USDOJ: Federal Officials Announce the Filing of a Criminal Information Charging the Former Director of HR for Luzerne County with Corruption

For Immediate Release
December 10, 2009 United States Attorney's Office
Middle District of Pennsylvania
Contact: (717) 221-4482

Federal Officials Announce the Filing of a Criminal Information Charging the Former Director of Human Resources for Luzerne County with Corrupt Receipt of a Reward for Official Action

Dennis C. Pfannenschmidt, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania; Janice Fedarcyk, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Don Fort, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division; and Mary Mitchelson, Acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General jointly announced today that an Information was filed today charging Douglas Richards, the former director of human resources for Luzerne County, with corrupt receipt of a reward for official action. The charge carries a maximum possible penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Mr. Richards, age 44, of Wilkes-Barre, is alleged to have accepted a cash reward of more than $1,000 in connection with support provided by Mr. Richards to a contract awarded by Luzerne County.

According to U.S. Attorney Pfannenschmidt, Mr. Richards is the 22nd person charged with criminal conduct since late January of this year in an ongoing investigation targeting public corruption in northeastern Pennsylvania.

This case is part of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service and the United States Department of Education and is being prosecuted by a team of federal prosecutors led by Senior Litigation Counsel Gordon Zubrod and includes Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Houser, Michael Consiglio, Amy Phillips, and Criminal Division Chief Christian Fisanick. Pfannenschmidt praised this team of investigators and prosecutors for their tireless efforts on behalf of the people of northeastern Pennsylvania.

Anyone with information is asked to call the public corruption task force toll free at 1-866-996-4320.