Federal Investigation of Schools

WILKES-BARRE   - Wilkes-Barre Area School Board President Frank Pizzella Jr., who is charged with passing a bribe onto another school board member,  has signed a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Superintendent Jeff Namey said Tuesday.

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Frank Pizzella enters the federal courthouse in Wilkes-Barre on December 19, 2009. He’s accused of being a go-between for a bribe.

AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER

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Namey said Pizzella called him today to tell him he had reached a plea deal, but did not specify what specific charge he will plead guilty to.

Pizzella was indicted by a grand jury in September on a single count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. The indictment alleges Pizzella acted as a go-between to pay a $5,000 bribe to an member of school board from a person who was seeking a teaching position within the district. The offense allegedly occurred in 2004, three years before Pizzella was elected to the school board.

For the complete story read Wednesday's Times Leader