Posted on 10/06/2009 6:08:26 PM PDT by Born Conservative
WILKES-BARRE - A Pittston businessman accused of intimidating a Luzerne County corruption probe witness remains behind bars after a federal magistrate agreed to postpone his Monday bail hearing until Wednesday.
Barton J. Weidlich, the first person jailed so far in connection with the corruption investigation, has been in federal custody since turning himself in Oct 1. Prosecutors charged him with threatening a witness to withhold information from a federal grand jury. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Weidlich, a well-connected construction, advertising, real estate and ice cream entrepreneur, appeared in court briefly Monday as his attorney, David P. Clark, asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Malachy Mannion for the two-day delay.
Clark initially attempted to start the hearing without Weidlich in the courtroom, but Mannion objected.
"We don't do that," Mannion said.
Weidlich, 40, walked in moments later, wearing a rumpled orange prison jumpsuit and escorted by a pair of U.S. Marshals. He waved to his mother, who sat in a small gallery with several other relatives and friends, and whispered to her, "Hi, Ma." Minutes later, as Weidlich left to return to jail, he blew kisses at her.
Weidlich testified before a federal grand jury on Sept. 15, a week after federal agents seized county records stored at a building he owns in Pittston.
The records came from former County Manager/Chief Clerk Sam Guesto, who resigned in January 2008 after it was disclosed he failed to document how he and six other county officials used county-issued debit cards to spend almost $42,000.
The alleged witness intimidation occurred sometime between Sept. 25 and Oct. 2, federal prosecutors said. Weidlich is being held at Lackawanna County Prison.
"My client absolutely maintains his innocence and he plans on fighting the charges vehemently," Clark said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Houser declined to comment after the hearing.
Weidlich's contracting and advertising companies have raked in more than $110,000 in county business since 2006.
Weidlich's JPW Construction Management Inc. received more than $53,000 from July 2006 to December 2008 for various odd jobs, such as rearranging and installing desks, installing and removing doors, constructing walls and painting floors.
Weidlich's Roadside Advertisements Inc. received more than $63,000 for providing billboard and bench advertising, but fell out of favor with county officials after the company filed two lawsuits in September 2008 alleging the Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau failed to honor advertising contracts and owes the company more than $168,000.
Weidlich also profited from private transactions that he and business partner John Altobelli, a county probation officer, made in the county's tax claim office.
Weidlich and Altobelli paid a total of $15,934 in repository-sale transactions in 2007 and 2008 for 11 vacant lots in Pittston, Butler Township, Hughestown and Courtdale and a residence in Hazleton.
Weidlich and Altobelli paid $915 for the home, located on a 2,800-square-foot plot of land at 315 E. Beech St. in Hazleton. They sold the home 14 months later for $45,000.
Gotta admire a guy who diversifies...
Any idea if he's talking out his rear end, or the county really did stiff him on valid contracts?
Not really sure. He seemed to be well connected, but I don’t understand this. In the previous thread, it told how he had been allowed access to county records in order to underbid on tax sale properties.
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