SCRANTON – Four months after publicly portraying himself as the victim of extortion by two rogue judges, attorney Robert Powell has admitted he was a willing participant in helping the disgraced jurists conceal part of their illegal activities....
When it was first revealed that Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan were taking bribes the question was who was paying them. The indictments identified them as Participant 1 and 2. Participant 1 was later identified as Robert Powell co-owner along with Greg Zappalla of PA Child Care in Pittston Twp. Many of the kids that got railroaded through Ciavarella's courtroom ended up there or their other venture Western PA Child Care. Participant 2 is multi-party Bob Mericle who's company built the Pittston Twp. facility. We await the headlines about the biggest real estate tax payer (minus KOZ's, LERTA's, etc) in Luzerne County in the near future.
Remember that Powell, Zappala and former Hazleton Mayor Michael Marsicano wanted to use taxpayer money to buy the land from them to build a Fantasy Airport near Hazleton. State House Majority Leader Todd Eachus and Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak were hot for the idea.
The US Attorney has charged Powell with conspiracy to commit tax evasion and part of his plea agreement includes forfeiting his yacht and private jet.
When he gets out of jail in 5 1/2 years he will need a new ride. This might get him around:
whose
ReplyDeleteThe last guy to drive that got a DUI saving the best for last mericle
ReplyDeletei think it is important to remember Eachus argued and supported the creation of jobs, when the per cap hourly wage in Hazleton is 8.20 hour, somebody better start the discussion of jobs. i think it is only fair to seperate arguing for jobs and being friends with these guys...
ReplyDeleteWhat always struck me about Powell, is that he said the judges extorted him (or whatever the language was). Yet, he engaged in other dealings with them, such as that townhouse thing. That didn't make any sense to me. That didn't sound like the actions of someone who wasn't "friends" with the judges, at least at some point.
ReplyDeletePowell flipping on everyone cool this game is down to save your own skin
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