Hanover director pleads guilty to taking a bribe

SCRANTON – A tearful Anthony Spinozza appeared in federal court Monday morning and admitted to accepting at least $5,000 from a contractor in exchange for his influence in the awarding of a contract in the Hanover Area School District.

Spinozza, 59, choked up immediately as U.S. District Judge Edwin Kosik began posing a series of routine questions during the brief hearing in federal court in Scranton.

The longtime school director told the judge his age, then had to pause for about 30 seconds to regain his composure before continuing to provide information regarding his education and employment history.

He wiped tears from his eyes several times before the approximately half-hour hearing concluded. After the hearing he shook hands with Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Phillips, who is prosecuting the case.

The guilty plea comes five days after Spinozza was charged with corrupt receipt of a reward for official action. Federal prosecutors say he accepted the bribe between May and October 2008 from a contractor.

Part of the evidence against Spinozza included incriminating statements he made to the contractor, who secretly recorded the conversation, Phillips told Kosik.

Prosecutors have not identified the contractor, but have said the contract in question was for more than $5,000. Meeting minutes from the school board show that several contracts of that size were awarded in 2008.

The largest contracts included $1.25 million awarded on May 8, 2008, to Pensy Supply, doing business as Slusser Brothers, for repaving of the parking lot at the high school; $164,666 awarded on June 8, 2008, to the Frank P. Crossin Agency for various insurance policies and $82,000 awarded on March 6 to Michael J. Pasonick Engineering for design specifications and contract documents for the parking lot project.

Pasonick is the person who paid a bribe to Luzerne County Housing Authority Member William Maguire, according to Michael Butera, attorney for Gerald Bonner, a second authority member who allegedly passed the bribe onto Maguire.

Heidi Havens, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said the office would not comment on the identity of the contractor in the Spinozza case. Neither Pasonick nor Crossin nor Slusser Brothers has been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the Hanover Area case or any others.

The Slusser Brothers contract was bid out, according to meeting minutes. There is no mention in the minutes dating back to January 2008 that the board sought bids or request for proposals for the Crossin or Pasonick contracts.

Joseph Van Jura, solicitor for the district, said the district was not required to seek bids for the Pasonick and Crossin contracts because they are considered professional services, which do not fall under bidding requirements.

Spinozza had served on the Hanover Area board since 1999. He resigned from his post last Wednesday, the day he was charged.

Spinozza was released on his own recognizance pending sentencing, which has not been set. He and his attorneys, Frank Nocito and Philip Gelso, declined to comment after the hearing.

Federal sentencing guidelines call for a sentence of 12 to 18 months in prison, but prosecutors have agreed to seek a lesser sentence if Spinozza provides substantial assistance in investigating others. The guidelines and recommendation or prosecutors are not binding, however, meaning Kosik could sentence Spinozza up to the maximum for the offense -- 10 years in prison.

Terrie Morgan-Besecker, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 570-829-7179.

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Federal Investigation of Schools

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