Reilly rejects plea bargain

WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County Clerk of Courts Robert Reilly rejected a plea agreement offered by federal authorities to charges related to the ongoing corruption probe, a source knowledgeable with the investigation said.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, could not say what charges prosecutors planned to file, but did confirm the case is separate from an investigation regarding payments made by a committee headed by Reilly to a records consulting firm.

The U.S. Secret Service on Wednesday confirmed it is investigating nearly $1 million in payments that were made to LRW Solutions Group of Wayne for work related to the organization and storage of county court records.

Most of that money was paid from a special record improvement fund that was overseen by a committee that was chaired by Reilly, who authorized all payments.

Reilly’s attorney, Michael Butera of Pittston, said Friday he could not comment on whether a plea deal was offered to Reilly.

Butera said Reilly was not aware of any investigation relating to the Clerk of Courts office. Asked if there was any other investigation of Reilly outside of his court position, Butera declined to comment.

Robert Slama, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Philadelphia branch, said his office, in conjunction with the FBI, recently obtained records from the county relating to payments to LRW. He declined to provide further details.

LRW was hired in 2005 by county commissioners to organize and purge records that are stored at the Thomas C. Thomas Building. Records show the firm has been paid at least $970,000. The contract recently drew scrutiny after Controller Walter Griffith and Prothonotary Carolee Medico Olenginski questioned some of the payments.

County commissioners initially approved payment of $107,000 to LRW. They later voted to extend the contract, but the new terms did not detail what work would be done, set a timeframe or cap for payments. The extension also was never signed by the county.

Griffith and Medico Olenginski have also questioned why LRW was permitted to award subcontracts without putting the work out for bid as required by county’s bidding policy.

The firm paid $42,000 to Comprehensive Microfilm and Scanning Services of Wilkes-Barre, which is owned by James Wasilewski, a cousin of Reilly’s wife. Another $50,000 was paid to Barton Weidlich’s company, JPW Construction Management, to build security cages, paint and shred records.

Weidlich, who was friends with several high ranking former county officials, including former Commissioner Greg Skrepenak and former chief clerk Sam Guesto, owned a warehouse at which some county records were stored. Federal agents seized records from the warehouse last year. He is awaiting trial on charges that he threatened a witness who was helping investigators in the corruption probe.