New Castle News
Gary F. Felasco received three years probation and six months of home confinement for failing to file a federal income tax return in 2005.
Sentencing took place Tuesday morning in U.S. Senior District Judge Gustave Diamond’s courtroom in downtown Pittsburgh.
The former Lawrence County treasurer pleaded guilty in February to one count of failing to file a 2005 federal tax return. Felasco could have received from four to 10 months in prison and possible fines.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the charge was separate but related to a mortgage fraud case involving Affordable Housing of Lawrence County and First Commonwealth Bank.
Diamond agreed with Felasco’s attorney, James J. Ross, and the federal government with the terms of the sentence.
Ross and U.S. Assistant Attorney Brendan T. Conway called Felasco’s cooperation exemplary. The former Lawrence County treasurer reportedly supplied invaluable information regarding corruption in Lawrence County.
Felasco already is serving parole through September 2013 in connection with a 2006 conviction on charges of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, misappropriation of entrusted property, embezzlement and conflict of interest. Tuesday’s sentence will run concurrently with his parole.
http://www.ncnewsonline.com/archivesearch/local_story_251121350.html
Showing posts with label City Employment Crimes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label City Employment Crimes. Show all posts
Hearing for Yerage rescheduled
Published June 20, 2009 09:17 am -
Hearing for Yerage rescheduled
New Castle News
Hearing for Yerage rescheduled
New Castle News
A preliminary hearing for New Castle School Board member Peter Yerage has been continued.
Yerage, 65, of Warren Avenue, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor. State police filed the charges after a truck, in which Yerage was a passenger, had been pulled over and the vehicle was inspected.
Officers said they had located a pill bottle with methadone and oxycodone. The bottle, which was in a bag with toiletry items, was found on the passenger’s side floor, according to the police report.
A continuance was granted because Yerage’s attorney, Paul Lynch, is out of town. The new hearing date is July 15.
http://www.ncnewsonline.com/local/local_story_170104900.html
New Castle Employee Charged With Theft
New Castle Employee Charged With Theft
Posted: 5:18 pm EDT May 21, 2009Updated: 5:47 pm EDT May 21, 2009
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A New Castle city employee was charged with 350 felony counts of forgery and theft.The city said Nancy Miles worked for the finance department for 30 years.In 2004, police said something didn’t look right. When they investigated, they said Miles stole $30 thousand over a four-year period of time.Police allege Miles was paying herself twice.They said she used her status in the payroll division to do it unnoticed for years.According to the criminal complaint, Miles claims she did nothing criminal. She called them loans, and said they were a common procedure in the department.This is the second public official in trouble in the last few months. Former parking authority director Gary Stone was charged with stealing $300,000 dollars in meter money.
Copyright 2009 by WPXI.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.wpxi.com/news/19530763/detail.html
Ex-New Castle city clerk accused of stealing $30,000
May 21, 2009
NEW CASTLE, Lawrence County-- An ex-New Castle city employee faces charges of forgery and taking more than $30,000 from city funds.
Nancie Miles, a 59ear old former finance office clerk, was charged and arraigned in district court Thursday with 175 counts each of forgery and circulating a forged instrument, two counts of theft by unlawful taking and two counts of receiving stolen property.
She's now free on a $2,500 bond and returns to court on June 4 for a preliminary hearing.
New Castle Police say she stole the money from payroll and pension funds in a four year period beginning in 2004.
NEW CASTLE, Lawrence County-- An ex-New Castle city employee faces charges of forgery and taking more than $30,000 from city funds.
Nancie Miles, a 59ear old former finance office clerk, was charged and arraigned in district court Thursday with 175 counts each of forgery and circulating a forged instrument, two counts of theft by unlawful taking and two counts of receiving stolen property.
She's now free on a $2,500 bond and returns to court on June 4 for a preliminary hearing.
New Castle Police say she stole the money from payroll and pension funds in a four year period beginning in 2004.
Ex-parking head accused of stealing from Pa. city
(02-05) 12:00 PST New Castle, Pa. (AP) --
A former parking official in a financially troubled Pennsylvania city is accused of stealing more than $100,000 from parking meters.
Gary Stone Jr. was laid off last year as head of New Castle's parking authority. He was arraigned Thursday on theft charges.
County officials say the 33-year-old New Castle resident reported that the meters collected $342 for all of 2006 and 2007. When police took over the meter collections for the first time last year, they took in more than $54,000.
