SCRANTON — A former legal secretary who stole more than $175,00 from her employer will go to jail, Lackawanna County Judge Vito Geroulo ruled today.

Kelly Mattern, 39, the former office assistant/legal secretary for attorney Frank Santomauro, will spend between six and 23 months in jail and must pay $56,301.79 in restitution.

In March, Mattern pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking, admitting she stole $175,950 from Santomauro’s accounts between October 2015 and June 2018. Mattern continued to forge checks in Santomauro’s name even after the attorney discovered the theft in 2017. After trying to work with her to pay back what she stole, he ultimately reported the theft to the district attorney’s office last June.

Before handing down the sentence, Geroulo noted he previously sentenced Mattern for a similar crime. In 2014, she received a sentence of three to 23 months in county jail for theft by deception after Clarks Summit police say she forged 26 checks worth $37,600 on a 71-year-old man’s bank account.

Mattern told the judge in 2014 she had been taking pills and used the money to feed a gambling addiction. Today, county First Assistant Public Defender Joseph Kalinowski said Mattern has sought treatment for her gambling disorder, drug use and depression and secured both full-time and part-time jobs in an effort to pay back Santomauro.

“I apologize, I’m trying to get my life back together,” Mattern told the judge. “I just want to pay Frank back and move on with my life.”

Kalinowski asked Geroulo to spare Mattern jail time, but he did not.

“I really have difficulty with repetitive crimes,” Geroulo said, noting Mattern’s gambling addiction may explain her crimes, but it doesn’t excuse them.

In addition to the jail time and restitution, Geroulo ordered Mattern to sign a voluntary casino ban. The sentence should send a message to anyone thinking about committing similar crimes that such actions have consequences, Geroulo said.

Mattern shook her head but said nothing as she was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

Contact the writer:
jhorvath@timesshamrock.com;
570-348-9141;
@jhorvathTT on Twitter

Investigators discovered child pornography after searching an Old Forge man’s home today.

William Heitzenroder, 31, 180 Sanderson St. Rear, is charged with disseminating images of child sex acts and other charges related to possessing videos and images of prepubescent children and sharing them online. One video traced to Heitzenroder depicted a girl between 1 and 3 years old, according to court documents.

State police started the investigation that led to Heitzenroder in April, when troopers discovered child pornography being shared on BitTorrent, an online file sharing system. Authorities found about 30 child porn files and ultimately linked the IP address of the computer sharing them to Heitzenroder, troopers said.

At about 6 a.m. today, state police and other law enforcement agencies searched Heitzenroder’s home. Police discovered several videos involving young children performing sex acts on Heitzenroder’s computer, according to court documents.

Police interviewed Heitzenroder at the state police’s Wyoming barracks in Luzerne County, where he admitted to knowingly having child pornography videos, troopers said.

Magisterial District Judge Joanne Price Corbett arraigned Heitzenroder and set bail at $30,000. He is held in Lackawanna County Prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 26.

Contact the writer: cover@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5363; @ClaytonOver on Twitter

A local roller derby team is taking their skating fury overseas.

The Low Rolling Deuces, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Roller Derby League’s B-team, will compete against Dublin Roller Derby’s B-team on June 29 in the Republic of Ireland’s capital.

“I wanted to make a name for our team and wanted to show other leagues that this is something that any small league can do,” said player Brandy Ralston of Wilkes-Barre.

This is the first time the team — who spent the past year fundraising to help pay for the trip overseas — is competing internationally, said Ralston, the league president. The crew of about 26 skaters, fans and family leave June 26 and return July 3.

“I had a goal and we made it happen,” Ralston said.

Despite being an international sport, roller derby is a small community. She said leagues can be found virtually anywhere.

She reached out to the Dublin Roller Derby B-team to see if they had any opportunities to compete and they got back to her with a date.

Ralston said the team has great fans and families and she knew they could hit their fundraising marks.

The Low Rolling Deuces, based in Moosic, are the underdogs going into the competition, said team member Kelly Barrett of Scranton. The two-year roller derby veteran added that the team has grown over the past year.

“If we bring it home, it will really be something,” she said.

Barrett, who was hooked on the sport from the beginning and loves the camaraderie, said Ralston motivated the skaters to make the trip.

Skater Alison Caspe of South Abington Twp. said no matter the outcome, she’s excited to not only get the opportunity to compete in another country but also travel with the team.

Roller derby has been in Northeast Pennsylvania since 2006, Ralston said.

The Low Rolling Deuces, which has around 50 active league members, are part of the Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association and mostly compete against teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Maryland.

The league is ranked 251 in the world out of about 900 teams, Ralston said. They holds fundraisers throughout the year, including trivia nights and a speed dating event in February, to keep up with their operating costs.

Caspe has participated in roller derby for around three years. She has two young daughters and said it’s also empowering for her as a mother and woman to play a contact sport. “It’s great exercise, it’s also more fun than going to the gym,” she said.

Ralston is also the mother of two young children and has long been interested in roller derby.

“I wanted something for me and I wanted an adult hobby,” she said. “As a woman, it’s a stress reliever.”

When she started on the team, she could barely skate. She encouraged anyone with an interest in the sport to try out.

“How many full contact sports do you have for women?” she said.

For more details, visit www.wbsrollerderby.com or Wilkes Barre/Scranton Roller Derby on Facebook.

