Smithport, Pa. – A Shinglehouse man faces a state prison sentence of at least 9 years and 7 months and up to 19 years and 8 months for drug and insurance fraud charges.
Steffan Sisson, 32, must also serve a year of probation, according to McKean County District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer. Last week Sisson’s sentencing was heard in McKean County Court.
Sisson was charged in October 2021 by county sheriff Ryan Yingling, who obtained a search warrant for Sisson’s home after it was purchased by a person identified by the McKean County Drug Task Force. Forced the gram of methamphetamine from Sisson.
Law enforcement found 15 grams of meth and approximately 200 bags of fentanyl, along with four .22-caliber handguns and one 7mm-08 handgun inside. the house.
Sisson was also charged by the Potter County East Drug Task Force with three separate counts of possession with intent to deliver (methamphetamine and fentanyl) between October 7 and October 30, 2021. These three counts were taken to McKean County for charges.
Sisson has a prior conviction in New York state for possession of a narcotic with intent to sell, which prohibits him from possessing a firearm, the criminal complaint said.
Sisson was charged with possession of methamphetamine and driving under the influence as well as a case handled by the Attorney General’s Office in which Sisson pleaded guilty to the charge of insurance fraud.
According to the criminal complaint in the case, Geico Insurance referred the matter to the authorities. In December of 2021, Sisson filed an online lawsuit with Geico alleging that he backed out of his driveway and hit a utility pole, causing damage to the vehicle.
Geico conducted an investigation and found that Sisson had reported an accident on July 7 in which all of the damage appeared to be the same, except for the damage to the rear light. For the first claim, he was given a check for $6,961.54, the claim states.
The investigation revealed that Geico paid Sisson, but he did not repair the vehicle. When he damaged the car a second time, he tried to pay for the damage from the first accident as well as the second accident, it said. don’t complain.
Several agencies assisted in the case: the McKean County district attorney’s office and its police; the McKean County Drug Task Force; the Potter County sheriff; Potter County East Drug Task Force; the Olean (NY) City Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit; the Southern Division of Drugs; The New York State Police VGNET Team; the McKean County Police K-9 unit; and the McKean County Probation Office.
