Federal Investigation of Schools

August 8, 2009

FBI’s back at LCCC for a second time

School head won’t comment on what agency sought, says LCCC is cooperating fully.

By Sherry Long slong@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

NANTICOKE – The FBI on Thursday paid a second visit to the Luzerne County Community College.

LCCC President Tom Leary declined to comment on what the FBI was looking for or who the agency spoke with because, he said, it is a federal, not an in-house campus, investigation.

“I was not on campus and was informed the FBI agent was on campus,” Leary said Friday afternoon.

As he stated when the FBI visited LCCC in May seeking documents, Leary said the college is continuing to work with the federal government “providing any documentation upon request.” It’s unknown what documents the federal agents requested in May.

Luzerne County Commissioner Stephen Urban said he did not know the FBI went to LCCC on Thursday, but he said he hopes the FBI continues its probe and looks into all allegations of improper contracts, missing money and missing computers from the college.

“I encouraged them to look at the whole place,” Urban said.

Contracts with two firms, Precept Associates and Intellacom, that the college entered into have come under scrutiny in the last year.

Precept Associates was hired in May 2007 as a construction manager to oversee construction of the college’s Public Safety Training Institute. The original contract was not bid out, and it was later determined the college was paying a substantially high rate. The contract was later renegotiated.

Intellacom, a security system company, also received a no-bid contract in 2007 for an “off-campus closed circuit television” system at five of LCCC satellite campuses. The college canceled the contract after service was not provided as promised.

Intellacom also received a contract with Pittston Area School District when Ross Scarantino was superintendent there. Scarantino was chairman of the board of trustees at LCCC when the college entered into the Precept and Intellacom contracts. He was replaced on the board in May 2008.

Precept and Intellacom officials have not been accused of any wrongdoing in the federal investigation.

Scarantino, in his role as superintendent, pleaded guilty in May to one federal charge of corrupt receipt of reward for official action concerning a program receiving federal funds. He is awaiting sentencing.

Former LCCC Associate Dean Peter Paul Moses was charged last fall with stealing more than $17,000 and two computers from the college when he oversaw the Educational Conference Center, cafeteria and bookstore.

Moses denies the allegations and his case is pending in county court. Earlier this week he filed a whistleblower’s lawsuit against the college, alleging he was falsely accused because he reported wrongdoing of several college officials.

Moses alleges he was targeted for termination after he tried to expose improprieties in the awarding of contracts and the hiring of an employee at the school.

LCCC officials deny Moses’ accusations.

Neither an FBI agent nor U.S. Attorney Martin Carlson was available Friday afternoon for comment.

Sherry Long, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7159.

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