Contact the writer: kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114; @kbolusTT on Twitter

THROOP — Property owners in Throop, Olyphant and Dickson City will see a 3% increase in their school taxes next year as the Mid Valley School District battles rising costs to special education and pensions, among other obligations.

The board passed a $29.6 million 2019-20 budget tonight that includes a 3.5 mill increase. A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 of assessed property value. The new millage rate is 120.2731 mills.

The budget passed with a 6-3 vote. Board Vice President Gerald Luchansky and directors Joanne Pesota and Peter Kolcharno voted against the budget.

Pesota said she was conflicted about raising taxes for a second year in a row because the people she comes in contact with in Dickson City are elderly and often on a fixed income.

The district projected an operating deficit next year of around $844,000 and could dip into its approximately $4.2 million fund balance to close that gap.

Director Donna Dixon added that the district’s cyber and charter school costs are also on the rise.

“The costs are unbelievable,” she said. “That is an expenditure we didn’t have three, four years ago.”

The district’s four professional employee contracts are also settled, Dixon added.

“We don’t have a revenue generator that naturally increases,” said board President Paul Macknosky. “Our costs have skyrocketed.”

Also at tonight’s board meeting, directors voted against adding a resolution to their budget to approve a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance, or LERTA, designation, for 964 acres of deteriorated and undeveloped land east of the Casey Highway in Olyphant.

Under the LERTA terms, any landowner approved to receive the 10-year tax abatement will pay 5% of taxes on improvements to the property in the first year, increasing by 5% each subsequent year . During the final year of the LERTA, the property owner will pay 50% of the value of improvements, before paying full taxes on improvements the following year.

Some directors said they need more time to assess the potential financial impact on the district.

Members of the Olyphant Council, Patrick Lavelle, the attorney representing the Davelisa LLC of Dunmore that owns a majority of the land, and environmental consultant Richard Evans, attended the meeting.

There is a coal mine fire on a small portion of the land.

Steven Vituszynski was among the board members who questioned why board needs to vote on the LERTA now if the land cannot be developed until the mine fire is extinguished, which could take two years.

Evans argued that interested developers could start breaking ground by the spring.

Macknosky requested more information on the impact of school taxes from the potential businesses if Lackawanna County reassesses its outdated property taxes. The county last reassessed the value of all land in its boundaries in 1968, which has left values sharply out of whack compared with actual market values.

Board members will research the LERTA issue and revisit it at an upcoming meeting.

Olyphant Council passed the LERTA ordinance in May. Lackawanna County must also approve the LERTA request.

The board also approved an Act 93 contract with its 10 administrators. The employees will receive 3% annual raises beginning July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2023.

Additionally, Debra Demming, special education director, is retiring and elementary school principal Carlos Lopez will step into the position of principal of special education services beginning July 1. His salary is $87,229, according to data from 2016-17.

Contact the writer: kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114; @kbolusTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — The lakes at the county’s parks will officially open Saturday and remain open through mid-August.

The swimming areas of lakes at Aylesworth Park, Merli-Sarnoski Park, and Covington Park will be open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. All locations are staffed with lifeguards.

Meanwhile, repairs to the pool at McDade Park in Scranton are ongoing. It is tentatively slated to open June 29.

For more information, call the county’s parks and recreation office at 570-963-6764.

— JEFF HORVATH

Archbald

Yard/garage sale: Archbald Borough holding its annual borough-wide, including Archbald, Eynon, Sturges and Nebraska sections of town, yard and garage sale, Saturday, July 6, 8 a.m.-noon; anyone wishing to participate may set up their residence on July 6. No registration is required.

Carbondale

Flea market: Trinity Church community flea market, 58 River St., Carbondale, July 13-14, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., snack counter available, donations appreciated, vendors are welcome for $15/day. Contact/reservations/donations: 570-282-3620.

East Scranton

Monthly meeting: The Hill Neighborhood Association holding its monthly meeting Wednesday, June 26, 6 p.m., lower level of St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Taylor Avenue and Ash Street, East Scranton.

Keyser Valley

Annual luncheon: Keyser Valley Seniors annual spring luncheon, Monday, 1 p.m., community center, games will follow short meeting.

Taylor

Bus trip: Taylor Community Library running a bus trip to “Frozen, the Broadway Musical,” Saturday, Sept. 14, bus leaves the library at 7:30 a.m., 710 S. Main St. Taylor, and departs NYC at 7 p.m., showtime at 2; $135/ticket, includes bus and show; reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis, and are confirmed upon receipt of payment. Contact: 570-562-1234; no cancellations or refunds.

Wayne County

Cooking with herbs: Join local chef, Marcia Dunsmore, for “Cooking with Herbs,” cooking workshop detailing the types of herbs that pair best with certain foods, Wayne County Extension Office — cafeteria, 648 Park St., Suite E, Honesdale; in lieu of a fee, participants are asked to bring a nonperishable food item to the workshop, donations given to local food pantries. Information: https://extension.psu.edu/cooking-with-herbs.

Wilkes-Barre

Town hall: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center hosting community town hall, today, 5 p.m., VA Medical Center, 1111 East End Blvd., Wilkes-Barre; live on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VAWilkesBarre/. Contact: William Klaips, 570-830-7042; william.klaips@va.gov.

CLIPBOARD ITEMS may be sent to yesdesk@timessham

rock.com or Clipboard, c/o YES!Desk, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. YES!Desk, 570-348-9121.

