Pocono News Section

Deputy Warden Instructed To Account For Charges

Deputy Warden Instructed To Account For Charges - Monday, December 17, 2007 at 5:44PM EST

Reported by: Jeff Chirico
Monday, Dec 17, 2007 @05:44pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY --Luzerne County Prison Deputy Warden Sam Hyder has been given 60 days to repay more than $2700 of unaccounted-for charges on his county-issued debit card. The decision came during a Monday morning prison board meeting at the courthouse.

About a dozen protesters rallied outside the courthouse before the meeting. Inside several protesters called for Sam Hyder to be fired for alleging misusing the debit card. Some of the charges include $71 for drinks at a Las Vegas strip club and almost $900 for a dinner for several county officials.

Two dozen prison officials attended the meeting to support Hyder. Any disciplinary action against Hyder is pending the outcome of a federal investigation by the U.S. Secret Service into allegations of debit card misuse by Hyder, Commissioner Greg Skrepenak and five other county officials.

Despite calls for his resignation Skrepenak says he will not. "I don't plan to resign. Mistakes were made and they've been amended. I think the one thing we've done is we acted quickly . We paid all money back and we're going through normal reimbursement policies."