Pocono News Section

Major Updates in the Luzerne County Probe

Major Updates in the Luzerne County Probe - Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 6:05PM EST

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LUZERNE COUNTY- Major developments in the on going corruption probe in Luzerne County . This case involves the misuse of county owned debit cards. The debit card scandal involved several top county leaders. They used taxpayer funded debit cards for personal expenses. Tens of thousands of dollars are in question.

The I-team has learned that it appears charges will not be filed in this debit card case. The feds say, while there was mismanagement by county leaders, it did not rise to the level of a crime.

Federal investigators were called into investigate the alleged misuse and abuse of county debit cards, after it was learned that as much as $40,000 dollars was spent, by several county leaders, without proper authorization and for items that were questionable. Those items included $71 dollars for a round of drinks at a Las Vegas strip club by deputy prison warden Sam Hyder. Hyder paid the money back saying he used the county debit card by mistake, thinking it was his own credit card.

Another $800 was spent for dinner and drinks at a Manhattan restaurant by county leaders and prison officials . They were in New York City looking into security systems for the county. Most of the county money has been reimbursed by those officials, and a debit card policy was placed into effect.

Sources close to the investigation tell the I-team that federal investigators determined there was poor judgment, inadequate checks and balances, and no accountability. But that all of this did not rise to a level of a crime.

The federal report also indicates that since many high ranking county leaders were on these trips, that it may have been assumed by others on those same trips, those lower on the power scale, that the use of those debit cards, was okay.

This debit card scandal really opened the door to the full blown corruption probe that is now unfolding in the Luzerne County court system and Luzerne County school districts.

Again, officially the U. S. Attorney's Office will not comment on the case, but I am told that letters will be sent to county leaders, detailing the findings of this investigation.