Stone's home telephone is unlisted and he has not returned a message left with relatives.
New Castle was declared financially distressed last year under a state law designed to help struggling communities. The declaration led to Stone's layoff.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/02/05/national/a120052S23.DTL
HEARING: Orelli, others heading to court
Published January 07, 2009 09:16 am - Three men, including a former New Castle councilman, have waived their assault cases to court. A fourth man had his charges bound over for court following a preliminary hearing.
HEARING: Orelli, others heading to court
New Castle News
HEARING: Orelli, others heading to court
New Castle News
Three men, including a former New Castle councilman, have waived their assault cases to court.
| |
A fourth man, Jonathan Reynolds, 28, of 1030 Adams St., had his charges bound over for court yesterday following a preliminary hearing before District Justice Jennifer Nicholson.
Preliminary hearings had been set yesterday in Lawrence County Central Court for all four. They were charged for allegedly assaulting a man Nov. 15 at the Sons of Italy Club at 905 Mill St.
Waiving their cases were former councilman Chester J. Orelli Jr., 29, of 1731 W. Washington St., Aaron M. Cangey, 21, of 120 W. Garfield Ave. and Andrew Reynolds, 21, of 1030 Adams St. They were charged with simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct.
At the hearing for Jonathan Reynolds, Marty Yannarella testified that he had been attacked by four people, pulled into a closet “and beat up.”
Attorneys representing the four accused are Carmen Lamancusa for Orelli, Nick A. Turco for Andrew Reynolds, Bradley G. Olson Jr. for Jonathan Reynolds and the public defender’s office for Cangey.
Orelli resigned from council and from his position as an aide to state Rep. Jaret Gibbons of Ellwood City in September. Earlier, according to a presentment by a Harrisburg grand jury investigating the so-called Bonusgate scandal, Orelli testified under a grant of immunity.
In his testimony, he is said to have acknowledged performing political work while he was an aide to former state Rep. Mike Veon of Beaver County. Orelli received a $10,065 bonus, but was not charged.
http://www.ncnewsonline.com/topstories/local_story_007091919.html
State police charge chief public defender
Falls' client was arrested on theft and drug charges.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County's chief public defender remains on the job despite being charged by Pennsylvania State Police with obstructing justice and disorderly conduct.
Atty. Harry O. Falls, 56, of was arraigned on the charges Thursday. State police filed the charges after a run-in with Falls outside the county government center.
An affidavit filed to support the charges says Trooper David Tyler was testifying at a suppression hearing in common pleas court in a case involving Ronald Hudach III, 20, of Neshannock Township. Falls was acting as Hudach's public defender.
After the hearing, Tyler discovered Hudach was wanted on an outstanding warrant by New Wilmington Police and took him into custody.
Court papers stated that Falls followed Tyler and told him he was an "ugly, evil person." Tyler continued with Hudach, and the chief public defender followed and continued demeaning the state trooper, the affidavit says.
Followed client
The state trooper was placing Hudach in the back of his patrol vehicle, and Falls followed his client into the car. Police said the public defender told the trooper he would not take Hudach without a witness. Falls eventually did get out the car but stood at the rear, just a few inches away, impeding it from moving, police said.
When the state trooper told Falls to move, Falls started yelling for someone to call 911.
Hudach's grandfather, Ronald Hudach Sr., 68, said he gave Falls his cellular telephone, and the public defender moved from the police car.
Shortly after the incident, county commissioners were contacted by the state police.
Commissioner Dan Vogler said a state trooper came to the office that day to speak to the commissioners about the matter, but all three were out. Commissioners oversee the county public defender's office.
Vogler said the three commissioners and county solicitor met with Falls on Friday morning and discussed the matter.
Vogler said that upon the recommendation of the county solicitor, Falls will remain as chief public defender until the outcome of his Jan. 23 preliminary hearing in Lawrence County Central Court. Vogler said they will then again review the matter.
Falls was released without bond. He did not return calls from The Vindicator for comment.
Charged with thefts
Falls' client was one of three men charged with a series of thefts from vehicles in New Wilmington in July 2006. The men, however, were not charged until this week.
Hudach and Shane J. McDevitt, 21, of Neshannock Township, were arraigned Thursday, and Joshua A. Yost, 25, of New Wilmington, was arrested and arraigned Tuesday.
All three are charged with multiple counts of theft by unlawful taking, theft from a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy.
