Monday morning, former Lackawanna County Commissioners Bob Cordaro and A.J. Munchak are scheduled to be in a federal courtroom.
A judge is expected to sentence the pair to long prison terms for their June convictions on charges that include theft, bribery, extortion, and tax evasion from their criminal indictments in March of 2010.
“The politics in this area is beyond vicious and this trial being an extension of those politics," said Cordaro back in 2010.
To their criminal convictions in June of 2011, former Lackawanna County commissioners Munchak and Cordaro maintain their innocence.
“Surprised? Yes, I'm innocent. They did a financial colonoscopy on me and they couldn't find that money. I don't understand it,” said Munchak in 2011.
But a federal jury found the former commisioners guilty of receiving bribes, and demanding contractors pay them tens of thousands of dollars in return for contracts with Lackawanna County.
Last week, the pair made their last appeal for leniency, but with Cordaro convicted of 19 criminal counts, federal prosecutors want a sentence of 20 years.
A.J. Munchak said he`s worried he may have to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Munchak was convicted on eight criminal counts.
Federal prosecutors last week asked for a 15 year sentence.
Lawyers for Munchak and Cordaro said their appeal of the convictions is underway.
After Monday’s sentencing, their appeals will likely continue while both are in prison.
After the a pre-sentencing hearing Friday, Munchak checked himself into the a local hospital where he spent the night, and most of Saturday after complaining about dizziness and shortness of breath.
Despite health concerns, his lawyer said he expects Munchak to be in court on Monday.