Untangling the web

"I just look at the little tab that has my name next to them and I sign them.- Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak


Mike Buffer has great rundown of the latest web of deceit that we call Luzerne County government in the Citizens Voice today.

The crime fighting research trips to New York City by a bunch of county officials who have nothing to do with law enforcement were never approved by the board of commissioners and in many cases were paid for by county debit cards that got them all into hot water. The crime fighting superheros are Skrep, former Chief Clerk Sam Guesto, former Human Resources Director Doug Richards, indicted multi job holder Bill Maguire, exotic dance critic prison Deputy Sam Hyder and the best dressed man in Luzerne County, Bill Brace. No changes in policy resulted from the research although Skrep wanted to buy a $2 million computer system that none of the local police departments could agree on.

Since then we have learned that Doug Richards invented a company to do payroll work for the county drawing up a contract that was never approved by the commissioners but invoices were still approved by the Controller's office. Nobody seems to know anything about Continental Consultants Group Inc. and B&M Investigations Inc. or William Grub and John Luango. Grub and Luango are retired NYC cops that have done well in the security consultant business. They are doing so well that Luzerne County paid B&M $35,000 for a background policy report that no one can find. Reputation is everything.

Some choice Skrep highlights and quotes:



Skrepenak also denies knowledge that two retired New York City police detectives involved with those trips had business ties to county contracts now being investigated by the FBI and the county solicitor....Skrepenak has acknowledged that several former top aides are talking to federal investigators and could implicate him in the ongoing corruption probe...Skrepenak said he didn't know this month Grub and Luongo had ties to contracts between Luzerne County and two companies - Continental Consultants Group Inc. and B&M Investigations Inc..."What we found is guys who have 20 years in the police department, they don't make great money with the NYPD," Skrepenak said...


Skrepenak said he didn't notice that Grub was listed as B&M president when he signed the $35,000 contract. He said he "didn't know specifically who B&M was" and doesn't "look at whose names are on" contracts he signs.

This is no surprise

22 and counting.

WILKES-BARRE – One month after being fired for refusing to answer questions about two controversial contracts, former Luzerne County Human Resources Director Doug Richards was charged Thursday with accepting a bribe for helping a contractor secure a contract with the county.

Richards invented a company to do payroll work for the county drawing up a contract that was never approved by the commissioners but invoices were still approved by the Controller's office. He tried to quit but was fired by the Luzerne County Commissioners.

Is just me me or does he resemble this guy?

The fall guy

My personal credit card and the county’s card look exactly alike."-Luzerne County Prison Deputy Warden Sam Hyder

A pretty weak excuse for using a county debit card at a strip club in Las Vegas while on a junket. The whole problem with the latest controversy over the debit card mess is that these guys have been using the cards for almost 2 years without ever having to produce a receipt. Human nature being what it is people will try get away with living the high life if somebody else is paying for it. Steve Urban points out that this and other trips were not authorized by the Comissioners or anyone else.

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Hyder is willing to fall on his sword to protect Majority DebitCardmissioner Greg Skrepnak but a few other people have some explaining to do:

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The total amount spent from each account, according to records, is as follows:

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Deputy Chief Clerk Bill Brace, $11,263.

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Commissioner Greg Skrepenak, $10,324.

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Deputy Warden Sam Hyder, $7,604.

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Human Resources Director Doug Richards, $4,526.

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County Clerk/Manager Sam Guesto, $3,630.

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The Bureau of Elections, $2,696.

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Former Commissioner Todd Vonderheid, $1,772.

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I wonder why they didn't give Steve Urban one?

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Now county Controller Maryanne Petrilla has started an investigation about 2 years too late. Before now she was busy doing audits of the row offices held by Republicans. She will be one of the new majority commissioners this January. Can anyone say "conflict of interest."

Some other law enforcement agency has to look at this situation. I just don't trust the Courthouse gang to investigate itself.

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The state Attorney General or the FBI should be looking into this.

Outsourcing

This is rich. The shady company that Luzerne County gave a no bid contract to do a basic function of government, paying it's employees, subcontracted the work to another outfit. Former HR Director and debit card abuser Doug Richards has been indicted for taking a bribe from an unnamed contractor. It's not hard to figure out the connection.

Outsourcing a basic government function like housing juvenile offenders blew the lid off this mess.

It's not hard to understand why many people oppose a 15% increase in county property taxes to pay for years mismanagement and corruption.

New row officers staff up

As first reported by Mark Luzerne County Controller-elect Walter Griffith
has selected Frank Pinnacoli to be deputy controller and Thomas Mosca as his new solicitor.

Pinnacoli has a BA in accounting from Kings College and has had a number of jobs the last few years. Price Waterhouse Coopers in New York City, CTSI in Dallas Acton Technologies Inc. in Pittston , Pella Products Inc. in Dunmore. Pinnacoli currently owns NEPA Accounting & Consulting Inc. in Kingston, a business he started with his father.

He replaces acting Controller AJ Martinelli who has to answer questions about his involvement with former Human Resources Director Doug Richards and the Continental Consultants Group. Earlier this year the Citizens Voice had a story about the no bid contract with Continental Consultants and I wrote about it in January. Not even the Commissioners knew what is going on let alone our clueless former Controller and present Commissioner Chairwoman. Why it took 10 months to expose this fraud is something all 3 commissioners and the acting controller have to answer for when all the information was in the public record. This should have been addressed long before the FBI had to figure it out for them. Martinelli also made the Idiot Watch with his spectacular pants falling down “Give me a break” DUI arrest performance.


Sam Stretton will be the solicitor when Carolee Medico Olenginski returns to the Luzerne County Prothonotary’s Office in January. Stretton was her solicitor the first time she held the office and later was the solicitor for former Controller Steve Flood who first blew the whistle on the Juvie Brothers and the 20 year lease of PA Child Care "negotiated" by the Bond Brothers. Primary Controller candidate Bob Sypniewski will be her deputy. Bob has previously said he would put his business interest on the back burner and work full time for the county.

Carolee has yet to name her interior decorator.

Luzerne County Courthouse happenings

Luzerne County Human Resources Director Doug Richards resigned effective December 4th then was fired because he wouldn't spill the beans to Maryanne Petrilla about a dodgy contract with a New York temp agency that doesn't seem to have an address. The Feds raided his office after he was escorted out of the courthouse but tried to take records with him before he left the building.


Judge Michael Toole has unexpectedly decided to take a vacation for a few weeks. That's a bit odd because President Judge Chester Muroski is screaming for help to clear the backlog of cases because the bench has been short a few judges the last year or so. Maybe he just needs a break and it has nothing to do with all the rumors swirlling around him the last few months. Florida is nice this time of year for a boat ride after you get there on a private jet. It looks like like Chet has help on the way because Ann Lokuta will soon be restored to the Court.



A first. Former superintendent of the Pittston Area School District pleaded guilty to taking a $5,000 bribe for helping a contractor obtain work in the district and was sentenced to 13 months in prison reported to the Fort Dix federal correctional institution in New Jersey. The poor bastard, I wouldn't wish anyone having to spend time in New Jersey no matter what they did.