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Prediction time: Penn State vs. Kent State breakdown

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Happy birthday Laith Alexander Mahmoud!

<p>SCRANTON &#8212; A longtime Luzerne County corrections officer told a judge Friday that he knowingly extorted cash, alcohol and drugs from a disadvantaged prisoner in exchange for unauthorized time outside prison walls and then urged the inmate to lie about the arrangement when federal agents caught on.</p><p>John Stachokus, 41, of Plains Township, entered his plea to one count each of extortion and tampering with a witness during a hearing at the William J. Nealon Federal Building. He did not address the court, except to acknowledge his understanding of the charges and to state his intent to plead guilty.</p><p>U.S. District Judge Malachy E. Mannion accepted Stachokus&#8217; plea, noting he had no prior criminal history, and released him on his own recognizance.</p><p>Stachokus, between November 2013 and February, wielded his power as a corrections officer at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility to allow unauthorized or extended furloughs and other freedoms to an inmate he knew was desperate for money.</p><p>&#8220;The inmate was in severe financial peril,&#8221; Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Olshefski said in court. &#8220;This is a situation Mr. Stachokus was well aware of.&#8221;</p><p>The inmate paid Stachokus, who rotated shifts within the prison&#8217;s work release program, to allow the arrangement and keep quiet about the inmate&#8217;s similar dealings with other prison workers, Olshefski said. She did not name the others allegedly involved.</p><p>On other occasions, Olshefski said, the inmate helped Stachokus obtain alcohol and cocaine.</p><p>When the FBI began investigating Stachokus, he instructed the inmate to tell them the money was a loan or campaign donation, Olshefski said.</p><p>&#8220;Did you know when you did that &#8230; that it was unlawful?&#8221; Mannion asked.</p><p>&#8220;Yes, your honor,&#8221; Stachokus told the judge.</p><p>The inmate was not identified, but Olshefski said he was prepared to testify against Stachokus had the case gone to trial, and, coupled with documents and Stachokus&#8217; own admissions, would likely have established a strong case for prosecutors.</p><p><a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/576826/another-luzerne-county-prison-worker-charged-for-alleged-wrongdoing-in-work-release-program" target="_blank">Federal prosecutors charged Stachokus Aug. 16</a>, less than a month after another longtime prison worker, former work release counselor and one-time Wilkes-Barre Area School Board president Louis Elmy, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/567624/prosecutors-lou-elmy-traded-guns-to-drug-dealers-to-feed-crack-addiction" target="_blank">pleaded guilty to a similar extortion bid that was carried out during the same time period</a>.</p><p>Elmy, 51, of Wilkes-Barre, created phony court orders using judges&#8217; cut-and-pasted signatures so his dealings with the inmate appeared legitimate on paper. In exchange for special treatment in the work release program, the inmate provided cash and access to alcohol and drugs, including crack cocaine.</p><p>When Elmy ran out of money to pay for crack cocaine, he traded his personal firearms to drug dealers to feed his addiction, Olshefski said during Elmy&#8217;s plea hearing, noting that in one instance, Elmy sawed off the barrels of two shotguns to make the weapons more enticing to the buyer.</p><p>Elmy is awaiting sentencing.</p><p>Stachokus faces as many as 40 years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines, but could receive a reduced sentence for owning up to the crimes, according to the plea agreement. His sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.</p><p>Records show he was hired at the prison in 2007 and received a salary of $50,272.</p><p>Luzerne County Manager C. David Pedri said Friday that Stachokus remains on unpaid administrative leave pending an internal investigation and scheduling of a hearing required before county employees can be terminated.</p><p>The hearing was postponed until after Stachokus&#8217; plea and will likely be held in the coming days, Pedri said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Stachokus </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_ew-2.jpeg</photo0><caption0>Stachokus </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Prison worker admits he extorted cash, drugs from inmate</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>

Luzerne County prison worker admits he extorted cash, drugs from inmate