More corruption

[normanvin]

Whos next?


http://www.timesleader.com/news/SKRE...2-18-2009.html

Posted: December 18
Updated: Today at 4:03 AM
SKREP SIDELINED
Source: Ex- hero signs plea

By Terrie Morgan-Besecker tmorgan@timesleader.com
Law & Order Reporter

WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak resigned from office Thursday afternoon – one day after, a source said, he signed a plea agreement to a corruption charge that is expected to be filed today.


A source says Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepnek signed a plea agreement on Wednesday, one day before he resigned his post. Skrepenak’s years on the board saw many controversies.


Skrepenak faxed his letter of resignation to Gov. Ed Rendell’s office at 3:41 p.m. The one sentence letter states Skrepenak’s resignation was effective as of close of business on Thursday. It did not provide a reason.

A source familiar with the county corruption probe said Skrepenak signed a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Wednesday.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, could not say what specific charge Skrepenak will plead to, but confirmed the case is related to the corruption probe. Prosecutors are expected to file a criminal complaint, along with the plea agreement, some time today, the source said.

Heidi Havens, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Dennis Pfannenschmidt, said the office would have no comment.

In a statement released to the media Thursday, Skrepenak admitted he made “mistakes” and that he is facing “legal issues,” but he did not directly acknowledge that he will be charged.

“I did not believe I did anything wrong until I met with authorities. They demonstrated to me the mistakes I made and now I must hold myself accountable for those mistakes and accept the consequences, no matter how difficult it may be,” Skrepenak said.

Skrepenak, a former NFL lineman, was first elected in 2003 and won-re-election in 2007. Speculation that he would be charged in connection with the corruption probe has been rampant for months.

Skrepenak’s father, also named Greg, testified before a grand jury in August. The senior Skrepenak is the owner of Big Ugly’s, a bar and restaurant in Wilkes-Barre that showcases sports memorabilia from the former commissioner’s NFL career. An employee of the restaurant testified before the same grand jury in September.

A number of people who were either friends with Skrepenak or previously worked for the county have also been charged or have testified before the grand jury.

In an interview on Nov. 20, Skrepenak said he expected to be questioned by federal prosecutors but denied that he had committed any crime.

“In my mind I don’t believe I did anything wrong,” Skrepenak said.

Rumors that charges against him were imminent intensified in the past few weeks. Questioned by a reporter about the rumors, Skrepenak repeatedly denied he was facing charges. As late as last week he insisted he had not even been contacted by federal authorities.

Skrepenak could not be reached for comment Thursday. A message on his cell phone said it has been disconnected or is out of service.

His attorney, Peter Moses, declined to comment on whether Skrepenak will be charged. He referred reporters to the statement Skrepenak released.

In the statement, Skrepenak said it would be easy for him to blame others, but he accepts “full responsibility for what has occurred.”

“I am still in shock, but understand that when you realize the error or your ways it is imperative you own up to them as quickly as possible. I am deeply sorry for this turn of events. I am sorry to God, my family, my loyal supporters and the people of Luzerne County,” Skrepenak said.

Skrepenak further goes on to say he hopes he will serve as an example to other public officials that “there is a high standard by which you must conduct yourself.”

“You must be able to differentiate between your personal and professional life. You must also follow strict guidelines that can’t be confused with practices that might seem acceptable to others,” he said.

He concludes “I again want to stress my heartfelt sorrow for what has taken place. I can say without hesitation that I never intended to do wrong.”

His resignation ends a tumultuous tenure that was frequently marred by controversy.

In 2004, he and then fellow majority commissioner Todd Vonderheid came under fire for their decision to vote for a 20-year, $58 million lease of the PA Child Care juvenile detention center, which was partly owned by attorney Robert Powell, who was a friend of former judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan.

Ciavarella and Conahan are awaiting trial on charges they accepted millions of dollars in exchange for rulings that benefited the two centers.

Some had speculated that Skrepenak was tied to the corruption probe involving PA Child Care – an allegation Skrepenak flatly denied in an interview this February.

“I never took a dime of money for that detention center or anything else I’ve ever done as a commissioner,” he said.

Skrepenak has also been the focus of several other controversies as well. In 2008, he and several other county officials were severely criticized after it was revealed they had misused county debit cards.

Skrepenak again came under fire later that year after it was revealed that friend of Skrepenak’s, Steven Harnischfeger, was awarded questionable contracts for food purchases at the county prison.