Grace McDonnell will never attend prom. Joaquin Oliver will never graduate.

Shana Fisher won’t get the chance to have children or a career.

Mackenzie Mangan sobbed as she wrote each name, and those of 220 other school shooting victims since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. She pinned the list to the inside of her gown, close to her heart, as she became a Scranton High School graduate Tuesday night.

“It’s a sad reality they have to be remembered that way,” the 18-year-old said Wednesday. “The children have not been forgotten ... They got to walk across the stage with me.”

Mangan was 11 years old when a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012.

“I was heartbroken, and nothing has changed. It’s the same cycle. There are thoughts and prayers, and then everyone forgets,” she said. “Something has to be done.”

Mangan posted a picture of her list to Facebook on Tuesday night, and a friend urged her to change the privacy settings to public so more people could see her post. When Mangan awoke Wednesday, people had already shared the photo hundreds of times.

One person, who said she had attended Columbine during the shooting, thanked Mangan for remembering the victims. Mangan also received a message from someone whose family member died in the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting.

Mangan and her classmates grew up in a era of increased school security — and fear. During occasional lockdowns for other issues at Scranton High, Mangan saw friends have anxiety attacks. She always texted her mom to tell her she loved her.

“We shouldn’t have to think, ‘Is this a school shooting?’ ” Mangan said. “I was afraid every single day. I had an escape route in each room.”

Mangan would like to see stricter gun laws, including mandated background checks and mental health screenings.

“There can’t be more names added to the list,” she said.

Scranton High administrators didn’t know about her gesture at graduation until someone alerted them to her post on social media Wednesday morning.

During Tuesday’s commencement ceremony, Principal John Coyle told the students that as part of Generation Z — those born between the mid-1990s to mid-2000s — they will continue to be “doers” or activists. Mangan’s note is the perfect example, Coyle said Wednesday.

“We’re really proud of her,” he said. “For her to carry that with her was something special.”

Mangan will study criminal justice at Lackawanna College in the fall, with the goal of becoming a police officer and ultimately, a detective.

“I want to stop crime and save lives,” she said. “I want to help people. No one should have to lose their life.”

Contact the writer:

shofius@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9133;

@hofiushallTT on Twitter

High notes

Volunteer Mikki Weiss was awarded by the Pike County commissioners for her work, time and effort devoted to establishing the Pike County Tick Borne Diseases Task Force.

“Without Mikki’s determination in forging strategic partnerships that have helped to drive the Task Force forward, we would not be where we are today,” said Commissioner Chairman Matthew Osterberg.

The Task Force began in 2014 and builds community awareness about tick-borne diseases through education, support and advocacy, according to the commissioner’s office.

Weiss’s accomplishments include formation of the Pike County Tick Borne Diseases (TBD) Task Force; formation of the nonprofit TBD Support Network; assistance in the creation of the TBD Task Force website; creation of the highly successful 2015 Tick Symposium; initiation of the countywide tick study; and assistance in the creation of the Wayne Memorial Hospital TBD Wellness Center.

For more details, visit www.pikepa.org/tick.html.

Super students

North Pocono students Joe Kessler and Keegan Napolitano were recognized for their accomplishments in April.

Joe, a Career Technology Center Lackawanna County student, won the state gold medal for individual welding. It was the first time in CTC/North Pocono history that a student won this competition. Joe will compete on the national level at the end of June in Louisville, Kentucky.

Keegan earned a scholarship at the annual University of Scranton Hayes Competition. He placed third overall on the Kane Test out of 260 students at the competition.

The Hayes Competition is a physics competition between 30 local teams based on the study of Physics and its applications to real-life scenarios, according to the school. The Kane Test is a rigorous college level physics exam.

Scouts honor

Local Girl Scouts, including Natalie Sandly, Emily Claps, Sarah Rabel, Elsa Bennie, Abby Marino, Aleah Vojack, Heather Davis, Hailey Cleveland, Josie Checho, Maddie Davis, Ella Mackrell, Miley Domski, Delaney Washo, Jeanne Prutisto, Liv Collura, Maddie Mecca and Karoline Yanchek completed their work for a Bronze Award.

In April, the scouts from Junior Troop 145, Archbald, collected donations for the Lacka­wan­na Health and Rehab Center for the award. They also put on an Easter Extravaganza for the residents. The scouts created all the activities themselves.

Resident Jeanne Prutisto, who participated in the event, was involved with the troop for 40 years.

June 20, 1929

Storms hit area; teen killed in bed

A strong thunderstorm caused the death of a West Scranton teen and property damage in Scranton and Dunmore.

Austin Kenny, 16-year-old valedictorian of the class of 1929 at St. Patrick’s High School in West Scranton, was killed by a bolt of lighting while at home on his lunch break from the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.

While Kenny was lying in his bed at his Price Street home, the lighting bolt crashed through the window, striking the young man in the chest. Kenny’s mother, Mary, heard the window break and rushed upstairs, where she found her son dead.

Kenny, in addition to his mother, was survived by his brother, Thomas.

In Dunmore, a group of 20 people narrowly escaped a fate similar to Kenny’s when a lighting bolt struck an insulator on a high-tension line at Mill and Third streets. The electric surge traveled along the wire to a nearby building, causing the gas lines inside the building to crack. The natural gas that escaped was ignited.

