Post by WaTcHeR on Jun 1, 2006 13:13:25 GMT -5
06.01.2006 - PITTSBURGH - The Allegheny County Sheriff's former chief deputy was sentenced to five years and three months in prison Thursday for accepting payoffs from a person who wanted to establish a for-profit jail.
Dennis Skosnik, 54, pleaded guilty in March to five of the 12 counts with which he was charged, but he acknowledged all the allegations against him. The federal charges included bribery, money laundering, obstruction of justice and wire and mail fraud.
Skosnik admitted taking more than $3,000 in bribes from 2001 to 2005 from somebody who wanted to set up a facility to house prisoners as an alternative to the county jail, prosecutors said. He also received tickets to a Las Vegas show, meal vouchers and four tickets to a University of Pittsburgh football game.
Skosnik arranged for Sheriff Pete DeFazio and others to support the project.
Skosnik also admitted a separate scheme in which he ran a fundraising operation in the department and kept money for himself.
In addition, Skosnik pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for trying to get a grand jury witness to give false testimony about financial transactions. He also admitted laundering money by depositing $500 in his mother's bank account to pay his credit card bill.
Skosnik resigned in March and will lose his pension.
He is the third member of DeFazio's command staff to be charged by a grand jury looking into fundraising activities in DeFazio's office. DeFazio has not been charged.
Dennis Skosnik, 54, pleaded guilty in March to five of the 12 counts with which he was charged, but he acknowledged all the allegations against him. The federal charges included bribery, money laundering, obstruction of justice and wire and mail fraud.
Skosnik admitted taking more than $3,000 in bribes from 2001 to 2005 from somebody who wanted to set up a facility to house prisoners as an alternative to the county jail, prosecutors said. He also received tickets to a Las Vegas show, meal vouchers and four tickets to a University of Pittsburgh football game.
Skosnik arranged for Sheriff Pete DeFazio and others to support the project.
Skosnik also admitted a separate scheme in which he ran a fundraising operation in the department and kept money for himself.
In addition, Skosnik pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for trying to get a grand jury witness to give false testimony about financial transactions. He also admitted laundering money by depositing $500 in his mother's bank account to pay his credit card bill.
Skosnik resigned in March and will lose his pension.
He is the third member of DeFazio's command staff to be charged by a grand jury looking into fundraising activities in DeFazio's office. DeFazio has not been charged.