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SCRANTON – An employee of a restaurant owned by Commissioner Greg Skrepenak’s father testified before a federal grand jury on Tuesday.
The man, who identified himself as Dave Nicholas, entered the grand jury room around 11:15 a.m. He was not represented by an attorney. He testified for about 15 minutes and left the building without commenting.
Nicholas is an employee of Big Ugly’s, a bar and restaurant in Wilkes-Barre owned by the father of Commissioner Skrepenak, who is also named Greg.
His testimony comes exactly one month after the senior Skrepenak appeared before the grand jury. The senior Skrepenak, a retired PPL Electric Utilities lineman, has owned an operated Big Ugly’s since December 2005.
A second man, whose identity could not be determined, also appeared before the grand jury Tuesday. That man declined to reveal his name or to comment on the substance of his testimony.
It’s not known what Nicholas or the senior Skrepenak testified about, since grand jury proceedings are closed to the public.
The case before the grand jury was presented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Fisanick, chief of the office’s criminal division, and FBI agent Richard Southerton, who are among the lead investigators involved in the county corruption probe.
Commissioner Skrepenak did not return a phone message Tuesday seeking comment. In a previous interview, he said he had no idea why his father was called before the grand jury, but said he presumes it is somehow associated with his role in public office.
Big Ugly’s is housed in a building owned by Michael and Arlene Pasonick of Pasonick & Associates, an engineering firm that has been paid $492,804 for county work since 2004.
Neither Commissioner Skrepenak, nor his father nor the Pasonicks have been accused of any wrongdoing.