Pocono News Section

Woman Pleads Guilty to Endangering Foreign Exchange Students

Woman Pleads Guilty to Endangering Foreign Exchange Students - Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 6:27PM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Tuesday, Feb 16, 2010 @ 06:27pm EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - Guilty. That's what a Scranton woman, who was accused of placing foreign exchange students in filthy conditions, told a judge Tuesday morning.

Edna Burgett entered a plea in Lackawanna County court just as her trial was scheduled to begin. It's a story that the WBRE I-Team broke. Burgette pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of children. She was originally facing five felony counts.

This is a case that grabbed national headlines.

"From the get-go, we've always cooperated and we want to accept responsibility for all thats happened," defense attorney Chris Osborne said.

Last year, the WBRE I-Team exposed some of the filthy conditions that foreign exchange students from countries like Norway, Vietnam and Nigeria were living in. In one case, students lived in a house where dog droppings covered the floor.

Because of her plea Tuesday, Burgette may not face prison time.

"The standard range for charges like this range from probation to jail," Assistant District Attorney Gene Talerico said. "As part of the plea, we agreed that we would not oppose a request for probation or what is called "intermediate punishment," house arrest."

Burgette was the former coordinator of the ASPECT Foundation. She is now 70-years-old. Her attorney hopes that will help keep her out of jail.

"We're hoping through a pre-sentence report that the judge will look at her age, look at some of the medical problems and look at the history of Edna and what she has done in her lifetime," Osborne said.

Prosecutors say the guilty plea allows the foreign exchange students, who are all back home, to move forward with their lives. They also say greater oversight is now in place over foreign exchange student programs to make sure something like this never happens again.

"As a result of what we learned in this case and what the federal government learned, it will be safer. The program will be more efficient and there will be more protection for children," Talerico said.

Last week, Burgette also entered a guilty plea to one count of mail fraud in federal court. She could face up to 20 years in prison, but prosecutors say they also will not oppose a sentence of no prison time.