Ex-Greensburg police chief Shawn Denning reports to prison June 10

Former Greensburg police chief Shawn Denning will begin serving his federal prison sentence in a drug distribution conspiracy case on June 10, according to a notice from the U.S. Marshals Service.

Denning, 44, of Delmont, was ordered to report to a satellite camp at the Federal Correctional Institution in Schuylkill County, court records show. It was unclear if Denning will serve his 15-month sentence there or be moved elsewhere.

He remains free on bond after being sentenced May 1 in the case that derailed the military veteran’s career and left the community in shock. He was ordered to spend two years on supervised release after the prison term.

Denning pleaded guilty in April 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Prosecutors said he communicated with a government informant starting in July 2021 and connected that person with drug dealers in California to buy cocaine and methamphetamine. That continued for 15 months, according to court papers.

Meanwhile, he rose through the ranks to become chief of a department he joined in 2008. He was arrested at Greensburg City Hall in January 2023 and resigned.

Denning was ordered to report to the Schuylkill satellite camp in Eastern Pennsylvania. The prison there is a medium-security facility that houses about 1,000 inmates. An additional 200 inmates are at an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp.

Former Greensburg officer Regina McAtee is scheduled for sentencing May 27. Investigators said Denning helped her get methamphetamine pills online and then bought some from her once the order arrived. McAtee, 52, of New Kensington was suspended in early 2023 and later retired. She pleaded guilty in May 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.