Secret Service Probe Of Luzerne County-Crooks, Tales, Trails-

The Secret Service is reporting that it finished its investigation into the probe of Luzerne County's debit card fiasco. Its findings were turned over to the U.S. Attorney's office for review to see if charges are warranted in that inquiry.

A little noticed comment appears in the Citizen's Voice article that is worth exploring. [Kosik-Whitaker said the U.S. attorney’s office will not publicly release the Secret Service report on the debit-card probe when the case is closed because it “remains an internal document, which may contain information gained through grand jury information.”

Let's step back for a moment in time. Former U.S. Attorney Thomas Marino resigned his post last year. A Big Fat Slob reported ""What is unclear from the reports is how long it took Marino to recuse himself from the investigation of his long-time friend. (But, it's gotta give you a warm and fuzzy to realize that the chief Federal law enforcement official in the Middle District has a long-standing friendship with a convicted felon who has long been reputedly associated with the largest organized crime family in his District.)


It was reported last year that, between 2000 and 2005, DeNaples and affiliates contributed over a million bucks to Rendell and Bob Mellow, among others, who were instrumental in naming folk to the gaming board that eventually awarded DeNaples his slots license. Earlier this week, citizens groups filed ethics complaints against one of those board members, whose law firm represented DeNaples and another slots applicant." (Information from Vince Fumo's trial likens to watching Caddy Shack. You never know when that gopher is going to pop its head out of the ground. Mellow, Rendell, Casey)

Marino considered running for Congress in the 10th Congressional District at one point but obviously changed plans. It seems the Pennsylvania State Police had interest in Mr. Marino's partial ownership of a nightclub in Williamsport that committed liquor violations. Marino now works for Louis DeNaples after probing him.

The reason all of this information may be relevant to the comment about the grand jury is not about DeNaples but about Marino's successor. Martin Carlson was the First Assistant United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania at the time of Marino's resignation. Today he is Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District.

Here is the interesting twist. According to the Patriot News at the time Marino's cases were transferred to Binghamton after he recused himself over the DeNaples investigation. Is any of this relevant to the Secret Service and the debit cards? Elementary, my dear Watson.

There is speculation that a grand jury may have been convened in Binghamton over the FBI and IRS probe of the Luzerne County courthouse. Information from that grand jury may be contained in the Secret Service report, hence the reason it will not be released due to the other testimony. In any event there was no known grand jury convened over the debit card process. Stay tuned. If this all hits in the next coming months watch the sky