WILKES-BARRE---Federal officials arrested and charged five people Thursday, including retired and current Wilkes-Barre police officers, with credit union fraud.
Leo Glodzik was taken from his Wilkes-Barre home in handcuffs.
The owner of L. A. G. Towing recently lost his towing contract with the city and now, he has been indicted.
"It's not surprising, or shocking, it seems like everybody has their hand in the cookie jar. It's about time they start getting caught," said Wilkes-Barre resident Micke Brown.
The Wilkes-Barre City Employees Federal Credit Union is inside City Hall.
Back in March, credit union director Jim Payne took his own life.
According to the feds, Glodzik and the others arrested conspired to use stolen identities and fake collateral to get loans.
Tino Ninotti, a retired city police officer was charged.
So was current Wilkes-Barre police officer Jason Anthony.
Amanda Magda was the assistant manager at the credit union. She, too, was arrested and charged in federal court.
So was credit union member Jeffrey Serafin.*
"Within the past 5 years or less, you've had judges, now you have your cops," said a man from Wilkes-Barre who only wanted to be known as Jim.
"No, I'm not surprised because honestly with all the corruption that's going on now, in the past couple years, I wouldn't expect anything different, now with the cops now, you don't know if you can even trust the cops now," agreed a man named Charlie from the city.
Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton released a statement about the arrests.
"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."
Federal agents said this investigation is not over.
More arrests could be coming.
*8/22/14 - In an earlier version of this story, Jeffrey Serafin was identified as an employee of the credit union. He was a member. Newswatch 16 regrets the error and apologizes for any confusion.
