Man Convicted in Pennsylvania Trooper Shooting After Ohio Murder-for-Hire Case

In a recent verdict, a man with a prior history in a high-profile murder-for-hire case in Ohio, nearly two decades ago, has been found guilty of shooting a state trooper inside a western Pennsylvania convenience store last year.

Guilty Verdict in Beaver County

Last week, a jury in Beaver County took over five hours to deliberate before reaching a verdict against 42-year-old Damian Bradford. The charges against him include attempted homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangering, and firearms violations. His sentencing is set for November 29.

Incident Details

Prosecutors assert that troopers on their regular patrol observed Bradford brandishing a firearm while confronting individuals outside a minimart in Aliquippa in July 2022. They further claim that Bradford engaged in a violent altercation with the troopers who tried to detain him inside the store. During this altercation, he shot one trooper in the leg and attempted to seize another trooper's gun and stun device.

Prior Legal History

Damian Bradford had been released from prison in 2021, following his incarceration for approximately fifteen years in a well-known murder-for-hire case that commenced in Beaver County and concluded on the Ohio Turnpike. In that case, he pleaded guilty to reduced charges related to the fatal shooting of 69-year-old Dr. Gulam Moonda on the Ohio Turnpike in May 2005.

Prosecutors contended that Bradford and Donna Moonda, the wife of the victim, had conspired to kill the well-known Mercer County doctor. They initially met at a drug rehabilitation center, with Bradford being promised half of the doctor's substantial estate. Donna Moonda was subsequently convicted in federal court in 2007 for her role in the murder-for-hire scheme and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Defense attorney William Difenderfer expressed disappointment with the recent verdict and hinted at potential appeals in the future.