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Happy Birthday Brady Martin Fallon!

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Stanford University defends its handling of sex assault case

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a former Hazle Township solicitor who they allege pilfered more than $100,000 in funds held in an escrow account.</p><p>Charles R. Pedri, 64, was charged by way of criminal information with a single count of theft from a program receiving federal funds after prosecutors claim he spent $105,586 held in escrow for developer Hazle Spindle LLC between 2012 and 2013, according to documents filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court.</p><p>Pedri, of Hazleton, will plead guilty to the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000, as well as a three-year term of supervised release, according to a plea agreement filed simultaneously with the charging documents.</p><p>Reached at his home Tuesday afternoon, Pedri declined to comment.</p><p>His son, Luzerne County Manager David Pedri, said in a text message that his father has &#8220;taken responsibility for his actions and is prepared to accept the consequences.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;My father made a huge mistake,&#8221; Pedri said. &#8220;However, this mistake doesn&#8217;t change the fact that he is my father and I love him.&#8221;</p><p>According to prosecutors, Hazle Spindle and the township entered into an agreement in 2013 in which the Massachusetts-based developer paid the township funds that were to be held as security for improvements to the business&#8217; grounds. Pedri signed off on the agreement as an escrow agent and deposited the funds into his law office account, prosecutors allege.</p><p>He then began writing checks to himself drawn from the funds until they were virtually depleted, prosecutors say.</p><p>&#8220;These funds were utilized for Pedri&#8217;s personal benefit and gain, and were not utilized for the benefit of Hazle Township or Hazle Spindle LLC,&#8221; prosecutors said in court filings.</p><p>While spending their money, Pedri hindered Hazle Spindle&#8217;s efforts to learn the status of the funds over the course of several months, culminating with an admission that he spent them himself only after being confronted by the developer with the threat of a lawsuit, prosecutors say.</p><p>Court documents indicate Pedri repaid the funds.</p><p>Pedri was terminated by the township and his law license was suspended by the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania last year. The five-year suspension took effect last June.</p><p>According to the board, Pedri was first admitted to the state bar on Oct. 27, 1976.</p><p>No date has been set for entry of Pedri&#8217;s plea in federal court.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Charles R. Pedri facing federal theft charge</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Former Hazle Township solicitor Pedri to plead guilty to federal charge