The LuLac Edition #759, Mar. 18th, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: SPECIAL PROSECUTOR PATRICK MEEHAN AND ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM CORBETT.

CRIME STOPPERS

For most people involved, crime doesn't pay. But for politicos with their sights on higher office, sometimes their own actions bring rewards. Patrick Meehan who started the case against former Senator Vince Fuomo is being mentioned as a possible GOP candidate for the Governor's chair. Attorney General Tom Corbett, most visible in the prosecution of high profile corruption and drug cases is said to be the front runner for the GOP nod for Governor. The record of special prosecutors is mixed when attaining higher office in Pennsylvania. Richard Thornburgh won election in 1978 while fellow prosecutor David Marston made nary a dent in his Democratic primary bid. Time will tell if Meehan and Corbett's work in some high profile cases will give them a leg up on the competition in the 2010 race for Governor.

THE BEAT GOES ON

Former Luzerne County Probation official Sandra Brulo has agreed to plead guilty to a felony obstruction of justice charge. She will cooperate with federal authorities in the public corruption probe, investigators said Tuesday. According to the federal charges, Brulo altered and backdated a placement recommendation for a juvenile offender to make it appear that she had advised probation instead of detention. She then asked a probation official to put the changed document in the official court record. Brulo has agreed to waive indictment and plead guilty. Brulo faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines and up to three years of supervised release according to a report in the Times Leader. March 26th in Federal Court Scranton has been set to formally accept Brulo’s guilty plea. She has been released in her own custody since the arrest.

In other corruption news, the state attorney general’s office has been investigating a case involving money missing from the Luzerne County adult probation office. At least $50,000 is believed to be missing. It’s the second case of money missing from county court funds in the past year. As you may recall, Thomas Sharkey, the county court administrator, the highest-ranking nonjudicial officer in the court system, pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $70,000 from the courts. The county’s judges ordered a review of court finances, with help from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

And last but not least, a Luzerne County Prison guard, John "G-Unit" Gonda, was selling large quantities of cocaine in the Wilkes-Barre area. He was arrested as part of a more than 3 million dollar cocaine ring dubbed "Operation Avalanche."

This type of news is now a matter of expectation, and not the unusual.