Pittston Man Charged as Part of an Ongoing Public Corruption Investigation Pleads Guilty

Federal officials announced today that a Pittston man charged as part of an ongoing public corruption investigation pled guilty yesterday in federal court.

Peter J. Smith, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Janice Fedarcyk, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Troy Stemen, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division; and Kathy Tighe, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, jointly announced that Barton Weidlich, age 41, of Pittston, Pennsylvania, pled guilty yesterday to obstruction of justice.

During the plea proceeding, Weidlich acknowledged that FBI agents obtained information that Weidlich may have received several no-bid county contracts in Luzerne County and made payments to one or more public officials for the award of the no-bid contracts. At the direction of the agents, a cooperating witness wore a recording device during several conversations with Weidlich.

Barton Weidlich further acknowledged that during the conversations, he took measures designed to thwart any possible recording of the conversations. Although Weidlich took these measures, portions of the conversations were still audible, including a statement by Weidlich indicating that it was necessary for the cooperating witness to lie on the stand, referring to the witness’ appearance at the Federal Grand Jury empaneled in Scranton.

Weidlich also admitted that on September 28, 2009, he approached the cooperating witness and asked, repeatedly, whether the cooperating witness was “wearing a wire” during their previous meetings.

On October 1, 2009, Weidlich made threatening statements referring to the cooperating witness’ cooperation with law enforcement. The statements were made with the intent to influence the cooperating witness’ testimony before the Federal Grand Jury and obstruct and impede the official proceeding.

The charge carries a maximum 20-year term of imprisonment, a fine of $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.

This case is part of an ongoing investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service and the United States Department of Education and is being prosecuted by a team of federal prosecutors led by Senior Litigation Counsel Gordon Zubrod and includes Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Houser, Michael Consiglio, Amy Phillips, John Gurganus, and Criminal Division Chief Christian Fisanick. Anyone with information is asked to call the public corruption task force toll free at 1-866-996-4320.