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Pocono News Section
Luzerne Co. Sheriff Responds to Payroll Accusations
Luzerne Co. Sheriff Responds to Payroll Accusations - Friday, June 19, 2009 at 11:30PM EST
Reported by: Joe Holden
Friday, Jun 19, 2009 @ 11:30pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY- Sheriff Michael Savokinas explained his understanding of county payroll procedures and what's expected of his office. The I-Team continues its probe of how the law enforcement tracks who works what.
An investigation made public Thursday by WBRE Eyewitness News showed Chief Deputy Charles Guarnieri was allegedly off the clock for four weeks, though his time card reflected he was at work. Three sources in the department claimed the Second-in-Command Guarnieri had not showed up to work for four weeks. Reached by phone on Monday, Savokinas said Guarnieri had been out of work for only at least two weeks. But, the time card did not show any vacation time docked, which county leaders said earlier in the week would make the county's central payroll recording systems useless. About payroll procedures, "it (Guarnieri's time card) was never submitted because it was never done in the past. Only union people's time was submitted."
Savokinas claims time worked is recorded internally in the sheriff's department. But It's not exactly the answer the I-Team got from Savokinas and Guarnieri during the course of 15 minute confrontation Tuesday outside a county office building. That spat began with Guarnieri aggressively shoving a station microphone held by reporter Joe Holden. Savokinas refused to address the threatening gesture, and on Friday dismissed it as a "reaction" by Guarnieri.
Savokinas' explanation also differs from payroll procedures, as defined by Luzerne County Commissioners Maryanne Petrilla (D) and Stephen Urban (R). Both commissioners have questioned the sheriff's prior explanation of the apparent oversight, telling the I-Team he did not do payroll.
Guarnieri stood close to Savokinas during Friday night's follow-up interview, but said nothing.
The initial results of the investigation sparked a wide range of reaction on local talk radio. Callers inquired about the timing, given an expansive corruption scandal that clouds the county's judicial system. | |
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