SCRANTON — A row officer in northeastern Pennsylvania is cooperating with federal authorities investigating corruption at a county courthouse, according to documents filed Tuesday.
Luzerne County Prothonotary Jill Moran approached federal authorities with information that others had tried to use her to commit fraud, according to an agreement she signed with prosecutors.
The agreement, filed in federal court in Scranton, was not more specific about the nature of the fraud.
Moran, 39, has denied criminal wrongdoing. But she may face criminal charges if she violates her agreement to cooperate, according to court documents.
Moran's law partner, Robert Powell, allegedly paid kickbacks to two Luzerne County judges who pleaded guilty to corruption this month. Powell has not been charged.
Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan took $2.6 million in payoffs to place youth offenders in two juvenile detention centers co-owned by Powell, according to prosecutors.
One of those centers is Western PA Child Care in Allegheny Township, Butler County, and the other is in Luzerne County.
Western PA Child Care was owned by Powell and Greg Zappala, an investment banker formerly from Allegheny County.
Zappala, who used to have an office in Cranberry Township, now is the sole owner of Western PA Child Care.
The judges, Powell and Moran also were business partners in a failed residential development project. A bank has sued Moran and the judges, seeking repayment of about $4 million in defaulted loans.
The agreement also required Moran to resign as prothonotary, effective March 13.
The prothonotary is the custodian of civil court records.
Moran did not comment when contacted by two newspapers.
