Luzerne County Government

January 7, 2010

Skrep set for plea Jan. 26

Ex-county commissioner is charged with accepting money to aid a developer.

By Terrie Morgan-Besecker tmorgan@timesleader.com
Law & Order Reporter
Terrie Morgan-Besecker on Facebook   |   @TLTerrieMorgan on Twitter

SCRANTON – Former Luzerne County Commissioner Greg Skrepenak is scheduled to enter his guilty plea to corruption charges on Jan. 26.

Skrepenak, 39, of Jenkins Township, was charged on Dec. 18 with accepting at least $5,000 for supporting a tax incentive program that benefited a local real estate developer. He is accused of using his position to help ensure a project the developer was building in Jenkins Township was approved for the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program, according to the criminal complaint.

Skrepenak agreed to plead guilty to one count of corrupt receipt of a reward for official action. Under federal sentencing guidelines he faces 33 to 41 months in prison, but a judge could sentence him to less time, or up to the maximum of 10 years and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. District Judge Richard Conaboy scheduled Skrepenak’s sentencing for 10 a.m.

Hearing dates for several others of the 23 defendants charged in connection with the corruption probe have also been set:

• Allen Bellas, former head of the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority, is scheduled to plead guilty on Jan. 19 to charges he accepted a bribe in exchange for helping a businessperson obtain a contract with the authority. Bellas will appear before U.S. District Judge Thomas Vanaskie at 10 a.m.

• Richard Emanski, owner of King Glass and Paint in Swoyersville, is also scheduled to plead guilty before Vanaskie on Jan. 19 at 10:30 a.m. He is charged with installing free carpeting in the home of a Wilkes-Barre Area school director to reward that director for influencing the awarding of a contract to Emanski’s company.

• Frank Pizzella, president of the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board, is scheduled to go on trial on March 1. Pizzella is charged with passing a bribe to a school board member from a person who wished to be hired as a teacher within the district.

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