SMETHPORT — Bradford resident Daniel Minich was found guilty Tuesday in McKean County Court of charges involving a gun and drugs on Onofrio Street in Bradford on Dec. 9, 2021.
District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer said Minich was convicted after a two-day trial on charges of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, recklessly endangering another person, possession of a controlled substance and criminal mischief.
Minich was charged by City of Bradford Police Officer Joshua Frederoski after several officers from his department and others responded to Minich’s home on Onofrio for shots fired.
Minich had been in contact with Chief Michael Ward that day and Ward requested officers perform a welfare check on Minich. Police said that Minich had shot a firearm twice from within his residence, hitting his television once, Shaffer said.
Minich insisted that Ward respond to his home rather than the other officers. The officers on the scene withdrew and convened to determine a plan for de-escalation and to ensure community safety given the nature of the situation. Minich subsequently fired several rounds into the air from his front porch while continuing to insist Ward come to the house, Shaffer continued.
Ward, Lt. Steve Caskey, Officer Jason Putt, Frederoski, Bradford Township Police Chief Rob Shipman, Officer Donald Neal, State Police Trooper Matt Batzell, and crisis response delegate Stony Greenberg responded to the neighborhood a second time, with Ward and Caskey maintaining direct contact with Minich at the front of his house and other officers surrounding the neighborhood for safety of the residents and the officers, she continued.
Minich exited his residence and threw his firearm to Ward. It was found to contain one live round in the chamber. Minich was taken into custody without further incident and taken for evaluation. During the investigation, it was found that Minich’s shots from within his house had struck a neighbor’s house and another struck a neighbor’s shed while that neighbor’s teenage son was in the house adjacent to the shed. A search of his home yielded methamphetamine, Shaffer said.
Minich was represented by Public Defender Phil Clabaugh. Shaffer prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth.
Shaffer thanked the officers who responded and credited them for deescalating the situation and bringing the incident to a peaceful end without injury to neighbors, officers or Minich while highlighting the officers’ expertise and coordination amongst the departments and mental health delegate. Sentencing was set for July 6.
Minich had been a financial advisor, launching Minich Financial Group in 2020.
He was the founder of Network of the Spirit Ministries, which specializes in the development and oversight of sober living facilities to combat the heroin/opioid and substance abuse epidemic.
He received the Community Spirit award in 2019 from the Bradford Chamber of Commerce and Citation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for his work with the Sober Living Ministry.
Minich also faced discipline through the federal Financial Industry Regulatory Authority relating to his involvement with the cryptocurrency hedge fund scheme of fellow Bradford High graduates Shane and Sean Hvizdzak.
A complaint filed last week by hearing officers of FINRA alleged that between June and October of 2019, while Minich was associated with a Bradford-based Ameriprise Financial Services office, he participated in three private securities transactions totaling about $200,000 without providing prior written notice to Ameriprise.
According to FINRA, when a financial advisor is associated with a firm, he or she may only conduct securities business under the direct supervision of the firm. He or she must have prior written approval to participate in any private securities transactions.
The discipline resulted in an enforcement action of a four-month suspension, from August to December of 2022, and a $5,000 fine.
