x
Breaking News
More () »

UPDATE: Feds Arrest Current and Former Wilkes-Barre Cops and Tow Company Owner

WILKES-BARRE — A federal grand jury has indicted five people including a current and a former Wilkes-Barre police officer and a high-profile towing compan...
pic4

WILKES-BARRE — A federal grand jury has indicted five people including a current and a former Wilkes-Barre police officer and a high-profile towing company owner for conspiracy and bank fraud.

The U.S. Attorney’s office announced the indictments Thursday afternoon.  Federal agents arrested current Wilkes-Barre police officer Jason Anthony, former officer Tino Ninotti, LAG Towing owner Leo Glodzik and two other members of the Wilkes-Barre City Employees Credit Union, Amanda Magda and Jeffrey Serafin.

The five are accused of using false and fraudulent pretenses to secure loans from the credit union, including using false collateral, stolen identities and forgery.

Newswatch 16 has been reporting on the investigation into the credit union and the possibility that police officers were involved.

Mayor Thomas Leighton issued a statement Thursday afternoon.  It said that Wilkes-Barre Police Chief Gerard Dessoye was aware of the investigation and cooperating with it and that a disciplinary hearing will be held for current officer Jason Anthony.

“The Wilkes-Barre Police Department and my administration has always, and will continue to cooperate with any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency on any investigation involving city employees,” said Leighton in his statement. “Today’s arrests are not a reflection of the Wilkes-Barre Police Department as a whole. The actions of a few individuals should not cast a negative light on the hardworking, law-abiding officers employed in the city’s police department.”

The arrest of Leo Glodzik comes a week after the agents raided his offices of LAG towing in Wilkes-Barre and Duryea.

Newswatch 16 was there just after 11:00 a.m. as he was led out of a home in handcuffs.  Agents briefly blocked off that section of Morgan Drive in Wilkes-Barre.

Glodzik was silent as agents in F.B.I. and state police in vests strapped him into the back of an SUV.

Glodzik hasn’t been doing much business, since he was convicted of theft charges back in May.

He’s appealing jail time in that case, but Glodzik is also accused of conducting bad business when he was removed as the contracted tower for the city of Wilkes-Barre last year.

Before You Leave, Check This Out