News

January 26, 2009

Federal Authorities: Ciavarella, Conahan concealed $2.6 million

SCRANTON - Federal authorities announced today that they charged Luzerne County judges Mark A. Ciavarella and Michael T. Conahan with concealing more than $2.6 million from January 2003 to April 2007.

The charges alleged Ciavarella, 58, and Conahan, 56, engaged in fraud by taking millions of dollars from two unnamed people in connection to the construction and expansion of the juvenile detention center.

Payments were made to the judges in return for discretionary acts that the judges took in relation to the juvenile centers, according to the charges.

U.S. Attorney Martin C. Carlson, said the judges were charged with "engaging in a scheme to defraud the public of their honest services and with conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service."


Specificaly, the charges include "conspiring to impede the IRS in the collection of federal income taxes and with having devised a scheme to defraud the citizens of Luzerne County and of Pennsylvania of the right to their honest services by concealing their receipt of more than $2.6 million between January 2003 and April 2007."

Carlson said the charges stem from a multimillion dollar "honest services fraud scheme" involving the placement of juveniles in juvenile detention facilities.

Under plea agreements reached with the judges, Ciavarella and Conahan have agreed to serve 87 months in prison, and resign as judges.

Check back as this story continues to develop.

Tweet	Follow @TLnews