News

April 21, 2009

Update: W-B school director Dunn faces suspension from state job

Editor's Note

Federal prosecutors have charged Wilkes-Barre Area School Director Brian Dunn with accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for teacher hires and awarding of contracts for the district today, April 21.

The most recent developments in this story appear at the top.

 

UPDATE 1:21 p.m.

WILKES-BARRE   -   Wilkes-Barre Area school director Brian Dunn faces automatic suspension from his job with the state Department of Revenue based on a felony charge that was filed against him today by the U.S. Attorney's office.

Dunn is employed as an enforcement agent  earning an annual salary of $55,844, according to a department spokeswoman. He operates under the governor's code of conduct, which mandates an automatic suspension without pay for anyone charged with a felony. A conviction results in termination.

Dunn was charged this morning with theft and bribery involving a program receiving federal funding. Prosecutors say that between January 2005 and December 2008 he accepted tens of thousands of dollars in kickbacks in exchange for his influence in the awarding of contracts and hiring of teachers within the Wilkes-Barre Area School District.

He appeared before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Malachy Mannion at 11:15 a.m. and was released on his own recognizance. He declined to comment as he left the courthouse with his attorney, Scott Griffith of Philadelphia.

The charges come two weeks after district Superintendent Jeff Namey appeared before a federal grand jury and several weeks after the FBI made a public plea for anyone with information regarding irregularities in the hiring of  teachers and the awarding of school contracts to come forward.

Contacted Tuesday afternoon, Wilkes-Barre Area School directors Maryanne Toole and Jim Height said they did not suspect Dunn was involved in anything irregular related to hirings and the awarding of contracts. Both said they were "shocked" by the charges.

 

Updated 12:40 a.m.

WILKES-BARRE - Wilkes-Barre Area School Director Brian Dunn was charged today by federal authorities with accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange with hiring teachers and awarding of contracts within the school district.

Dunn appeared before U.S. District Magistrate Malachy Mannion at the federal courthouse on South Main Street at 11:15 a.m. Dunn was released on his own recognizance.

The affidavit supporting the charges has been sealed.

Dunn is the second area school official to be federally charged within the past week.

On Thursday, Pittston Area Superintendent Ross Scarantino was charged with accepting thousands of dollars in kickbacks in exchange for helping a person secure a contract with the district.

The charges stem from an ongoing federal investigation into area districts that is focusing on hiring practices and the awarding of contracts.

Dunn was first elected to the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board in 1997, and has won re-election every four years since. He has served as Board President. His current term expires at the end of this year and he did not seek re-election and is not on the May Primary ballot.His wife Jodie is employed in the district.

Dunn has also served as the district’s representative on the Joint Operating Committee of the Wilkes-Barre Area Career and TechnicalCenter, which is run by five districts: Wilkes-Barre Area, Pittston Area, Crestwood, Greater Nanticoke Area and Hanover Area. In November, 2007, his wife Jodie was unanimously approved as coordinator of electronic monitoring. She was to receive a one-time stipend not to exceed $7,000 for services related to security swipe cards. Dunn was not present at that meeting and did not vote.

And Dunn has served as Wilkes-Barre Area’s representative on the Luzerne Intermediate Unit Board of Directors. The board has members from 12 districts it serves in Luzerne and Wyoming Counties. The LIU provides a variety of services to those districts, primarily special education.

In 2005, Dunn was charged with Driving Under the Influence after he slid his car into a building in snowy conditions and hit Michael Togher in the process. Tests showed Dunn’s blood alcohol level was 0.186, more than twice the limit at which a driver is considered intoxicated. In Pennsylvania, that level is 0.80.

The accident occurred about 8:30 p.m. when Dunn hit Togher, who was on a South Main St. Sidewalk in Wilkes-Barre. Dunn told police he was driving northbound when his car started to fishtail and he lost control. The car jumped the curb and struck an abandoned building. He said when he got out to check damage, he saw Togher on the ground in front of the car.

Dunn appeared by Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael Conahan and entered the Luzerne County Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program as a result of the charges, a common outcome for first time DUI offenders. Among other things, Dunn was ordered to pay court costs, $50 per month to defray cost of supervision, enroll in and complete safe-driving school, participate in treatment and rehabilitation, surrender his driver’s license for one month and do 25 hours community service.

Conahan has since been charged with corruption in the federal courthouse probe.

A Times Leader review of campaign finance forms in 2002 and 2003 found that Dunn had apparently failed to file 11 required reports related to two committees formed to help in his re-election. Reports showed Dunn gave more than $14,000 for campaign expenses and reimbursements for such expenses in his three school board races in 1995, 1997 and 2001. His wife Jodie was treasurer of both his committees and received more than $6,000 for similar expenses and reimbursements.

 

Check back as details of this story continues to develop.

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