.

“This theft was particularly egregious as in one instance he stole donations that were to benefit a memorial fund for a fallen officer. The defendant’s repeated betrayal devastated the lodge’s viability and also left an indelible mark on hard-working law enforcement across the Commonwealth.”

Osinski served as the financial secretary of FOP Lodge 91 from 2020 to April 2024 and was one of three people with access to the lodge’s bank account.

In January 2024, an anonymous letter questioning the lodge’s financial status was sent to the FOP board members. Prior to that, other ranking members noticed that a lodge credit card was being used to purchase alcohol, hotels and other items that did not appear to be for the lodge's benefit.

The Office of Attorney General investigation discovered that Osinski opened bank accounts at a separate financial institution using the name of the FOP, but he was the only owner and authorized user. He then deposited checks he received that were made payable to the lodge into those accounts.

Among the unaccounted for funds were checks written to the lodge intended as contributions to a separate memorial fund for an officer who died in the line of duty. Instead of putting the checks in the memorial fund, Osinski put the money into the bank accounts he created in the lodge’s name.

Sunday's office did not identify the officer who had died. But the reference seemingly was to McKeesport officer Sean Sluganski, who was shot to death in February 2023 while responding to a domestic-related disturbance.