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Edwin Kosik, judge who oversaw 'kids for cash' case, is missing

The 91-year-old judge who presided over the notorious "kids for cash" case, in which two local judges were accused of taking money from the developer of a pair of for-profit detention centers, has been reported missing.

SCRANTON - The federal judge who presided over the notorious "kids for cash" case, in which two local judges were accused of taking money from the developer of a pair of for-profit detention centers, has been reported missing from his home.

Edwin Kosik, 91, who recently stopped hearing cases due to health issues, was last seen at a grocery store near his home outside Scranton late Tuesday night.

The judge was taking medication for memory loss, which may have contributed to his disappearance, authorities said at a Thursday morning news conference. Officials also said that foul play had not been ruled out.

The Marshals Service said interviews were being conducted and the investigation remains in its early stages. Kosik's family filed a missing-person report late Wednesday afternoon.

Marshals said Kosik was driving a gray 2015 Acura with driver's-side damage and may be "at special risk of harm or injury."

Kosik left his residence about 11 p.m. Tuesday, officials said. A few minutes later, he was seen trying to enter a grocery store in Covington Township, which was closed. The judge left the store and drove away, in the opposite direction of his home.

There have been no confirmed sightings of him since then. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and a blue winter jacket, and had a bruise on his forehead that authorities said was not related to his disappearance.

The Scranton Times-Tribune reported last month that Kosik would no longer hear cases because of health issues. The newspaper quoted his son, attorney Michael Kosik, as saying the judge had a difficult time recovering from broken ribs he suffered in two falls.

Kosik became inactive but kept his chambers. He is still listed as a judge on the website of the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He was appointed to the federal bench in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan.

Christopher C. Conner, chief judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, said in a statement that the court hoped for Kosik's "quick and safe return"

In the kids-for-cash case, Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. and his boss, Judge Michael T. Conahan, routinely found children guilty of crimes and sent them to the youth centers without a lawyer to represent them.

The judges pleaded guilty to federal charges, but Kosik rejected the deal, saying they hadn't fully accepted responsibility for the crimes.

Ciavarella was convicted in 2011 of racketeering and other charges, and sentenced to 28 years in prison. Conahan, who oversaw the scam, pleaded guilty to racketeering and was sentenced to more than 17 years behind bars. Two other men were also convicted and given prison sentences.

In the wake of the scandal, verdicts against thousands of juveniles were thrown out. A documentary was later made about the high-profile case.

Before assuming the federal judgeship, Kosik was a Court of Common Pleas judge in Lackawanna County for 17 years, including seven as president judge, according to his Federal Judicial Center biography. He has also served as chairman of the Pennsylvania State Workmen's Compensation Board, a federal prosecutor, an attorney in private practice, and a corporal in the U.S. Army and colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Anyone with information on Kosik's whereabouts can call the Marshals at 570-346-7277, ext. 0.

The Associated Press and staff writer Emily Babay contributed to this report.