An investigation revealed purchases had been broken down into smaller contracts to avoid competitive bidding – a process known as piecemealing.

The controversies continued into 2009 as Skrepenak frequently clashed with fellow Democratic Majority Commissioner Maryanne Petrilla and Minority Commissioner Stephen Urban.

Petrilla said Thursday she expected more indictments were forthcoming. The county has a been a hotbed of activity for federal prosecutors since the arrests Conahan and Ciavarella in January.

As of last week, 22 people, including three judges, seven school officials and five officials who were employed by the county or county-related offices have been charged.

They include Doug Richards, former head of human resources, and Bill Brace, who formerly served as deputy chief clerk. Richards was charged on Dec. 11 with accepting money in exchange for helping a contractor secure a contract. Brace was charged in November with accepting a custom made suit in exchange for his influence in the awarding of a contract.

A third person who is a friend of Skrepenak’s, Barton Weidlich of Pittston, was charged in October with threatening a witness who was cooperating with federal prosecutors.

Weidlich is the owner of a warehouse that sources previously said was searched by federal authorities in September. The sources said the agents wanted to review records that had been removed from the county by Sam Guesto, former chief clerk and a close friend of Skrepenak’s.

Urban said Thursday he was saddened by Skrepenak’s resignation, but not surprised by his admission of wrongdoing.

“I saw many of the people around him fall,” Urban said. “You have to be careful of who you hang around with.”

Petrilla, Skrepenak’s former running mate, said it became clear shortly after they won election in 2007 that she and Skrepenak had different philosophies regarding the running of the county.

“It’s no secret Commissioner Skrepenak and I butted heads quite often. After the election it became apparent to me we were going different ways with administration,” she said.

Petrilla and Urban said they understand residents are growing increasingly disillusioned and distrustful of county government. They vowed to continue to take actions that will restore that trust.

“Anything we find that is not above board, we have exposed it,” Petrilla said.

The corruption probe is continuing, and Petrilla said she expects it will be some time before it is concluded.

“People of the county need to understand, this is going to take a while,” she said. “They should be happy we are continuing to run a good government until it’s over. I look forward to that day.”

[Johncj5]

It's not more corruption... they're all corrupt... just another one got caught.

I love the local news.

[normanvin]

One thing that a lot of people do not know is that Skrep also lives in one of these townhouses. This came out during the tax reassessment.

http://www.timesleader.com/news/Char...2-19-2009.html

Charge against Skrep new link to Trombetta
The businessman has not been charged, but his web of connections is more tangled.

By Mark Guydish mguydish@timesleader.com
Education Reporter

WILKES-BARRE – Anthony Trombetta’s name has yet to appear on federal paperwork related to the corruption charges filed against 23 people in the last 12 months. But trails have repeatedly pointed to him.

click image to enlarge

The Insignia Point Courtyards is a tax incentive program that has come under federal investigators’ scrutiny.

Don Carey/The Times Leader
Select images available for purchase in the
Times Leader Photo Store

Sources have confirmed that records from dealings with his computer company, Intellacom, were taken from Pittston Area and Wyoming Valley West School District. He also had dealings with others targeted by the FBI: Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technology Center, Luzerne County Community College, and the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority.

Now County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak can be added to the list.

And recent Luzerne County real estate records show Trombetta has apparently been raising cash by selling or mortgaging properties – a bit more than $1.3 million since Sept. 2008, when his company, Terra Firma, sold Pittston property to Turkey Hill for $650,000. In three transactions in June and August, Terra Firma mortgaged property three times for a total of $493,531.

Trombetta has not been accused of any wrongdoing. In the past, people in his company office have said he will not comment on the federal probe. More recently, he has been unreachable, with one phone number disconnected. But the tangles with those who were charged have deepened steadily for months.

After the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged then-Pittston Area Superintendent Ross Scarantino with corruption, the school board responded to the scandal by tightening purchasing procedures.

In a public discussion during an April meeting, member Terry Best revisited an old issue: Contentions that the district had overpaid for computer hardware and services. At the time, Best didn’t name names, but a review of board minutes showed he was discussing Intellacom. Sources later confirmed that the FBI had taken records regarding district dealings with Intellacom.

Records showed those dealings included lucrative no-bid security camera work worth nearly $300,000 through the state Pennsylvania Educational Purchasing Program for Microcomputers, or PEPPM, designed to save districts and other agencies money by allowing them to skip the bidding process by piggybacking on state-awarded contracts. But research showed the PEPPM purchases at Pittston Area did not go through the proper agency that monitors the paperwork to make sure the vendor is meeting the state-set prices.

