Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform > News Items
Jailing Kids For Cash
Ursus:
Here are two more articles focused -- more or less -- on Luzerne County Court Administrator William Sharkey and the embezzled gambling confiscations:
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[Local news video coverage of the following story accessible from title link.]
Local news / Wilkes-Barre, PA
More Charges in Luzerne Co. Corruption Case
Reported by: Andy Mehalshick
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2009 @10:20pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- It's 3-arrests and counting in the ongoing federal investigation into corruption at the Luzerne County Courthouse. Longtime Court Administrator William Sharkey is charged with embezzling some $70,000 from the county court system. He is the third high-ranking county official heading to prison.
The U.S. Attorney filed charges Tuesday against Sharkey, who's from West Hazleton. He has been the Court Administrator since 1997. Sharkey was in charge of court operations, and that included money.
According to investigators Sharkey was in control of illegal gambling money seized by state Liquor Control Enforcement. He was supposed to get a court forfeiture order and then put that money, some $70,000, into the county treasurer's account. Federal investigators say he kept the money.
His arrest has people talking. Carl Romanelli of Wilkes-Barre said, "It's disappointing it happened at all but it’s nice to see the investigation is moving forward and bad apples."
This comes 8 days after Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan were charged with fraud for taking millions in kickbacks connected to a private juvenile center.
On Monday the I-Team learned that new President Judge Chester Muroski suspended county payments to Sharkey. Tuesday Muroski said that Sharkey is now immediately suspended without pay. Sharkey has been on medical leave since last August. But Muroski told Eyewitness News that Sharkey has been "out and about" but not at work.
Federal agents seized records from Sharkey’s office last summer. Sharkey could not be reached for comment.
Eyewitness News is also told that the federal investigation continues and that more arrests are likely.
Copyright (c) 1998 - 2009 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
Ursus:
Local news / Wilkes-Barre, PA
More Courthouse Corruption
Reported by: Eric Scheiner
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2009 @07:43pm EST
WILKES-BARRE-- Under Luzerne County Court Administrator William Sharkey's plea agreement, he will give up his home, his car, and over $42,000 he's paid into the state pension system. It is still to be determined if these forfeitures will be necessary to cover the restitution of the nearly $71,000 he stole from the county court system.
It's alleged Sharkey embezzled the money over a period of ten years by illegally pocketing gambling proceeds seized in criminal cases.
Sharkey is the latest court official making a plea deal, following the indictment of Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan for taking kickbacks in return for placing juvenile offenders in certain detention facilities.
Part of Sharkey's plea agreement includes his cooperation with officials, causing some to wonder if any information he gives authorities may lead to more indictments at the Luzerne County Courthouse.
WYOU Interactive discusses the indictments and the issues surrounding corruption at the Luzerne County Courthouse.
[Local news video coverage of the above story accessible from title link.]
Copyright (c) 1998 - 2009 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
Ursus:
And what is to become of the Judges' pension funds? Retirement benefits are generally taken away if a judge is disbarred due to a federal conviction.
Interesting that Judge Conahan withdrew more than $300,000 from his pie...all the way back in mid January. Pennsylvania may not be able to get that money back.
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[Local news video coverage of the following story accessible from title link.]
Local news / Wilkes-Barre, PA
I-Team: Possible Pension Loss for Judges
Reported by: Mike Trim
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2009 @09:30pm EST
Through a Pennsylvania "right to know" request, the I-Team discovered how much pension money Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan could lose.
Starting first with Ciavarella, the I-Team estimates he would collect approximately $75,000 a year in pension funds. That's if he retired with his current years of service as a judge.
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- Local taxpayer advocate Walter Griffith says Ciavarella and Conahan shouldn't get a dime. "They've taken the juvenile system of our county and they've smeared it so badly and they've ruined the lives of young people that I just don't think it's fair that they should be able to walk away with everything," says Griffith.
Next is Conahan, who officially retired as a judge on January 14th, 2008. The next day he returned as a senior judge, appointed part-time by the state.
But when he retired, Conahan withdrew a lump sum of a little more than $300,000 in pension payout. And that money could be safe for Conahan.
The State Employees Retirement System says forfeited pension money is usually taken from the point of conviction and beyond.
Conahan did nothing illegal by withdrawing the lump sum, but Griffith says it seemed odd. "There's a lot of different things that are happening in the county that aren't in the best interest of the taxpayers. That particular issue is a little bit difficult because it just seems funny that he would take his retirement," says Griffith.
If convicted, Conahan and Ciavarella could both lose retirement benefits. The state employee's retirement system follows state law guidelines to take away pensions.
There's a specific guideline that takes retirement benefits away if a judge is disbarred because of a federal conviction.
Copyright (c) 1998 - 2009 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
Ursus:
In a related twist, as far as inappropriate and illegal maneuvers vis a vis incarcerations are concerned, Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella is also in hot water regarding a "secret probation parole program" involving adult inmates. One has to wonder if some more payola was involved in those transactions.
In light of the below described developments, it would appear that Judge Ciavarella's 90-second rulings, in the case of juveniles, were not due to his being "tough on crime."
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[Local news video coverage of the following story accessible from title link.]
Local news / Wilkes-Barre, PA
The Latest on Luzerne County Court Corruption
Reported by: Andy Mehalshick
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2009 @09:35pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- There are more developments in the federal investigation into corruption at the Luzerne County Courthouse.
It appears an embattled judge modified the sentences handed out by other judges. That's causing uproar in the courthouse. Those modifications could allow for special treatment or special favors for those convicted of crimes.
However that practice ended on Wednesday. President Judge Chester Muroski issued a one page order that makes sure sentences handed out by a judge cannot be changed or modified without the knowledge of that judge or the court administrator.
Judge Mark Ciavarella and Micheal Conahan are facing fraud charges and have been removed from the bench for allegedly accepting kickbacks in connection with a juvenile facility.
The modifications in question did not violate any law or statute, but they did anger several of the judges. One judge told us off camera that he was not even aware of any sentence modifications. They heard about it second and even third hand.
Copyright (c) 1998 - 2009 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
Ursus:
[Local news video coverage of the following story accessible from title link.]
Local news / Wilkes-Barre, PA
Corruption: Probations Revoked/Olszewski Speaks Out
Reported by: Andy Mehalshick
Thursday, Feb 5, 2009 @04:01pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- Dozens of inmates who had been released by a judge accused of fraud are heading back to prison. It turns out that "secret program" was known only to former President Judge Mark Ciavarella. Inmates were placed on parole or probation without the knowledge of the judges who sent them to prison in the first place.
Judge Peter Paul Olszewski is angry and concerned. He says a secret probation parole program run by former judge Mark Ciavarella called "crossing over" put dangerous people on the street. Thursday he issued several court orders demanding those inmates be brought back to prison. "I have serious concerns about violent felons being released from prison prior to their sentences being served. Another of the inmates released without my knowledge had previously 5 revocations from probation and parole. That's not the kind of inmate that should be released to our streets early without approval of sentencing judges."
27 inmates were released to the halfway house. 4 of them were sentenced by judge Olszewski. Olszewski says judge Ciavarella not only placed innocent people in harm's way, but he may have broken the law. "I'm also concerned about inmates being released from prison who committed violent crimes and the victims of those crimes have not been notified. They were released from a secure facility into an unsecured facility. That is a serious concern that may have violated state law. That's being looked into."
Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan are facing 7 years in prison for accepting millions of dollars in kickbacks in connection with a private juvenile facility. Those two judges and court administrator William Sharkey have been charged in this federal corruption investigation. More arrests are coming.
Copyright (c) 1998 - 2009 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
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