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Posted on Wed, Mar. 17, 2010

Two Lackawanna officials indicted in corruption probe

By Michael Rubinkam

Associated Press

SCRANTON - Two more politicians in northeastern Pennsylvania were indicted yesterday as a widening corruption probe reached into Lackawanna County government, this time with allegations that elected officials took big cash bribes and accepted such goodies as playoff baseball tickets and trips to the Playboy Mansion.

A grand jury returned a 40-count racketeering indictment against Lackawanna County Commissioner A.J. Munchak and former Commissioner Robert Cordaro on charges that they illegally received more than $450,000 in cash and benefits from county contractors, federal officials announced at a news conference in Scranton, the county seat.

"The defendants in this case sold the oath of their offices to the highest bidders," said Janice Fedarcyk, FBI special agent in charge.

Cordaro, 49, faces a maximum of 364 years in prison and a $7.75 million fine if convicted of all counts. Munchak, 63, faces 193 years and a $3.25 million fine.

The federal corruption probe has already snared more than 20 people in neighboring Luzerne County, including a school superintendent, three county judges, four courthouse officials, and five school board members.

Munchak said in a statement issued through his attorney that he will stay in office while he fights the charges. "The charges filed against me today are without merit and are based on untrue allegations," he said.

Cordaro will likewise fight the charges, according to his attorney. "Mr. Cordaro has maintained his innocence from day one," said attorney William Costopoulos.

Among the allegations:

Cordaro took $360,000 from a company that did business with Lackawanna County, and accepted thousands more from another company in exchange for a contract at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.

He traveled to Monte Carlo, courtesy of another company that had county contracts.

He accepted five tickets to a Major League Baseball playoff game from a representative of a team that "was seeking or had a contract with the county," the indictment said. Court documents do not name the team, but Cordaro negotiated to bring the New York Yankees' Triple A affiliate to the county-owned PNC Park.

Cordaro arranged for a friend, Charles Costanzo, to get a contract to administer the county's workers compensation fund. Costanzo, who was convicted last year of stealing $650,000 from the fund, paid Cordaro thousands of dollars and sent Cordaro and others to the Playboy Mansion, according to court documents.

Munchak took $60,000 from a county contractor.