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The owner and operator of a downtown Pittsburgh tax preparation company has been sentenced to prison for his conviction of tax fraud.

According to the Department of Justice, Brian A. VanDusen, 52, from Youngstown, Ohio, was sentenced to 30 months in jail and one year of supervised release.

Officials said VanDusen operated a business called “Easy Tax Refund” located in the Warner Center.

Between 2014 and 2018, VanDusen and some employees prepared and transmitted hundreds of fake federal income tax returns. These returns falsified Schedule C profit and loss income from a business, resulting in illegal tax refunds that cost the IRS $994,824.

Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti commended the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of VanDusen, according to a press release.

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TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS

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Source: Owner of downtown Pittsburgh tax preparation company sentenced to prison for fraud

Not many stores remain open for Bed Bath & Beyond across the country, with only one in the Pittsburgh area.

Source: Amid Bed Bath & Beyond bankruptcy, Pittsburgh customers rush to last store

Tucker Carlson’s last program was Friday, Fox News said. His ouster is likely related to a discrimination lawsuit filed by a former producer.

Source: Tucker Carlson departs Fox News, pushed out by Rupert Murdoch

Allegheny County Police Lt. Todd Dolfi said during an altercation between two families, gunshots were exchanged between the two groups.

Two men and a woman were shot. One of the men died at the hospital. Dolfi said the two other people were in critical but stable condition.

The man who died was identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office on Monday morning as Jason J Steiner, 48, of Jefferson Hills.

Dolfi said the two families knew each other. One of the families involved lived on Siler Drive.

 

Source: Jefferson Hills reported shooting under investigation

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday blocked new restrictions set by lower courts on a widely used abortion pill, a decision welcomed by President Joe Biden as his administration defends broad access to the drug in the latest fierce legal battle over reproductive rights in the United States.

Source: U.S. Supreme Court preserves broad access to abortion pill

Two people were arrested after the Jefferson County Drug Task Force executed a warrant at a home along Pennsylvania Avenue in Steubenville on Friday morning.

Source: Two arrested in Steubenville drug bust

A military aircraft had to make an emergency landing at Pittsburgh International Airport on Thursday.

The airport said the KC-135 from the 171st Air Refueling Wing made an emergency landing shortly after 1 p.m. after reporting a mechanical problem.

No one was injured.

The 171st Air Refueling Wing of the Pennsylvania National Guard operates out of the Pittsburgh International Airport. It provides in-flight refueling to Department of Defense and NATO aircraft.

Source: Military aircraft makes emergency landing at Pittsburgh International Airport

A postal worker was knocked out of his vehicle after he was hit by another driver in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh police say the driver told them he was hit by a blue pickup truck on Middletown Road at around 9:45 a.m. on Thursday.

The force was so hard that the worker fell out of the vehicle’s side door and hit the ground. The driver of the truck fled the scene, leaving behind broken glass and a side passenger mirror.

Source: Postal worker knocked out of vehicle after being hit by pickup truck in Pittsburgh

Allegheny County 911 confirms police and emergency medical services were sent to the 7900 block of Frankstown Avenue around 5:04 p.m.

Source: Homewood North shooting leaves man in critical condition

For more than four hours, hundreds of students and community members shut down streets around the student center as they protested the controversial event hosted by the Pitt chapter of College Republicans.

Source: Protesters shut down Oakland streets during controversial gender identity debate

Giant Eagle says the new version of its printed circular will be two pages, with a QR code to see more on-sale items on their website.

Source: Giant Eagle weekly ads are coming back to mailboxes, with some changes

The crash appears to have happened because of a wrong-way driver, according to police.

Two people were sent to the hospital, one in critical and the other in stable condition. One passenger was also treated by paramedics on scene.

Police say the investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Source: Fifth Avenue crash sends two to the hospital

Law enforcement officers are imploring people in an Alabama town to come forward with information about a shooting that killed four people and injured 28 others during a teenager’s birthday party. Among those killed was a high school senior who planned to play college football and was celebrating at his sister’s 16th birthday Saturday night when gunfire erupted in Dadeville. Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell was a Dadeville High School senior who committed to Jacksonville State University. He was celebrating at his sister Alexis’ party before he was shot to death, his grandmother Annette Allen tells The Montgomery Advertiser. Police gathered evidence Sunday at a dance studio where the party was held. They did not immediately say if a suspect was in custody.

Source: Shooting at Alabama birthday party kills 4 people, wounds 28

Timothy Tomasic, 46, was arraigned on Monday morning

Source: Man accused of assaulting priest on Pittsburgh’s South Side

Financial disclosures with the Federal Election Commission show 2024 candidate Donald Trump raked in millions of dollars after news of his criminal indictment and his prediction of his “arrest” last month.

Filings also reveal that he made more than $5m from speaking engagements, between $100,000 and $1m with his NFT scheme and less than $200 from Truth Social.

The filings come a day after he addressed a National Rifle Association conference with his vow to protect gun ownership rights “forever” despite several recent mass shootings across the US.

Mr Trump returned to New York on Thursday to sit for a deposition in the civil case brought against him, his adult children and the Trump Organization by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleging a decade-long fraud scheme that gave lenders false financial statements overvaluing assets.

