Thursday, November 12, 2009

A well dressed man

19 and counting

SCRANTON - Former Luzerne County Deputy Clerk William Brace has agreed to plead guilty to accepting a suit valued at $1,500 in exchange for helping a contractor obtain a contract with the county sometime between June 2007 and May 2008....He served as chief clerk for Wilkes-Barre City until 2001, when he retired. He then took a position as chief deputy for Clerk of Courts Bob Reilly. He stayed in that position until December 2005, when he took the position as deputy clerk for the county commissioners. He retired in November 2008 to take a position as registrar of vital statistics for the state.

Like the rest of them his sentence will depend on his level of cooperation. I think Bill Brace has been in a government job since before I was born so he should be able to provide the feds with a wealth of information.

9 comments:

Forrest Gump said...

I wonder if that is the same monogrammed suit he wears, when he does his DJ gigs. Looks like a pimp suit. Huggy Bear would be proud.

I'm sure the Mean Old Man finds it a travesty that the Fed's would harass a man of Mr. Braces's history of devoted service to the local, county and state governments.

Stephen Albert said...

A $1500 suit in NEPA? What happens if a pierogi accidentally falls onto his lap? What if there is splash-back from some haluski?

This is just fraught with issues.

Anonymous said...

Looks to me like a contractor is trying to save his own ass. Let's be real, what influence does an Assistant County Clerk have over 2 of 3 Commissioners? Looks like every crooked vendor is pointing at everyone in government regardless of status and the Feds are trying to bury everyone possible to justify their existence. I just don't see how this could have been a good investment for the vendor. Doesn't make cents to me. Let's keep in mind that Brace is faced with taking a plea and a slap on the wrist or laying a minimum of $20,000 for a defense attorney and another $50,000 if it goes to trial. And, those are conservative figures.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 6:07, it's obvious you still don't get it. When they are ALL corrupt, one doesn't need to override any Commissioner. The Feds just need to get one thing on someone in order to get more and bigger fish. I hardly doubt any of these criminals that took bribes was there first time. Do you really think everyone so far that was indicted, just happened to do it in the last few years??? If so, please climb out of the rock your under...these guys are all career criminals, with far too much power for far too long and no one ever stopped them until now. The feds are circling the wagons my dear, only to get to the real heart of the corruption. You sound like you have benefited too in some way, most people that stick up for these creeps have all gained something from them along the way or are really brain dead!!!!! The party is just warming up for us honest people. Get used to it!

Anonymous said...

And Mrs. Petrilla is as pure as the wind driven snow despite covering for all of Greg's cronies

Anonymous said...

7:58, You sure do carry a lot of unhappiness. Why would you attack 6:07 for making an obvious observation? When the Feds knock on your door, you have two choices, cave in or fight and if you are not a person of means, it doesn't matter how innocent you are, you're forced to plea. Most working class people do not qualify for a PD and even if you do, the staff comparison between PD's office and the DA' office is night and day. You should not be so quick to accuse anyone who's opinion differs from your's, especially when you base your opinion that everyone who ever worked for government is a crook and everyone ever arrested is guilty. Jerry Bonner was ready to roll over and play dead and after more thought said screw them, I didn't do anything wrong and I will fight regardless of cost. That's great for Mr. Bonner but what about the working man? People like you are very quick to bury everyone in the same hole but one day you may find yourself standing on the edge of the same hole and there is someone standing behind you pushing. I want to see your self righteous attitude pull you through that one.

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:12 - So when Bonner is convicted (after his valiant fight) will you then see the folly of your position. The Feds don't just go after the "common working man" because they have nothing to do. This area reeks of corruption - if you can't see that I feel sorry for you - or more apt, you one of the guys/gals who is part of this dirty scheme.

Danny Bauder said...

Gort, I think you really missed a good opportunity here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um-ppfzP0rc

Anonymous said...

You're right 7:17, law enforcement never makes a mistake so when a person is charged, they should just role over and allow the Federal Veterinarian to put them to sleep. Yep, that's the America I fought for. Have you read anything about the Innocent Project? If you did, you would learn that it isn't about convicting criminals, it's about convicting -- period. They don't believe it is their job to arrest guilty people, it is their job to simply make the arrest and let the system sort it out. In Nam, it was a common statement to say, "Kill them all and let God sort them out." We have the best system but that doesn't always make it right. Tell me why they arrest one at a time and weeks apart? Why do they allow rumors to run crazy for weeks and months and do nothing to protect a person's reputation? They have been talking about a judge for 5 or 6 months and still no arrest but it is rumored to happen every week. Today, Corbett said he really believed it would happen today. If it goes down fine, maybe another corrupt judge is taken out of the system but if it does not go down, what about that man's reputation? It isn't a secret who their talking about but screw him and his family. People like you take joy in these arrest and I'm saddened by them. I hate to hear of even one. It is easy to call everyone in government a crook, a person answered a judge's phone and was thrown into the pot of hacks. It was said that everyone in the county is a hack, all 2000 of them? Of course, that excludes you, your family member or best friend. Could it be that this is a nice job for the Feds, that they would rather be here than out chasing drub dealers or breaking up drug cartels? Get real, I read everything that was printed about Jerry Bonner and I defy you to show me from the press clippings what he did wrong -- what law did he break other than the one they manufactured. If you think it was easy for Bonner to stand up for himself and fight, your head is up your ass but then again, you voted for Walter Griffith and passed over Bob Morgan who had actual experience and a college degree. Here is a nice new name for Luzerne County when the Study Commission is finished, "Knuckle Draggers R Us!"