Police said the arrests stem from thefts from nine unlocked vehicles in New Wilmington where items valued at about 2,765 were taken. Among the things taken was a handgun that was recovered by Youngstown police on Dec. 3 after being used in an aggravated robbery.
Hudach also is charged with criminal use of a communication facility, possession of heroin, possession with the intent to deliver heroin, and delivery of a controlled substance. Police said those charges stem from a controlled drug buy with a police informant July 28 in New Castle.
Police contend the drug investigation was developed from the theft investigation, and they believe the three men were committing thefts to support drug activities.
Yost was in jail Friday after failing to post 20,000 bond, and Hudach was released after posting 20,000 bond. McDevitt was taken to the state correctional institute at Albion, where he is serving a sentence on other criminal charges. All three are expected to appear for preliminary hearings Thursday.
cioffi@vindy.com
http://www.vindy.com/news/2007/jan/06/state-police-charge-chief-public-defender/
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County's chief public defender remains on the job despite being charged by Pennsylvania State Police with obstructing justice and disorderly conduct.
Atty. Harry O. Falls, 56, of was arraigned on the charges Thursday. State police filed the charges after a run-in with Falls outside the county government center.
An affidavit filed to support the charges says Trooper David Tyler was testifying at a suppression hearing in common pleas court in a case involving Ronald Hudach III, 20, of Neshannock Township. Falls was acting as Hudach's public defender.
After the hearing, Tyler discovered Hudach was wanted on an outstanding warrant by New Wilmington Police and took him into custody.
Court papers stated that Falls followed Tyler and told him he was an "ugly, evil person." Tyler continued with Hudach, and the chief public defender followed and continued demeaning the state trooper, the affidavit says.
Followed client
The state trooper was placing Hudach in the back of his patrol vehicle, and Falls followed his client into the car. Police said the public defender told the trooper he would not take Hudach without a witness. Falls eventually did get out the car but stood at the rear, just a few inches away, impeding it from moving, police said.
When the state trooper told Falls to move, Falls started yelling for someone to call 911.
Hudach's grandfather, Ronald Hudach Sr., 68, said he gave Falls his cellular telephone, and the public defender moved from the police car.
Shortly after the incident, county commissioners were contacted by the state police.
Commissioner Dan Vogler said a state trooper came to the office that day to speak to the commissioners about the matter, but all three were out. Commissioners oversee the county public defender's office.
Vogler said the three commissioners and county solicitor met with Falls on Friday morning and discussed the matter.
Vogler said that upon the recommendation of the county solicitor, Falls will remain as chief public defender until the outcome of his Jan. 23 preliminary hearing in Lawrence County Central Court. Vogler said they will then again review the matter.
Falls was released without bond. He did not return calls from The Vindicator for comment.
Charged with thefts
Falls' client was one of three men charged with a series of thefts from vehicles in New Wilmington in July 2006. The men, however, were not charged until this week.
Hudach and Shane J. McDevitt, 21, of Neshannock Township, were arraigned Thursday, and Joshua A. Yost, 25, of New Wilmington, was arrested and arraigned Tuesday.
All three are charged with multiple counts of theft by unlawful taking, theft from a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy.
Police said the arrests stem from thefts from nine unlocked vehicles in New Wilmington where items valued at about 2,765 were taken. Among the things taken was a handgun that was recovered by Youngstown police on Dec. 3 after being used in an aggravated robbery.
Hudach also is charged with criminal use of a communication facility, possession of heroin, possession with the intent to deliver heroin, and delivery of a controlled substance. Police said those charges stem from a controlled drug buy with a police informant July 28 in New Castle.
Police contend the drug investigation was developed from the theft investigation, and they believe the three men were committing thefts to support drug activities.
Yost was in jail Friday after failing to post 20,000 bond, and Hudach was released after posting 20,000 bond. McDevitt was taken to the state correctional institute at Albion, where he is serving a sentence on other criminal charges. All three are expected to appear for preliminary hearings Thursday.
