HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Friday that a former Lawrence County police officer has been charged in connection with an incident at a Sheetz store earlier this year.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Robert Magnifico, formerly a sergeant with the Ellwood City Police Department, faces misdemeanor charges of simple assault, official oppression, tampering with public records, and unsworn falsification to authorities. Magnifico retired from the department last month.
Investigators said the case stems from an incident on June 6, 2025, at the Sheetz store on 5th Street in Ellwood City. A 19-year-old customer reportedly returned to the store after forgetting his phone, but staff declined to return it despite the man providing identifying details and a passcode. Police were called, and Magnifico responded.
Authorities allege that during the encounter, Magnifico shoved the man to the ground, threw his phone onto a table, and forcibly grabbed a second phone belonging to the man’s 16-year-old friend, who had been recording the interaction. The 19-year-old was later treated at a hospital for his injuries.
Attorney General Sunday said the officer’s conduct, which was captured on video, amounted to criminal acts. “The encounter, which was captured on video, shows a sworn officer engaged in abusive and intimidating behavior that is clearly out of bounds, and, in fact, a series of criminal acts,” Sunday stated. “Pennsylvanians should feel confident they can depend on law enforcement officers to protect them, and this one officer’s actions threaten that sense of security.”
Following the incident, Magnifico filed a report that investigators allege did not accurately reflect what had occurred.
A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for November 18. The prosecution is being handled by Senior Deputy Attorney General Kara Rice.
All charges are allegations, and a suspect, arrestee, or defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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