Alleged victims surfacing

WILKES-BARRE â?? A former superintendent in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District and a well-known Democratic Party leader are among the people who were allegedly victimized by attorney Anthony Lupas as part of a bogus investment scheme, according to court papers filed Friday.

Leo Solomon of Wilkes-Barre, who served 18 years as superintendent before retiring in 1993, and the estate of the late James Bach, who headed the Luzerne County Democratic Party for 15 years, are among 10 plaintiffs named in a lawsuit filed by attorney Gavin Lentz of Philadelphia.

Lentz filed a writ of summons against Lupas on behalf of his clients. A writ notifies a person he or she is being sued, but does not contain specific allegations. That information will be contained in a complaint filed at a later date.

The suit joins a separate lawsuit filed Monday by attorney Ernest Preate of Scranton on behalf of three persons: Joseph DeSanto, John Pisano and Frank Pisano.

Lentzâ??s lawsuit was filed on behalf of Solomon and Trudy Zawatski of Shickshinny, the daughter of Bach, who died in September 2009.

Other plaintiffs are: Chester Cognigni, John and Michael Cognigni and Susan Cognigni Leonard, all of Plains Township; Gail Brennan, Edwardsville; Thelma Andreoni, Plains Township; Edward Pedana, Willingboro, N.J., Ted Quarequio, Wilkes-Barre and Jean Bohac, Plains Township.

Lupas, 77, of Plains Township, is accused of bilking clients out of potentially millions of dollars by falsely portraying he had invested their money in a trust fund. In reality, Lupas used the money for his personal gain, the Lentz and Preate filings say.

Lentz and Preate said the writ of summons will allow them to obtain certain records and gather other information for the lawsuit.