Machine Gun Mystery In Sheriff's Dept.

[Big D]

Agreed.

I wonder what became of the money that was made from the sale. Was it put back into the budget or into someones pocket?

I was thinking the same thing.

[Big D]

Did anybody happen to listen to WILK (Corbett) tonight and hear all the chatter about this?

[normanvin]

Did anybody happen to listen to WILK (Corbett) tonight and hear all the chatter about this?

No had to work. Whats the hub bub?

[cgbudde]

Agreed.

I wonder what became of the money that was made from the sale. Was it put back into the budget or into someones pocket?

According to todays newspapers, the money was deposited in the sheriffs department, instead of the general fund.

[normanvin]

According to todays newspapers, the money was deposited in the sheriffs department, instead of the general fund.

Interesting....

[normanvin]

In todays paper.

http://www.timesleader.com/news/Gun_...1-23-2010.html

Gun’s sale puts ex-sheriff in Petrilla’s sights
A Tommy gun, vintage 1928, should have been dealt with by the commissioners, the board’s chairwoman says.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter

Luzerne County officials are outraged over the county sheriff department’s sale of a 1920s Tommy gun that was donated to the county years ago.

click image to enlarge

Savokinas
Select images available for purchase in the
Times Leader Photo Store

Former Sheriff Michael Savokinas agreed to sell the gun to a Pittston gun dealership for $20,000.

Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla said the department should have asked the commissioners to decide if and how the gun would be sold, and there was no independent appraisal or public bidding to ensure the county got the best price.

“Nothing about that transaction was in accordance of the law and within the office’s rights to do,” Petrilla said. “Who knows whether it was worth $40,000 or, if it’s a collector’s item, even more?”

The $20,000 was deposited in the sheriff’s department, rather than the general fund, she said. Petrilla said she learned about the sale several days ago. The gun was donated to the prison years ago and given to the sheriff’s office for safekeeping, she said.

She also blasted the sheriff’s department for failing to respond to the county’s questions about the transaction.

The matter came to light when someone familiar with the gun contacted Controller Walter Griffith with concerns that the gun was sold for less than it was worth. Griffith verified that money from the sale was deposited and advised the person to contact county Solicitor Vito DeLuca.

DeLuca said the sheriff’s office wouldn’t cooperate, so he visited Advanced Arms in Pittston, which purchased the gun in addition to three others for $2,500. DeLuca said Advanced Arms furnished a sales agreement and other information.

“This is no disparagement to the dealer. He’s been very cooperative and turned over all the information,” DeLuca said.

Corporation records say Christopher Scoda is president of Advanced Arms, and Ralph Scoda is vice president. A business worker referred questions to Christopher Scoda, and he could not immediately be reached.

Savokinas, who resigned as sheriff Sept. 1, could not be reached for comment Friday.

The sales agreement describes the gun as a .45-caliber Thompson Submachine Gun, Model 1928 U.S. Navy. Advanced Arms indicated that the gun was in excellent condition and contained all original parts.

Advanced Arms also purchased a .30-06-caliber firearm for $1,500 and two 9 mm guns for $500 each, the agreements show.

The money for all four purchases was deposited on Sept. 7.

Acting Sheriff Charles Guarnieri said Friday that sheriff’s workers found the gun in a storage area along with others that were being rounded up for destruction.

Guarnieri said Savokinas contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to check out the gun. Federal investigators who were checking out other matters in the office also knew about the gun, he said.

The office did not involve commissioners in the sale because Savokinas believed it had been donated to the office years ago by the prison.

Savokinas was comfortable with the sales price, Guarnieri said, because it was appraised by Advanced Arms, which is a certified gun dealer, he said.

The sale was reviewed by office solicitor Joseph Sklarosky, he said.

“The situation didn’t require that it go out for a bid. It was the office’s weapon, registered to the office,” Guarnieri said.

He said someone in the county administration must have known about the gun sale because a line item was set up to credit the deposit in the office account.

Guarnieri said he used some of the money to purchase Taser equipment for the office.

“I used the money to upgrade our department,” he said.

But DeLuca said the law designates commissioners as sole contractors for the county, and all managers – row officers included – have no authority to enter into sales agreements on their own.

Without an independent appraisal by an expert not connected to the purchase, the county has no way of knowing the value, he said.

“Although it may have been a very fair deal, there’s no way to know,” said DeLuca, who is researching whether the county has any recourse.

County Purchasing Director Frank Pugliese said the county publicly advertises the sale of all surplus property valued at more than $1,000, and commissioners must approve each sale.

The county is currently rounding up surplus equipment from the old Valley Crest Nursing Home and nooks and crannies throughout the county, and any equipment not claimed by departments will be publicly auctioned, he said.

[God's Country]

So basically the county wants it for their slush fund instead of the sheriff's?
In a time of tight budgets and a reduced tax pool everyone wants to benefit from the sale of anything.

Acting Sheriff Charles Guarnieri said Friday that sheriff’s workers found the gun in a storage area along with others that were being rounded up for destruction

.

This part of the story gets me thinking how often across the country firearms slated for "destruction" end up being sold.

[Swarner793]

So, if this firearm, the Thompson, is registered to the Department, it can only be transferred to a .gov agency, right? I know the SOT can have it as well, but I mean civilian transferable it is not, is that correct? I wonder because that will impact the value.

Williamsport Police have a Thompson as well, given to them by J. Edgar himself, or so it is stated. However, it was registered as a tax exempt item pre-86 and now can only go to a .gov agency.

I think I may have missed in here somewhere how it was registered, does any one know?

Be safe (and NFA compliant, or, live in the sticks j/k).

Scott

[Pa. Patriot]

“Nothing about that transaction was in accordance of the law and within the office’s rights to do,” Petrilla said. “Who knows whether it was worth $40,000 or, if it’s a collector’s item, even more?”

Sleep well, Petrilla. 20k was a good price. It's not like it could have been auctioned off. It would have to go to a C3 SOT dealer anyway

“I used the money to upgrade our department,” he said.

Which is a good thing. The county has done nothing but cut funding to the SD this last year.

Looks like they made a good call and found their own money for shit they needed but were not being supplied by Pretrilla and his corrupt pocket lining Luzerne county commissioners.

I absolutely LOVE this controversy. The third biggest group of thieves in the state criticizing the SD for not handing them over more money to steal.

“Although it may have been a very fair deal, there’s no way to know,” said DeLuca, who is researching whether the county has any recourse.

So you're going to waste more money and resources than any difference in value would be. A difference you would not get anyway since you would have to deal with a dealer (who will offer based on his mark up).
Bravo, DeLuca

[Pa. Patriot]

A recent reminder how corrupt Petrilla's band of commissioners is:

http://www.timesleader.com/news/hott...1-26-2009.html