The 20 people in the building escaped unharmed. All the wiring of the building was fried, along with the damage to the gas lines.

The storm also caused localized flooding in parts of Scranton, disruptions to trolley and train traffic and downed power lines. On Courthouse Square, it was reported there was a 2-foot-deep pond caused by a backup of the sewer system due to the heavy rain.

The Weather Bureau reported the storm dropped close to 1½ inches of rain on the area in under 90 minutes.

Police investigate Belin home burglary

Scranton police investigated a break-in at the home of G. d’Andelot Belin at 100 Vine St. The break-in was reported to police by the home’s caretaker, James Pittman. It is believed the break-in occurred overnight or early in the morning.

Police reported they were unsure of what was stolen until they spoke with the Belin family. The family recently left Scranton for their summer residence in the Abingtons.

Belin is the president of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. of Pennsylvania.

BRIAN FULTON, library manager, oversees The Times-Tribune’s expansive digital and paper archives and is an authority on local history. Contact Brian at bfulton@timesshamroc­k.com or 570-348-9140.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

■ Corey Robert Nealon, Charlotte, N.C., and Alexandra Maria Eld, Regementsgatan, Östersund, Sweden.

■ Dustin Jeffrey Dangelo and Elizabeth Kelly Gallagher, both of Mount Pleasant, S.C.

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

■ Mark B. Phillips, administrator of the estate of Stephen Shaffer, also known as Stephen M. Shaffer, to MV Phillips Realty LLC, Scranton; a property at 1021 Olive St., Scranton, for $32,000.

■ John J. Maholick, executor of the estate of Susan Maholick, also known as Susan E. Maholick, Dickson City, to John C. Maholick, Dickson City; a property at 619 Boulevard Ave., Dickson City, for $26,600.

■ Joseph P. Trescavage Jr., Scranton, to Jose A. Nazario-Vega and Eridania Nazario, Staten Island, N.Y.; a property at 632 Foster St., Scranton, for $85,000.

■ Joseph Mark Cimino, Moosic; Rebecca Ann Cimino, also known as Rebecca Elizabeth Cimino, Roaring Brook Twp., to Eric Noel Ramos-Nunez, Archbald; a property at 322 Hill St., Jessup, for $150,000.

■ Kimberly Bucari and Joy Bomba, co-executrixes of the estate of Robert H. Butts, also known as Robert Butts, Lackawanna County, to Matthew Spear, Jessup; a property at 583 Milwaukee Ave., Old Forge, for $141,500.

■ Jane M. Coleman, Scranton, to Karen Kemble, Doylestown; a property at 1116 Snyder Ave., Scranton, for $65,000.

■ Kenneth and Linda Powell, Scott Twp., to Susan Schnaitman and Eric Hoyer, Archbald; a property at 228 Golden Gate Circle, Archbald, for $271,500.

■ Trevor S. Ritter, attorney-in-fact for Diana L. Garcia, Schuylkill, to Brian and Tara Carey, Scranton; a property in Greenfield Twp. for $36,000.

■ Daniel J. and Lorraine T. Kontz to Kyle J. and Nicholas Kerekes; a property at 931 James Ave., Scranton, for $70,000.

DIVORCES SOUGHT

■ Leann Cortright, Jessup, v. Leif A. Cortright, Eynon; married on Sept. 10, 2009, in Clarks Summit; Lucille Marsh, attorney.

■ Evonne Bell, Scranton, v. David Bell II, Scranton; married on Nov. 1, 2014, in Scranton; Brian J. Cali, attorney.

DIVORCE DECREES

■ Ryan Janthor v. Nicole Sullivan

■ Nicholas Brajuka v. Melissa Brajuka

ESTATES FILED

■ Helen T. Sowa, also known as Helen Sowa, a property at 400 Gleason Drive, Moosic, letters testamentary to Barry J. Chromey, 506 Hideaway Drive, Moscow.

■ Arlene M. Kakareka, 467 N. Main St., Moscow, letters of administration to Joseph Kakareka, 8269 Cypress Drive S., Fort Myers, Fla.

BENCH WARRANTS

Judge Thomas Munley has issued the following bench warrants for failure to appear on fines and costs:

■ Troy Anthony Chalmers, 507 St. Frances Cabrini Ave., Scranton; $285.

■ Samantha L. Vanblarcom, 1441 N. Sumner Ave., Scranton; $964.50.

■ Jeffrey Thomas Tripp, 1651 N. Main Ave., Scranton; $1,234.

■ Shane Williams, 560 New St., Apt. 2, Plymouth; $736.25.

■ Donnovan D. Williams, 1246 Essex Road, Daytona Beach, Fla.; $416.

■ Randolph Smith, rear 1414½ Jackson St., Scranton; $2,736.75.

■ Rahiem D. Singleton, 1013 Alder St., Apt. 1, Scranton; $2,031.08.

■ Yvette Marie Davis, 135 Hill St., Wilkes-Barre; $3,696.67.

■ Eric Cruz, 2865 Kings Bridge Terrace, 1C, Bronx, N.Y.; $740.

■ Michael Bruno, 1210 Ash St., Unit 2, Scranton; $452.48.

■ James Burt, 1244 Coolbaugh Road, East Stroudsburg; $1,213.50.

