Posted on 01/26/2010 6:37:06 PM PST by Born Conservative
Luzerne County Commissioner Chairwoman Maryanne Petrilla said Friday she is "outraged" that former Sheriff Michael Savokinas agreed to sell a county firearm, an antique Thompson submachine gun, for $22,500 in August 2009.
"I am just astounded at the audacity to just go out and sell taxpayer property without going through proper county procedures," Petrilla said. "I understand it could be worth up to $40,000. ... It looks like a back-door deal."
The Model 1928 weapon, informally known as a Tommy gun, and another Thompson submachine gun were transferred from the county prison to the sheriff's department sometime in the 1980s, Warden Joseph Piazza said.
No one knows what happened to the other gun. Piazza started working at the prison last year and said he recently learned about the two submachine guns from employees.
The County Code, the state law that regulates county operations, says selling county personal property requires a resolution from county commissioners. Savokinas signed a sales agreement with Advanced Arms LLC of Pittson on Aug. 5.
County Solicitor Vito DeLuca said he and Petrilla learned of the sale two weeks ago.
"It's similar to the sheriff taking a Building and Grounds truck and listing it on eBay," DeLuca said.
The County Code also says commissioners must advertise sales of personal property worth more than $1,000 and sell that property to the "highest and best bidder." Petrilla said she wants to see if the county can void the sale and then perhaps sell the gun properly.
Savokinas resigned Sept. 1 and Charles J. Guarnieri Jr. has been the acting sheriff since. An official with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives approved an application for a tax-exempt transfer and for registration of a firearm, according to a document dated Aug. 26.
The gun sale involved cashier's checks to the sheriff's department from PNC Bank. The checks were dated Sept. 17 and deposited in a sheriff's bank account on Dec. 7, records show.
DeLuca said Guarnieri has to transfer that money to the county general fund and cannot spend it. Guarnieri, Savokinas, Sheriff's Solicitor Joseph F. Sklarosky Sr. and Advanced Arms LLC President Christopher Scoda did not return calls seeking comment.
Savokinas spoke on WILK Radio on Friday and said the gun was sold to raise money for new equipment and was a response to an ongoing budget crunch.
"It was a dust collector," he said.
Savokinas dismissed allegations he violated procedures as "more of the nonsense that I dealt with as sheriff." He claimed Petrilla told him selling the gun was a "fantastic idea."
Petrilla said no one from the sheriff's department has ever talked to her about the gun sale. She said she learned about it about two weeks ago from Piazza.
"It's no regard for the law," Petrilla said. "They just don't feel they have to give anyone an explanation."
Piazza said the prison keeps shotguns and pistols in storage. Prison employees are not armed, and the guns are stored in the event of an inmate riot, Piazza said. Gene Fischi, who retired as warden in 2008, did not respond to a call seeking comment.
Petrilla and DeLuca said they learned Friday that Savokinas last year sold a county handgun for $250. DeLuca said he is researching whether Savokinas sold other county firearms.
Savokinas and Petrilla, both Democrats, clashed frequently last year. Petrilla said her disagreements with Savokinas were largely over budget cuts forced by the revenue shortfalls.
When he resigned, Savokinas, complained about a "witch hunt" and smear campaign "orchestrated by county officials" to drag his "reputation through the mud."
Michael R. Sisak, staff writer, contributed to this report.
Ping
Woo, I misread this headline. I thought the Slovaks were selling guns to Luzerne County.
The price must have really gone up on them. I was at a gun show in 1995 where one sold for only $2000. Of course the guy could not take possession until all the paperwork got approved and the transfer tax paid.
I knew the dealer and was surprised how quickly the forms were completed.
Savokinas is a Lithuanian name.
ping
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