Westmoreland County, Pa. – Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli recently announced criminal charges have been filed against former New Kensington Police Officer Nathaniel Cochran, 25. Cochran was being investigated on an unrelated complaint when county detectives received information that Cochran may have engaged in inappropriated communications with a defendent he arrested in November 2024. Charges against that defendent were subsequently withdrawn. In that incident in November of 2024, Cochran filed criminal charges against the defendant for drug possession following a traffic stop. At the time of the traffic stop, Cochran allegedly told the defendant he could help her out if she could set someone up. After the defendant declined, Cochran provided her with a cell phone number for further communication. Within days of the traffic stop, the defendant and Cochran continued communicating on a personal phone number that was registered to Cochran. The defendant was provided with Cochran’s home address where she visited on two occasions and was told by Cochran not to worry about the charges against her. In late November of 2024, Cochran contacted the defendant and requested she meet him at a location in Delmont where Cochran requested that she delete the messages between the two of them, and in return was given $1,000 in cash from Cochran. As a reason for withdrawing criminal charges, Cochran claimed the defendant was serving as a confidential informant, however, the defendant told detectives she never worked as a confidential informant for New Kensington Police Department, which was verified through the administration for New Kensington Police Department and Office of Attorney General. When questioned by detectives, Cochran claimed he did not know the defendant. Cochran is facing 6 misdemeanor charges for tampering with public record, unsworn falsification, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, official oppression, and obstruction of administration of law “This was someone who swore to uphold and protect the law, and within a few years of taking that oath, he egregiously defied and broke the law for his own personal benefit,” DA Ziccarelli said. “This behavior contradicts what the public, rightfully, expects from a law enforcement officer and Mr. Cochran needs to be held accountable.” A Preliminary Hearing is scheduled on 11/24/2026 @ 9:15 am before the Honorable Judge Judith P. Petrush in Export, Pa. 5919 Washington Ave.
