Police: Westmoreland County jail inmate pretended to be his brother

An inmate from Ohio arrested last summer in Unity on multiple drug counts and illegal possession of a 9 mm handgun also was charged with perjury Wednesday after authorities said he identified himself as his younger brother, who has no arrest record, according to court documents.

Timothy J. Boyd, 40, was deemed a flight risk and denied bond by Greensburg District Judge Chris Flanigan during his arraignment on new charges of false swearing and perjury filed by county detectives.

Boyd was initially arrested July 30 inside his vehicle in the parking lot of the Inn at Mt. View. State troopers found him with quantities of methamphetamine, a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, according to court documents.

Inside his hotel room, troopers confiscated a 9 mm handgun which he was not allowed to have because he was on parole for a burglary in Ohio. He also was wanted for a parole violation there.

When Boyd was arrested, Westmoreland County Detective James Williams reported Boyd identified himself to troopers and court officials as his younger brother, Travis .

Boyd signed paperwork waiving extradition to Claremont County, Ohio, signing Travis Boyd’s name and listing his brother’s birth date, according to court documents.

Westmoreland County jail officials became suspicious of Boyd’s true identity after monitoring his telephone calls to relatives. Inmate telephone calls are routinely monitored.

Sgt. Nikki Cramer and Williams listened to several calls between Boyd and his mother, leading them “to believe (Boyd) is incarcerated here under his brother’s name.”

In an Aug. 3 call, Boyd told his mother, “they arrested us and I told them I was my brother because he said he doesn’t have any warrants or anything.”

In another call later that month, Williams said Boyd instructed his mother not to send checks to him in the jail written out to Timothy Boyd “because that would create a whole ‘nother issue … because he’s not here.”

Williams said Boyd’s mother replied, “Well he is, but they think he’s Travis,” according to court papers.

In a January interview with jail officials, Williams said Timothy Boyd initially claimed he was Travis, but later in the interview admitted his true identity.

Investigators requested Boyd’s fingerprints on file with the FBI. The county district attorney’s office’s forensic unit verified the prisoner as Timothy Boyd.

Williams said county officials also notified the FBI that the fingerprints they have on file as Travis Boyd are, in fact, Timothy Boyd’s.

Boyd formally waived his right to a preliminary hearing last week on the drug possession and firearm charges. Trooper Joshua Wiskeman also added an additional charge, providing false identification to a law enforcement officer.

Boyd’s hearing on the false swearing and perjury charges is scheduled March 3.