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Thursday, January 04, 1996     Page: 2A

SCRANTON — A Dallas man pleaded guilty to a second charge of bank fraud
Wednesday in federal court.
   
Peter Jay Barney, 34, faces a maximum of 60 years in prison and $2 million
in fines for the two felony charges.
    U.S. Attorney David Barasch filed the first charge against Barney last
September. At that time Barney admitted to setting up a scheme to steal more
than $300,000 from his former employer, Louis Cohen and Sons Inc. of
Wilkes-Barre.
   
While he was awaiting sentencing, Barney committed the second offense in
October, Barasch said. As part of the latest scheme, Barney is charged with
writing more than $23,000 worth of checks from an account with a negative
balance, then depositing them in another bank account and later withdrawing
the money to gamble.
   
Senior U.S. District Judge William Nealon ordered Barney to participate in
counseling as part of his release pending sentencing. Nealon also ordered that
Barney serve home confinement while waiting to be sentenced at a yet-to-be
scheduled date.