His appearance marked his first return to New York since he was arraigned on a 34-count criminal indictment of felony charges of falsifying business records. Mr Trump has sued his former lawyer at the centre of that case, Michael Cohen, for $500m. Cohen said he is considering countersuing.

Source: Donald Trump’s financial disclosures reveal post-White House earnings – latest

At least two people were killed and four others were wounded when shots were fired into a crowd gathered at a park in Louisville, Kentucky, Saturday, authorities said.

Officers responded to Chickasaw Park around 9 p.m. and found several people had been shot, including two who were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Four people who were found wounded were rushed to a local hospital, including one person who is in surgery and in critical condition, Louisville Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey said during a news conference late Saturday night. No additional details were available about the victims.

Source: 2 people were killed and 4 others were wounded when shots were fired into a crowd at Chickasaw Park in Louisville, Kentucky, police say | CNN

Dozens of flights to, from and within Alaska were canceled Thursday due to clouds of volcanic ash drifting from an eruption on Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.

Source: Ash from Russian volcano that caused Alaska flight cancellations may ease Friday

Animal welfare activists say the incident is “by far” the deadliest barn fire in recent memory.

Source: Texas dairy farm explosion kills 18,000 cows

A lawyer for Trump’s business said the Republican presidential contender spent nearly all seven hours “describing in detail his extraordinary business success.”

Source: Trump grilled for 7 hours in AG Letitia James’ state fraud case

Incident happened on Thursday night a little before 11 p.m. in the area of Sixth Avenue and Smithfield Street.

Investigators said one man suffered a deep laceration and was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition.

Another injured man approached police on scene and was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Police said a suspect was taken into custody and a weapon was retrieved at the scene.

Source: Two men stabbed in Downtown Pittsburgh

Shooting happened early Friday morning

The victim was found in a vehicle with gunshot wounds to the chest and arm.

Pittsburgh Public Safety said responding officers applied a tourniquet and took other emergency first aid measures until paramedics arrived on scene and took the victim to the hospital.

The shooter was seen running from the scene but as of early Friday morning, no arrests had been made.

Source: Man in critical condition after being shot multiple times in Pittsburgh

A Stokes basket was used to bring the injured worker down after he fell from the 26th floor to the 24th floor, Pittsburgh Public Safety officials said.

Source: Pittsburgh First National Bank tower construction worker falls

It wasn’t the big jackpot, but a lucky player in Western Pa. is holding a $1 million winning lottery ticket.

Pennsylvania Lottery officials said the ticket from Friday’s drawing was sold at The Greensburg Newsstand on West Otterman Street.

“We’ve been here 10 years, and that’s the biggest one by far that we’ve ever had,” store owner Allan Lydic said.

The ticket matched all five white balls drawn — 12, 32, 49, 51, 66 — but not the yellow Mega Ball, which was 21.

The holder of the ticket has one year to come forward and claim the prize. The store will get a $5,000 bonus for selling the ticket.

Source: Greensburg store celebrates a big winner: Lottery ticket hits for $1 million prize

This week, detectives with the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office developed information that Vire was inside a residence on Duff Road in Penn Hills.

A Penn Hills man accused of firing shots during a dispute outside the Giant Eagle along Rodi Road was arrested earlier this week on a bond violation.

Norman Vire, 49, is facing a number of charges, including aggravated assault, in connection to a December 2021 incident in which a witness says he fired several shots at him during a dispute in the Giant Eagle parking lot at the Penn Hills Shopping Center.

This week, detectives with the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office developed information that Vire was inside a residence on Duff Road in Penn Hills.

Source: Penn Hills man accused of firing gun in Giant Eagle parking lot arrested

Two colleagues say California’s Dianne Feinstein is no longer fit to serve as she battles shingles.

Source: Dianne Feinstein: Democrats call on Senator Dianne Feinstein to resign

Arnold Schwarzenegger took action recently, filling in a neighborhood pothole in Los Angeles after he had been “waiting” for three weeks for it to be repaired.

Source: Arnold Schwarzenegger fills in neighborhood pothole himself after ‘waiting’ for three weeks: ‘This is crazy’

According to his criminal complaint, Rashon Coleman demanded $50,000 from a teller at the PNC Bank, threatening her with a gun that may have had an orange tip. He was given about $900, some of which he dropped on his way out the door.

Police were reviewing surveillance video at the PNC Bank when they heard officers had been sent to the First National Bank at 6000 Centre Ave. Police encountered Coleman wearing the same clothes he had worn when he allegedly robbed the PNC Bank, the complaint says.

Source: Man arrested in Shadyside bank robberies had “orange tip,” “Nerf-style gun,” police say

Pittsburgh police say a man stole an undisclosed amount of cash.

A man demanded money from a teller and threatened that he had a weapon inside a plastic bag. He stole an undisclosed amount of cash.

No one was injured in the robbery. Pittsburgh police and detectives as well as FBI agents responded to the scene.

Today’s top headlines:

• 4 victims killed in deadly Louisville bank shooting identified
• Plane goes off the runway at Allegheny County Airport
• Toxic train cars from East Palestine derailment arrive at Conway Yard

Police are reviewing all available video evidence. There are no arrests at this time.

Source: Shadyside bank robbed Monday afternoon