ONLINE: thetimes-tribune.com/courts

PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

n Robert C. Sickler to Richard E. Gdovin and Deborah M. Gdovin, property in Eaton Twp., for $50,000.

n Patricia Skurkis to Donald H. Madden and Alice J. Madden, property in Overfield Twp., for $20,000.

n Claude T. Norris and Patricia L. Norris to Jonathan Headman Jr. and Desirae David, property in Noxen Twp, for $130,000.

n Wayne D. Beers and Ruby Irene Beers to Nicholas Garofalo, property in Overfield Twp., for $207,000.

n Stephen J. Colley and Annamarie C. Colley to Meshoppen Borough, property in Meshoppen Borough, for $65,000.

n Wyoming County Sheriff, Annamarie G. Colley, Stephen J. Colley and Old Muddy River Bottoms LLC to Wells Fargo Bank NA, property in Mehoopany Twp., for $3,596.57.

n Stephanie Elder to Stephanie Elder and Curtis Elder, property in Falls Twp., for $20,000.

MARRIAGE LICENSES

n Corey A. Barnum of Tunkhannock, and Nicole M. Coats of Dallas.

n Leo Singer of Monroe Twp., and Sheila Burridge of Monroe Twp.

n Jonathan Ronald Prevost of Meshoppen, and Brittany Lynn Brown of Meshoppen.

n Mark Edward Dottle, of Carbondale, and Deanna Lynn Eberle of Factoryville.

n Matthew B. Miller of Tunkhannock, and Harley R. McCain of Tunkhannock.

n Joshua H. Montross of Dallas, and Megan M. Quick of Tunkhannock.

n Larry S. Abrams of Tunkhannock, and Danielle P. Newhart of Tunkhannock.

n Thomas Stephen Franko II of Shavertown, and Maureen Elizabeth Hozempa of Shavertown.

ESTATE NOTICES

n Alice D. Brinton, late of Windham Twp., letters testamentary to Michael Ducas, c/o Gregory J. Pascale, Needle Law, PC, 240 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

n Bruce G. Breitweiser, late of Meshoppen Twp., letters testamentary to Annita R. Breitweiser, c/o Thomas R. Daniels, Esq., 34 E. Tioga St., Tunkhannock, PA 18657.

n Edith C. Korban, late of Tunkhannock Borough, letters testamentary to Joan McGregor, c/o John J. Hovan, Esq., 154 Warren St., P.O. Box 336, Tunkhannock, PA 18657.

WYOMING COUNTY COURT NOTES appear weekly in the Times-Tribune.

Pennsylvanian Congressional representatives are promoting a bill that would speed up disbursement of funding to reclaim abandoned mine land.

The bill — H.R.2156 — would speed up distribution of money already in a fund called the Abandoned Mine Land Fund. That fund comes from fees paid by coal mine operators and is distributed to states and Indiana tribes to reclaim former mine land, often with the purpose of reusing it for development.

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-8, Moosic, and other proponents of the bill held a conference call Wednesday to discuss their plan.

Because of its long history of coal mining, Pennsylvania is one of the states that receives funding from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

“In Luzerne County, you can find people who will show you local streams that are as orange as a traffic cone,” Cartwright said. “That’s the color of the water in those streams. They have been fouled by abandoned coal mines.”

Luzerne County is also home to examples of formerly abandoned mine land that has been reclaimed and is now used for another purpose. Reclaimed land near the Hanover Industrial Park, for example, is home to warehouses for several companies.

The bill would make $200,000 from the Abandoned Mine Land Fund available each year from 2020 through 2024. Without it, those funds would stay unused in the fund until 2023, said state Rep. Angie Hatton of Kentucky.

Cartwright is the bill’s sponsor, and it has earned 41 cosponsors, including Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-15, Bellefonte, who was one of the original cosponsors, and Rep. Dan Meuser, R-9, Dallas. All told, 10 representatives from Pennsylvania have joined as cosponsors.

Officials on Wednesday’s conference call highlighted its bipartisan support. Twenty-nine Democrats and 12 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have cosponsored the legislation.

The funding would be helpful to municipalities that don’t have the resources to clean up abandoned mine lands and turn them into land that can be developed for other uses, said Bobby Hughes, executive director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, which is based in Ashley.

We pointed to his organization’s work with Earth Conservancy to reclaim and develop land that has become home to large distribution centers.

“We can leverage private partners and investment, and companies will want to locate in these areas,” he said.

Contact the writer:

bwellock@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2051;

@CVBillW on Twitter

SCRANTON — Maternal and Family Health Services are distributing farmers market vouchers to Women, Infants and Children program participants.

The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program helps families buy fresh fruits and vegetables to ensure good health for mothers and children while supporting community farmers markets. The program provides qualifying WIC participants with $20 in vouchers to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets between June 1 and Nov. 30.

Pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, and children between the ages of 1 and 5 are eligible.

For information or to apply for WIC, visit www.mfhs.org or call 1-800-367-6347.

— CLAYTON OVER

SCRANTON ­— A Lackawanna County jury found a Lakeland High School band director and her husband, a former teacher, guilty of sexually abusing a former student.

The panel deliberated for about 1½ hours Wednesday before finding Nicodemo Baggetta, 30, and Ruth Anna Baggetta, 37, guilty of institutional sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of a minor and furnishing alcohol to a minor. Ruth Baggetta also was found guilty of failure to report suspected child abuse.