Intellacom did similar work at LCCC, including no-bid PEPPM work worth close to $400,000. Scarantino was on the LCCC Board of Trustees for much of the time the school dealt with Trombetta’s company. LCCC President Thomas Leary has said there is no college record that the paperwork for the PEPPM projects went to the agency overseeing the program. Leary also said a contract with Intellacom was cancelled this January due to breach of contract, and the school has no dealings with the company.

Intellacom did more than $1 million in work at the Career and Technology Center, with the bulk of it spent on security camera work, at least part of which appears to have been sold through the no-bid PEPPM system. The center’s former attendance coordinator, Jeff Piazza – who previously worked as technology coordinator – has agreed to plead guilty to accepting kickbacks over several years for helping a technology vendor land lucrative deals.

The vendor is not named, but minutes from the Joint Operating Committee that runs the Center show the vast majority of technology work went to Intellacom during the period in question.

Piazza is the son of August Piazza, former Wyoming Valley West superintendent who also served as a Pittston Area School Board member and sat on the LCCC board of trustees with Scarantino. August Piazza has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Jeff Piazza also worked part-time for the Portafino restaurant, which had been owned by Trombetta, and lives in Insignia Point, developed by Trombetta’s company, Terra Firma.

Intellacom had also employed the son of Joseph Oliveri, a former Pittston Area board member who pleaded guilty to charges he accepted a bribe in exchange for supporting a company seeking district business. The younger Oliveri has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Sources confirmed the FBI took Intellacom records from Wyoming Valley West, where records showed the company did more than $234,000 in business from 2003-07, with annual amounts dropping dramatically after that, to less than $1,000 one year and $5,000 the other. Board member Allen Bellas has agreed to plead guilty to corruption charges not related to school board activities. The activities in question, however, did have a link to Trombetta.

Bellas’ plea involves charges that, as executive director of the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority, he took a $2,000 bribe in exchange for helping a construction contractor secure approval of a “Tax Incremental Financing Program,” or TIF, which typically uses property tax revenue from new construction to pay for infrastructure improvements to develop the site. The site in question was in Jenkins Township.

Federal paperwork didn’t name the developer, but Trombetta’s Insignia Point Courtyards sought and obtained a TIF during the time in question.

TIF programs must be approved by all government bodies involved, including school districts, and the Insignia Point Courtyard project, originally known as the Leib Tract, was approved by Pittston Area School District when Scarantino was superintendent and Oliveri still sat on the board.

Insignia Point – and thus Trombetta – emerged yet again Friday without officially being named in the paperwork. The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged Skrepenak with accepting money for supporting a TIF program in Jenkins Township that the county commissioners approved at a January, 2008, meeting. Only one development fits that description: Insignia Point Courtyards, built with the help of a $1.1 million loan from the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority, a loan that was supposed to be repaid via the TIF.

[cgbudde]

I want to apply for his position, but I heard you need to be a Democrat, I guess they want to keep the corruption flowing in their party, Republicans have to wait their turn.

[PaprPuncr]

How about your county treasurer caught hunting over bait in susquehanna county !

[PocketProtector]

My FIL is 81 and lives in WB. He owned his own business and has said for decades that WB is TOTALLY corrupt. It's pay to play for everything and "favors" are done routinely. He was thrilled when those 2 judges were arrested and said that's just the tip of the iceberg.

[normanvin]

How about your county treasurer caught hunting over bait in susquehanna county !

You must mean.

http://www.timesleader.com/news/Coun...ommission.html

County Treasurer Morreale cited by PA Game Commission

Luzerne County Treasurer Michael Morreale was charged by the Pennsylvania Game Commission on Friday for hunting over bait during the recently completed deer season. The charge stems from an incident on Dec. 5 that occurred in Susquehanna County.

The summary offense carries a fine of $100 to $300

[PaprPuncr]

Does his license get revoked for 1 year ? Glad I moved outa there 26 years ago...... Former " Pittstonian "

[redeye202]

OK,so how soon will the SHTF in Lackawanna county,or should i hold off on stocking up on popcorn.

[jahwarrior72]

OK,so how soon will the SHTF in Lackawanna county,or should i hold off on stocking up on popcorn.

well, there are about 300 different lawsuits pending against the Scranton School District, not to mention the rumors of Doherty's campaign finances not being on the up'n'up. so stay tuned.