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More Charges for Musto

Three new criminal charges were filed against former State Senator Ray Musto. The charges have to do with accepting cash in exchange for his influence in handin...

Three new criminal charges were filed against former State Senator Ray Musto.

The charges have to do with accepting cash in exchange for his influence in handing out contracts for construction projects.

The 84-year-old former Luzerne County State Senator potentially faces more prison time.

At the time of his indictment in November of 2010, then-State Senator Ray Musto faced five corruption charges, including allegations he took kickbacks from a construction company over four years.

In return, prosecutors claimed Musto would help that unnamed business get state contracts.

Today's new indictment has eight charges.

It claims Musto also took bribes from someone the Federal Government refers to as "Participant #1." It is someone identified only as "an individual affiliated with a municipal authority that benefited from (Musto's criminal activity)."

The indictment also claims Musto took a $1,000 cash payment and other bribes from "Participant #2," described as someone who got then-State Senator Musto to pass a multi-million dollar loan from the state for "a municipality in Luzerne County."

Musto was originally scheduled to go to trial in April of 2011, but a judge granted two delays due to health problems.

Jury selection was scheduled for November 1, but with the new charges, the former Luzerne County state senator won't likely face a trial date until spring of 2013.

The former state senator should be arraigned in the next few days. No date for that has been set.

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