Neither the Baggettas, of Greenfield Twp., nor the victim showed any emotion as the verdict was read. The Times-Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

The couple was led from the courtroom in handcuffs after President Judge Michael Barrasse revoked their bail.

“These teachers were predators,” District Attorney Mark Powell said following the trial. “It is clearly unacceptable and I think the jury found that.”

Paul Walker, the Baggettas’ attorney, said he didn’t believe there was enough evidence to convict. The couple will appeal, he said.

“I thought there was reasonable doubt,” he said. “I have to respect that the jury independently evaluated what was presented.”

The couple will be sentenced following the completion of a presentence investigation, which will take about four months, Powell said.

It’s not clear how much prison time they could face. The maximum sentence for institutional sexual assault, a third-degree felony, is up to seven years in prison. State sentencing guidelines are far lower, however. The standard sentencing range for the offense is three to 12 months in prison, Walker said.

Walker said it’s also unclear whether the Baggettas will face additional time for the other convictions. Those charges would merge with the institutional sexual assault charge if it’s determined the crimes were part of the same course of conduct. Barrasse will decide that issue at sentencing.

The Baggettas were arrested in March 2018, after a therapist reported a former Lakeland High School student told her she had a two-year sexual relationship with Nicodemo Baggetta. The victim also alleged Ruth Baggetta knew about it and rather than stop it, encouraged it. Ruth Baggetta remains on unpaid suspension. She earned $58,028 in the 2017-18 school year, the most recent figure available.

The three-day trial heavily focused on a battle of credibility.

The woman, now 19, testified Monday that a casual friendship with the couple turned sexual in the spring of 2016. It eventually led to oral and anal sex with Nicodemo Baggetta, who at the time was employed as a special education teacher at Fell Charter School. The woman also alleged she and Ruth Baggetta once performed oral sex on Nicodemo Baggetta to persuade him to go to a function with his wife’s family. Nicodemo Baggetta is no longer employed at the charter school.

Testifying Tuesday, the Baggettas each acknowledged they spent a lot of time with the girl, including having her sleep over their home. They maintained they were trying to help her deal with a troubled family situation.

In her closing argument Wednesday, Assistant District Attorney Sara Varela stressed the victim has no reason to lie.

“What big prize did (she) win by coming in here this week and telling you how she engaged in anal sex with Nicodemo Baggetta?” Varela asked.

Walker focused his closing on the lack of corroborating evidence. Varela and co-prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Jack Price, had copies of more than 23,000 text messages the couple exchanged with the girl over a five months in 2016. None indicated there was any sexual activity.

Powell said sexual abuse cases are difficult to prove because often there are no other witnesses. He said he believes the volume of the texts — an average of about 80 a day — played a significant role in convincing jurors something was amiss.

“Where there is smoke there is fire,” Powell said. “What they did was inappropriate on all levels. They just didn’t admit to the sexual misconduct, but the jury saw through that.”

Walker agreed the number of texts was a issue.

“The extent of the contact was hard to explain,” he said.

He also faced a challenge explaining the victim’s motivation to lie.

“You have to give reasonable explanation of why this girl would make this up,” he said. “We failed to provide that.”

Contact the writer: tbesecker@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9137; @tmbeseckerTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — A former legal secretary who stole more than $175,000 from her employer will go to jail, Lackawanna County Judge Vito Geroulo ruled Wednesday.

Kelly Mattern, 39, the former office assistant/legal secretary for Scranton attorney Frank Santomauro, will spend between six and 23 months in jail and must pay $56,301.79 in restitution.

Mattern pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking in March, admitting she stole $175,950 from Santomauro’s accounts between October 2015 and June 2018. Mattern continued to forge checks in Santomauro’s name even after the attorney discovered the theft in 2017. After trying to work with her to pay back what she stole, he ultimately reported the theft to the district attorney’s office last June.

Before handing down the sentence, Geroulo noted he previously sentenced Mattern for a similar crime. In 2014, she received a sentence of three to 23 months in county jail for theft by deception after Clarks Summit police say she forged 26 checks totalling $37,600 on a 71-year-old man’s bank account.

Mattern told the judge in 2014 she was taking pills and used the money to feed a gambling addiction. On Wednesday, county First Assistant Public Defender Joseph Kalinowski said Mattern sought treatment for her gambling disorder, drug use and depression and secured both full-time and part-time jobs to pay back Santomauro.

“I apologize. I’m trying to get my life back together,” Mattern told the judge. “I just want to pay Frank (Santomauro) back and move on with my life.”

Kalinowski asked Geroulo to spare Mattern jail time, but he did not.

“I really have difficulty with repetitive crimes,” Geroulo said, noting Mattern’s gambling addiction may explain her crimes, but it doesn’t excuse them.

Geroulo also ordered Mattern to sign a voluntary casino ban.

The sentence should send a message to anyone thinking about committing similar crimes that such actions have consequences, Geroulo said.

Mattern shook her head but said nothing as she was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

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THROOP — Property owners in Throop, Olyphant and Dickson City will see a 3% increase in their school taxes next year as the Mid Valley School District battles rising costs to special education and pensions, among other obligations.

The board passed a $29.6 million 2019-20 budget Wednesday that includes a 3.5 mill increase. A mill is a $1 tax on every $1,000 of assessed property value. The new millage rate is 120.2731 mills.

