Morning selection: police tame a runaway horse; A postal worker pleaded guilty to stealing $6 million worth of checks

Here is the news for Thursday, November 14, 2024:

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The police return the runaway horse

On Wednesday, Pittsburgh police in Precinct 1 were chasing an unexpected suspect — a runaway horse.

Around 1:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of a runaway horse near Brighton Road and Harbison Avenue near Riverview City Park. The police managed to locate the horse.

“After enjoying a few carrots, the horse was reunited with its owners and returned to the stable,” police wrote on Facebook.

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Postal worker pleads guilty to check theft

A Monroeville man and a U.S. Postal Service employee pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to stealing more than 450 checks from local businesses and selling them to customers in other cities.

35-year-old Ahmad O. Sharif, a human resources officer at the U.S. Post Office in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield area, pleaded guilty to mail theft.

According to U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan, between October 2023 and April 2024, Sharif stole business checks addressed to companies in Pittsburgh and sold them using an encrypted messaging app.

Investigators found Sharif with more than 450 checks totaling more than $6 million.

About $250,000 of the total was fraudulently negotiated by Sharif’s buyers, and Sharif himself admitted to making about $20,000 through the scheme, Olshan said.

He will be sentenced on March 25, and faces up to 20 years in prison.

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Suspects wanted in Port View burglary

Allegheny County police are looking for four suspects in connection with a Nov. 2 burglary in Port View.

County police were called to investigate the incident at the Dead End Diner on Port View Avenue. Video footage taken from the cafe shows four people damaging vehicles and property and breaking in through a broken window. They then caused further damage inside the building.

Anyone with information is asked to call 833-255-8477. Subscribers can remain anonymous.