Michael T. Conahan, a Luzerne County, PA Common Pleas Judge whom federal prosecutors charged last September with sending supposedly delinquent kids to a privately-run juvie hall in exchange for cash from its builder and former owner, has agreed to plead guilty to a racketeering charge as reported by Hank Grezlak and Leo Strupczewski for The Legal Intelligencer. Conahan's co-defendant and fellow Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. continues to maintain his own innocence. In any event, "news of the plea deal is likely to cause a great deal of unease among some in Northeastern Pennsylvania, sources told The Legal Intelligencer, because the indication is that Conahan is cooperating with authorities":
The sentiment from several sources upon reviewing the plea deal was: "He must be singing like a bird." If so, sources said, the government will most likely expect Conahan to name lawyers or others involved in the case-fixing that allegedly went on in the courthouse. Sources close to the investigation have confirmed for months now that a number of lawyers are under federal scrutiny and some are talking. * * * For the past few months there has been increased talk and speculation from knowledgeable sources that investigators may be looking at other judges and other branches of government. Some of those same sources echoed that sentiment Thursday, saying that if Conahan is talking, they wouldn't be surprised if the investigation touches other government officials.
Download Michael Conahan Plea Agreement
Conahan had a "longtime association with reputed organized crime figures in Northeast Pennsylvania" as reported by William Ecenbarger for The Philadelphia Inquirer:
Federal court testimony this year said he and William "Big Billy" D'Elia met regularly at a favorite booth in a local restaurant. D'Elia, reputed leader of one of the nation's oldest organized crime families, is serving nine years in federal prison on money-laundering and witness-tampering charges. "Politicians and organized crime have been married up here for a long time," said William Kashatus, a local historian who has written five books about the anthracite region. "Conahan's association with D'Elia was well known, and it only added to the mystique that made people afraid of him."
