Feds looking at Pittston Area records

By Mark Guydish mguydish@timesleader.comEducation Reporter

YATESVILLE – Federal investigators expanded their public school probe into Area on Tuesday, visiting the administration building with subpoenas for board meeting minutes from the past five years, financial interest statements for school board members, and other documents that included records on purchases and contracts, district and FBI officials confirmed.

Superintendent Ross Scarantino and several board members confirmed the probe but referred comment to school board Solicitor Joe Saporito, who said the minutes had been sought back to April 1, 2004.

Saporito declined to detail what other documents had been turned over, saying he was “not certain whether they constitute public record.”

But sources told The Times Leader the bulk of the Pittston Area investigation seems to be focused on purchases and contracts, not teacher hirings. FBI Special Agent J.J. Klaver, media relations and public affairs coordinator in the Philadelphia Division office, confirmed the agency was looking at how contracts were awarded.

In fact, the FBI issued a request for people to call the Scranton office at (570) 344-2404 if they have information on contractors who were required to make payments or to exchange something of value in order to get work.

Tips are being fielded by special agents Richard Southerton and Joseph Noone, the same men handling calls resulting from a similar public appeal made last week for information on possible cases of teachers paying to get their jobs.

Klaver has conceded that such public appeals are “very unusual” coming from an agency renowned for refusing to even acknowledge an investigation exists, but that valuable tips have resulted.

The Pittston probe follows rapidly evolving events that began in Wilkes-Barre Area School District and Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center. Investigators have obtained records from both, and interviewed several teachers from Wilkes-Barre Area schools.

Wilkes-Barre Area Superintendent Jeff Namey testified before a federal grand jury in Scranton last week, walking in with documents that he didn’t have when he left.

Wilkes-Barre Area board members have also said that Namey asked each of them to review a list of teachers hired since 2004 and put their initials by the ones they recommended for interviews. Board President James Height said information was also sought by the FBI, but he didn’t know why.

With Pittston added to the list of districts under scrutiny, one common thread becomes obvious: The Career Center. Wilkes-Barre Area and Pittston are two of five districts that jointly run it. The others are Greater Nanticoke Area, Crestwood and Hanover Area.

Members of boards from each participating district sit on a Joint Operating Committee that runs the Career Center. The number of representatives from each district is determined by the percentage of total enrollment that district provides to the center.

Current JOC members and the districts they represent are: James Height, Brian Dunn, Maryanne Toole, James Fisher and Joseph Moran from Wilkes-Barre Area; Martin Quinn and Joseph Oliveri from Pittston Area; Robert Raineri and Gary Smith from Greater Nanticoke Area; Gene Mancini Jr. from Crestwood; and David Evans from Hanover Area.

The Career Center committee also has the same solicitor as Wilkes-Barre Area School Board – Anthony Lupas Jr.

A source has told The Times Leader that Dunn was seen with an attorney last week at the federal courthouse in Scranton one day before the grand jury met. It could not be determined why Dunn was there. He has not been accused of any wrongdoing, and numerous attempts to reach him have failed. He was not at the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board meeting last Wednesday.

The school board financial interest forms sought by investigators are terse items often with scant information. All school board members, along with most other public officials in different municipal governments, must file them annually under the State Ethics Act.

They list the name, address and public office held by the person, as well as occupation, creditors, and sources of income and other financial interests.

Here’s a rundown of the information on the forms each Pittston Area board member filed in 2007:

•Mark Singer, attorney, listed three creditors: American Honda Finance, National City Mortgage and “Sun Tech student loan.”

•Tony Guariglia gave his occupation as vocational educator, listed City Mortgage and GM Credit as creditors, and gave West Side Tech and Wilkes University as direct or indirect sources of income.

•John Adonizio listed no occupation, creditors or sources of income.

•Terry Best, real estate inspector, listed GMAC and M& T Bank as creditors and Biscotto’s Pizza, Pittston, as direct or indirect source of income. He also listed himself as president of Best Building Inspection Service, Inc.

•Kent Bratlee wrote that he is self-employed, listed Chrysler Financial as a creditor, and Valley Meat & Deli, Avoca, as direct or indirect source of income.

•Robert Linskey listed his occupation as accounting director, no creditors, and Pocono Medical Center, Stroudsburg, and Luzerne County Community College, Nanticoke, as direct or indirect sources of income.

•Michael McAndrew wrote that he is a self-employed auto mechanic with no creditors and listed the Yatesville Bus Co. as direct or indirect source of income. He also noted he has financial interest in BMJ Auto Service.

•Joseph Oliveri listed his occupation as deputy sheriff and Luzerne County as direct or indirect source of income, with no creditors.

•Martin Quinn listed his occupation as retired and “self-employed” as direct or indirect sources of income, with no creditors.

Mark Guydish, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7161