Allegheny County Jail
PITTSBURGH – Allegheny County Jail is accused of throwing away a valuable chain taken from an arrested man that commemorates his late son.
Kenneth McKoy sued the county this month in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas over its handling of a 14-karat white gold chain that featured a custom-made, diamond-studded frame holding a photo of McKoy’s late son.
Photographs taken during McKoy’s intake show he was wearing the necklace. His wife tried to retrieve it on Dec. 15, 2023, after McKoy’s arrest but was told the Allegheny County Jail did not have any of her husband’s property. The captain of ACJ, Bryan Joseph, allegedly told Sequoia McKoy he did not know why Kenneth was made to turn it in.
“Captain Joseph confirmed that the necklace was thrown away but stated that he would be in his office the following day and that Ms. McKoy could bring the receipt(s),” the lawsuit says.
At this point, the McKoys hired a lawyer. Video footage shows the necklace being thrown in the trash, the suit says.
Allegheny County staff said there was not enough information to establish the value of the necklace, though jewelers involved in its creation were contacted for appraisals, the suit says.
“Mr. McKoy has diligently pursued a resolution of this matter for a year and a half, with no cooperation from Allegheny County,” the suit says.
“This is despite the County’s knowledge of the sentimental value of the necklace and the emotional toll it has taken on Mr. McKoy.”
The suit makes claims for negligence, recklessness and conversion. McKoy is represented by Fred Rabner of Rabner Law Offices in Pittsburgh.
McKoy paid more than $55,000 for the necklace, records attached to the suit say.
“I have reviewed the ‘receipts’ previously supplied,” assistant county solicitor Ginny Scott wrote to McKoy in November 2024.
“There is certainly insufficient information to establish a valid claim for $53,000. The receipts are very faint and vague as to what they represent.”
Rabner also attached the long email conversation he had with Scott. Rabner wrote earlier this year, “Imagine you put all your savings into a piece of gold and diamond – that you knew would never lose its value, and had sentimental meaning that commemorated your child’s time on this planet, and then you were taken away in shackles, and they threw the item away and basically said sorry – not sorry.”
Cops began pursuing McKoy for running a red light and driving too fast, but McKoy fled. He crashed his car, was arrested after a brief foot pursuit and charged with crimes like DUI and carrying a firearm without a license.