cioffi@vindy.com
http://www.vindy.com/news/2007/jan/06/state-police-charge-chief-public-defender/
Hearing Postponed: Donald Conti
Hearing postponed
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A hearing to determine if Donald Conti can remain on the Lawrence County Housing Authority was postponed. Conti was to appear Monday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court. County commissioners have asked for his removal since Conti pleaded guilty to gambling charges earlier this year. Tom Bashara, the attorney handling the matter for the county, said the hearing was canceled because Judge J. Craig Cox is involved in a trial. A new date hasn't been set.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2006/apr/26/hearing-postponed/
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A hearing to determine if Donald Conti can remain on the Lawrence County Housing Authority was postponed. Conti was to appear Monday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court. County commissioners have asked for his removal since Conti pleaded guilty to gambling charges earlier this year. Tom Bashara, the attorney handling the matter for the county, said the hearing was canceled because Judge J. Craig Cox is involved in a trial. A new date hasn't been set.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2006/apr/26/hearing-postponed/
Public Corruption - Gary Felasco
Gary Felasco
Action Date: September 29, 2005
Location: New Castle, PA
On September 29, 2005, Gary Felasco, the treasurer of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, was ordered to stand trial on charges he pocketed about $47,000 in tax payments. Felasco was charged with theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, embezzlement, misapplication of entrusted property and violating the state's ethics act. Felasco allegedly diverted tax money to his personal use and hid the thefts by preventing delinquent property-tax notices from being sent to the people whose payments he stole. The state Attorney General's Office said Felasco used some of the money to pay his own delinquent taxes, buy a van and rent hotel rooms in a neighboring township where authorities have said they received complaints about a sex club Felasco allegedly helped organize.
http://frauddigest.com/fraud.php?ident=1566
Action Date: September 29, 2005
Location: New Castle, PA
On September 29, 2005, Gary Felasco, the treasurer of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, was ordered to stand trial on charges he pocketed about $47,000 in tax payments. Felasco was charged with theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, embezzlement, misapplication of entrusted property and violating the state's ethics act. Felasco allegedly diverted tax money to his personal use and hid the thefts by preventing delinquent property-tax notices from being sent to the people whose payments he stole. The state Attorney General's Office said Felasco used some of the money to pay his own delinquent taxes, buy a van and rent hotel rooms in a neighboring township where authorities have said they received complaints about a sex club Felasco allegedly helped organize.
http://frauddigest.com/fraud.php?ident=1566
LAWRENCE COUNTY Inmates, ex-guard charged with bringing drug to jail
City police are investigating more drug use at the jail.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Seven people, including a former corrections officer, have been charged with bringing OxyContin into the Lawrence County jail.
City police were called to the jail after inmate Glenn Benegasi was taken to Jameson Hospital after reporting that he had taken OxyContin, a prescription drug, and was in pain.
Police said he was treated at 2:20 a.m. July 8 and told officials he had taken four 80 mg tablets. Court papers said Benegasi did have opiates in his system.
According to an affidavit to support the charges, Benegasi told police his grandmother, Vera Frank, 74, of North Cedar Street, who legally has a prescription for OxyContin, gave Benegasi's girlfriend 10 pills.
The girlfriend, Elena LePore, 33, of West Clayton Street, took the pills and $30 to Tire Express in New Castle and gave them to Albert Tedrow, a work-release inmate, court papers said.
Tedrow told police when he returned to the jail, he gave the pills to another inmate, Ross Edward Seliga, 34, of Logan Avenue, Sharon. The affidavit said Seliga then gave the pills to another inmate, Thomas George Farah II, 45, of Park Avenue, New Castle, who passed them on to corrections officer David B. Kennedy, 22, of Ellwood Road, New Castle.
Kennedy then went to Benegasi's cell and threw in a folded up piece of paper containing six OxyContin tablets, police said. Police said Kennedy no longer works at the jail.
Police said they have a telephone conversation taped at the jail between Benegasi, Frank, LePore and Farah discussing how the drugs would be brought into the jail.
Charges
Charges were filed Tuesday against all seven.
Benegasi, 31, of North Cedar Street, is charged with criminal conspiracy to deliver and possess a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and criminal use of a communication facility.
Frank, Kennedy, LePore, Tedrow, Farah and Seliga are each charged with criminal conspiracy to possess a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Frank, LePore and Farah are also charged with criminal use of a communication facility.
Investigation
Matthew Mangino, county district attorney, said the arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into drugs and contraband being brought into the jail and more arrests are pending.
Last week the district attorney's office petitioned common pleas court to halt the jail's work-release program for 48 hours to allow police to investigate how contraband is getting into the lockup. That request came after an inmate died Aug. 13 of a suspected drug overdose.
Mangino said Tedrow, the work-release inmate, and Farah, who is on child-care release during the day to care for his children, are still leaving the jail daily, but he expects their release privileges will soon be revoked.
cioffi@vindy.com
http://www.vindy.com/news/2004/aug/25/lawrence-county-inmates-ex-guard-charged-with/
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Seven people, including a former corrections officer, have been charged with bringing OxyContin into the Lawrence County jail.