The budget passed with a 6-3 vote. Board Vice President Gerald Luchansky and Directors Joanne Pesota and Peter Kolcharno voted against the budget.

Pesota said she was conflicted about raising taxes for a second year in a row because the people she comes in contact with in Dickson City are elderly and often on a fixed income.

The district projected an operating deficit next year of around $844,000 and could dip into its approximately $4.2 million fund balance to close that gap.

Director Donna Dixon added that the district’s cyber and charter school costs are also on the rise.

“The costs are unbelievable,” she said. “That is an expenditure we didn’t have three, four years ago.”

The district’s four professional employee contracts are also settled, Dixon added.

“We don’t have a revenue generator that naturally increases,” said board President Paul Macknosky. “Our costs have skyrocketed.”

Also at Wednesday’s board meeting, directors voted against adding a resolution to their budget to approve a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance, or LERTA, designation, for 964 acres of deteriorated and undeveloped land east of the Casey Highway in Olyphant.

Under the LERTA terms, any landowner approved to receive the 10-year tax abatement will pay 5% of taxes on improvements to the property in the first year, increasing by 5% each subsequent year. During the final year of the LERTA, the property owner will pay 50% of the value of improvements, before paying full taxes on improvements the following year.

Some directors said they need more time to assess the potential financial impact on the district.

Members of the Olyphant Borough Council, Patrick Lavelle, the attorney representing the Davelisa LLC of Dunmore

that owns a majority of the land, and environmental consultant Richard Evans, attended the meeting.

There is a coal mine fire on a small portion of the land.

Steven Vituszynski was among the board members who questioned why board needs to vote on the LERTA now if the land cannot be developed until the mine fire is extinguished, which could take two years.

Evans argued that interested developers could start breaking ground by the spring.

Macknosky requested more information on the impact of school taxes from the potential businesses if Lackawanna County reassesses its outdated property taxes. The county last reassessed the value of all land in its boundaries in 1968, which has left values sharply out of whack compared with actual market values.

Board members will research the LERTA issue and revisit it at an upcoming meeting.

Olyphant Council passed the LERTA ordinance in May. Lackawanna County must also approve the LERTA request.

The board also approved an Act 93 contract with its 10 administrators. The employees will receive 3% annual raises beginning July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2023.

Additionally, Debra Demming, special education director, is retiring and elementary school principal Carlos Lopez will step into the position of principal of special education services beginning July 1. His salary is $87,229, according to data from 2016-17.

Contact the writer: kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114; @kbolusTT on Twitter

SCRANTON — U.S. Attorney David Freed refused to discuss a federal investigation of Scranton Mayor Bill Courtright during a meeting Wednesday with The Times-Tribune.

Freed, the chief federal prosecutor for the 33-county Middle District of Pennsylvania, also would not discuss whether federal investigators are probing the Scranton School District, Lackawanna County or other local governments.

He cited U.S. Department of Justice policy that forbids discussing ongoing investigations. He noted the FBI, not his office, confirmed the Jan. 9 raid of Mayor Bill Courtright’s home and City Hall.

“I’m not going to speak about that case specifically,” Freed said during a meeting he called with the newspaper’s editorial board. “But, I think ... if you look at the history of corruption investigations, whether it’s at the federal or state level, you’re always trying to broaden the scope of the investigation ... to make sure that we’re encompassing as much of the conduct as we possibly can.”

The mayor repeatedly declined to talk about the investigation. His lawyer issued a statement shortly after the raid denying Courtright did anything wrong.

Freed visited the newspaper to explain his office’s work since he took over in November 2017.

The U.S. attorney said he’s sensitive to potentially negative effects a corruption investigation may have on a government facing scrutiny, but declined to say if his office is close to charging anyone.

“You can never put a timetable on any investigation,” he said.

He said he is unsure if he would issue a statement clearing the mayor if he decides against charging him because “investigations are almost never over.”

“Even if something wouldn’t result in a charge, it doesn’t mean that more information might not come down the road later,” he said. “In something high profile, if it were truly over, I might see a way that that could be appropriate. But, that would have to be — and I’m just completely speculating now — a total exoneration where evidence was developed that showed that a person who’d been looked at was completely exonerated.”

Freed acknowledged his office confers with state Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s office “on all sorts of criminal cases,” but wouldn’t say if they are working with the state attorney general’s investigation of the Scranton School District or Lackawanna County. If Shapiro thought a federal look was warranted, he would ask, Freed said.

Shapiro’s agents charged seven former and current Lackawanna County Prison guards, a former prison counselor and two former Scranton School District employees. A jury acquitted one guard, two pleaded no contest and received probationary sentences and four still await trial, as does the counselor.

Former Scranton School District business manager Gregg Sunday pleaded guilty to using taxpayers’ money to get work done on his cars and received a three-year probationary sentence. Former school district fleet manager Daniel Sansky was charged with getting paid for working on the vehicles of at least a dozen district employees. That case is still pending.

Freed said corruption prosecution remains a priority that U.S. Attorney General William Barr asked him about when they met a few months ago in Washington, D.C., to review his office’s work.

“He said to me, ‘What about public corruption? ... It is Pennsylvania, after all,’” Freed said. “He’s focused on that. We have very experienced people working on that here. Clearly, the FBI has the experience, especially here, to do those cases. They are hard.”

