Friday, May 18, 2007

Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

The victims in this particular case are the people of Luzerne County. A long time employee of the Recorder of Deeds office was sentenced to house arrest and restitution for stealing more than $51,000 from a cash register over a number of years. That was sentence for Robert Pritchard by Luzerne County President Judge Mark Ciavarella. The standard sentencing range on the charge called for a minimum sentence of six to 14 months of incarceration. Must be nice to have friends in high places. His attorney is Peter Moses, son the well connected John Moses. The Assistant District Attorney William Finnegan had no problem with Ciavarella’s sentence. Luzerne County detective Dan Beky said Pritchard’s cooperation and extreme remorse also made the house arrest acceptable.

Yeah, he's sorry he got caught.

In other news a Nanticoke man was sentenced to one to two years in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for stealing lobster tails. And three chumps were jailed because they fell behind on child support payments.

But the saga of the Recorder of Deeds embezzlement is not over. Carl Salitis has been charged with stealing almost $400,000 over seven years. Investigators say Salitis shortchanged Wilkes-Barre City and the Wilkes-Barre Area School District on transfer taxes and pocketed the money. Salitis is free on $50,000 bail while he awaits a court date. He'll probably get 40 lashes with a wet noodle.

Monty Python explains how the Luzerne County justice system works. Maybe we'll hear a speech like this from Hugo.


3 comments:

David Yonki said...

Thanks for the shout out on your blog. I feel bad for Carl Salaitis. I remember him as a little kid recieving Communion at his church in Duryea. Then I'd see him working very hard at the Red Barons games, pitching in and doing his part to help the crew there. What has happened is a shame and I don't think this will reflect badly on Dysleski because she was the one who exposed it.

Anonymous said...

It seems Mr. Lupus has discovered how to avoid taking Hugo to trial as DA become a judge.

A Big Fat Slob said...

A few years ago, a NEPA real estate agent stole over $300,000 in escrow money. He lived in the same community as Chiverella and went to the same church. His priest intervened and the guy got no jail time.

You see, up there, as long as you steal enough to be able to pay a connected lawyer, you don't go to jail.