City police were called to the jail after inmate Glenn Benegasi was taken to Jameson Hospital after reporting that he had taken OxyContin, a prescription drug, and was in pain.
Police said he was treated at 2:20 a.m. July 8 and told officials he had taken four 80 mg tablets. Court papers said Benegasi did have opiates in his system.
According to an affidavit to support the charges, Benegasi told police his grandmother, Vera Frank, 74, of North Cedar Street, who legally has a prescription for OxyContin, gave Benegasi's girlfriend 10 pills.
The girlfriend, Elena LePore, 33, of West Clayton Street, took the pills and $30 to Tire Express in New Castle and gave them to Albert Tedrow, a work-release inmate, court papers said.
Tedrow told police when he returned to the jail, he gave the pills to another inmate, Ross Edward Seliga, 34, of Logan Avenue, Sharon. The affidavit said Seliga then gave the pills to another inmate, Thomas George Farah II, 45, of Park Avenue, New Castle, who passed them on to corrections officer David B. Kennedy, 22, of Ellwood Road, New Castle.
Kennedy then went to Benegasi's cell and threw in a folded up piece of paper containing six OxyContin tablets, police said. Police said Kennedy no longer works at the jail.
Police said they have a telephone conversation taped at the jail between Benegasi, Frank, LePore and Farah discussing how the drugs would be brought into the jail.
Charges
Charges were filed Tuesday against all seven.
Benegasi, 31, of North Cedar Street, is charged with criminal conspiracy to deliver and possess a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and criminal use of a communication facility.
Frank, Kennedy, LePore, Tedrow, Farah and Seliga are each charged with criminal conspiracy to possess a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Frank, LePore and Farah are also charged with criminal use of a communication facility.
Investigation
Matthew Mangino, county district attorney, said the arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into drugs and contraband being brought into the jail and more arrests are pending.
Last week the district attorney's office petitioned common pleas court to halt the jail's work-release program for 48 hours to allow police to investigate how contraband is getting into the lockup. That request came after an inmate died Aug. 13 of a suspected drug overdose.
Mangino said Tedrow, the work-release inmate, and Farah, who is on child-care release during the day to care for his children, are still leaving the jail daily, but he expects their release privileges will soon be revoked.
cioffi@vindy.com
http://www.vindy.com/news/2004/aug/25/lawrence-county-inmates-ex-guard-charged-with/
Ex-worker accused of taking cash
Ex-worker accusedof taking cash
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A former New Castle Sanitation Authority worker is accused of taking $1,532.36 in cash while she worked for the authority.
Deanna Christofer Jacobs, 55, of New Castle, faces charges of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received and misapplication of entrusted property of government or financial institutions.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Janice Wilson said the sanitation authority regularly writes off bills for vacant homes, often rentals without tenants or people who spend an extended time away from their homes.
An audit of the authority records revealed that cash payments were made at the authority office and stamped as paid, but later written off as vacant properties that went unpaid during the period May 1999 to October 2000, Wilson said. Wilson said Jacobs, who is the sister of sanitation authority director Richard Christofer, a former mayor of New Castle, worked as a clerk in the authority office at 110 E. Washington St.
Charges were filed Tuesday at District Justice Melissa Amodie's office. A preliminary hearing is set for March 1.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2002/jan/30/ex-worker-accused-of-taking-cash/
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A former New Castle Sanitation Authority worker is accused of taking $1,532.36 in cash while she worked for the authority.
Deanna Christofer Jacobs, 55, of New Castle, faces charges of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received and misapplication of entrusted property of government or financial institutions.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Janice Wilson said the sanitation authority regularly writes off bills for vacant homes, often rentals without tenants or people who spend an extended time away from their homes.
An audit of the authority records revealed that cash payments were made at the authority office and stamped as paid, but later written off as vacant properties that went unpaid during the period May 1999 to October 2000, Wilson said. Wilson said Jacobs, who is the sister of sanitation authority director Richard Christofer, a former mayor of New Castle, worked as a clerk in the authority office at 110 E. Washington St.
Charges were filed Tuesday at District Justice Melissa Amodie's office. A preliminary hearing is set for March 1.
http://www.vindy.com/news/2002/jan/30/ex-worker-accused-of-taking-cash/