The Supreme Court’s unanimous June 2016 ruling that overturned of the federal corruption convictions of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell only made corruption prosecution harder, Freed said. The court ruled prosecutors relied on an overly broad definition of behavior that could lead to criminal charges.

“It doesn’t mean that they’re impossible,” Freed said. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to stop trying. It’s a focus of the office.”

On another issue, Freed said he thinks opioid abuse remains an acute problem, but the number of deaths has leveled off. That’s because of prosecutions, greater scrutiny of prescribing doctors, wider availability of the overdose antidote naloxone and greater availability of other drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines, he said.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter

Investigators discovered child pornography after searching an Old Forge man’s home Wednesday.

William Heitzenroder, 31, rear 180 Sanderson St., is charged with disseminating images of child sex acts and other charges related to possessing videos and images of prepubescent children and sharing them online. One video traced to Heitzenroder depicted a girl between 1 and 3 years old, according to court documents.

State police started the investigation that led to Heitzenroder in April, when troopers discovered child pornography being shared on BitTorrent, an online file-sharing system. Authorities found about 30 child porn files and ultimately linked the IP address of the computer sharing them to Heitzenroder, troopers said.

At about 6 a.m. Wednesday, state police and other law enforcement agencies searched Heitzenroder’s home.

Police discovered several videos involving young children performing sex acts on Heitzenroder’s computer, according to court documents.

Police interviewed Heitzenroder at the state police’s Wyoming barracks in Luzerne County, where he admitted to knowingly having child pornography videos, troopers said.

Magisterial District Judge Joanne Price Corbett arraigned Heitzenroder and set bail at $30,000. He is held in Lackawanna County Prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 26.

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SCRANTON — A man who led authorities on a high-speed chase Friday faces felony charges and other counts after tossing drugs from a moving vehicle and endangering detectives and other drivers.

Lackawanna County Detective John Munley and Dunmore Detective Corey Condrad were finishing a traffic stop about 8:20 p.m. when they observed a white Dodge Charger driven by Vertis Henry Dillon III, 39, address unknown, traveling west on Moosic Street without its headlights on. The detectives followed Dillon, who turned onto Harrison Avenue and accelerated when they activated their lights and siren, according to a criminal complaint.

As Dillon crossed the Harrison Avenue Bridge, he began throwing plastic bags containing suspected crack cocaine from the car. As the chase continued, Dillon drove through red lights without braking or stopping, ran multiple vehicles off the road and nearly collided with two other cars, Munley wrote in the complaint.

Where Harrison Avenue meets Ridge Avenue, Dillon allowed his car to roll backward and strike the front of the detectives’ vehicle. Dillon then fled on foot. Police discovered a cellphone and four bags containing suspected crack cocaine in his car and recovered six additional bags thrown from the car during the chase, said Munley.

Dillon was apprehended and charged with a felony drug count, two felony counts of aggravated assault for allowing his car to slam into the police vehicle, two misdemeanor counts of simple assault for the same and two felony counts of fleeing police. He also faces charges of recklessly endangering another person, tampering with evidence, reckless driving and careless driving.

Dillon remains in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. June 27.

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A local roller derby team is taking its skating fury overseas.

The Low Rolling Deuces, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Roller Derby League’s B-team, will compete against Dublin Roller Derby’s B-team on June 29 in the Republic of Ireland’s capital.

“I wanted to make a name for our team and wanted to show other leagues that this is something that any small league can do,” said player Brandy Ralston of Wilkes-Barre.

This is the first time the team — which spent the past year fundraising to help pay for the trip overseas — is competing internationally, said Ralston, the league president. The crew of about 26 skaters, fans and family leave June 26 and return July 3.

“I had a goal and we made it happen,” Ralston said.

Despite being an international sport, roller derby is a small community. She said leagues can be found virtually anywhere.

She reached out to the Dublin Roller Derby B-team to see if they had any opportunities to compete and they got back to her with a date.

Ralston said the team has great fans and families and she knew they could hit their fundraising marks.

The Low Rolling Deuces, based in Moosic, are the underdogs going into the competition, said team member Kelly Barrett of Scranton. The two-year roller derby veteran added that the team has grown over the past year.

“If we bring it home, it will really be something,” she said.

Barrett, who was hooked on the sport from the beginning and loves the camaraderie, said Ralston motivated the skaters to make the trip.

Skater Alison Caspe of South Abington Twp. said no matter the outcome, she’s excited to not only get the opportunity to compete in another country but also travel with the team.

Roller derby has been in Northeast Pennsylvania since 2006, Ralston said.

The Low Rolling Deuces, which has around 50 active league members, are part of the Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association and mostly compete against teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Maryland.

The league is ranked 251 in the world out of about 900 teams, Ralston said. It holds fundraisers throughout the year, including trivia nights and a speed-dating event in February, to keep up with its operating costs.

Caspe has participated in roller derby for around three years. She has two young daughters and said it’s also empowering for her as a mother and woman to play a contact sport. “It’s great exercise; it’s also more fun than going to the gym,” she said.

Ralston is also the mother of two young children and has long been interested in roller derby.

“I wanted something for me and I wanted an adult hobby,” she said. “As a woman, it’s a stress reliever.”

When she started on the team, she could barely skate. She encouraged anyone with an interest in the sport to try out.

“How many full contact sports do you have for women?” she said.

For more details, visit www.wbsrollerderby.com or Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Roller Derby on Facebook.

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kbolus@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5114;

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