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Orientation conducted at St. Jude School

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DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry announces reward increase for information on wildfire

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Joseph Naperkowski has settled a lawsuit filed against the Wilkes-Barre Township Volunteer Fire Department and its criminally-convicted former chief.</p><p>Naperkowski, of South Walnut Street, sued former chief John Yuknavich and the department in 2014, claiming a camera mounted on department property is aimed at his home and invading his privacy.</p><p>&#8220;The direction of defendant&#8217;s camera allows the camera to record activities on plaintiff&#8217;s grounds and deck and into plaintiff&#8217;s home through the windows of his home,&#8221; the suit says.</p><p>Court documents filed Wednesday say the parties have settled the case. The terms of the settlement were not immediately known Thursday.</p><p>The case was dismissed with prejudice Thursday by order of U.S. District Judge A. Richard Caputo.</p><p>Naperkowski&#8217;s history with Yuknavich dates back several years.</p><p>Yuknavich, 52, pleaded guilty in 2014 to federal theft charges. He was released from prison in August 2015 after serving six months behind bars. Federal prosecutors said Yuknavich was responsible for stealing $45,000 from the fire department from 2008 through 2011.</p><p>In 2009, Naperkowski filed a defamation suit against Yuknavich, claiming Yuknavich made &#8220;false and defamatory&#8221; statements about him at a June 1, 2009, council meeting.</p><p>According to the 2009 suit, Yuknavich stated at the meeting Naperkowski said to him, &#8220;I&#8217;ll kill you; I&#8217;ll kill your mother; I&#8217;ll kill your family and I&#8217;ll even kill the mayor if he don&#8217;t straighten you out.&#8221;</p><p>An agreement between Naperkowski and Yuknavich was reached in October 2012, after opening statements were completed at trial, but before testimony began. Attorneys told the Times Leader at that time they could not divulge information about the type of agreement reached.</p><p>The lawsuit alleges Yuknavich and the fire company have installed an operating video camera on the rear of their building, that the department has no other cameras on its building or grounds and that the department has &#8220;no appropriate or reasonable use for the camera,&#8221; which Naperkowski says is not directed at any department property, but only at his own.</p><p>Naperkowski had alleged he suffered emotional distress, invasion of privacy, harassment, private nuisance and intentional infliction of emotional distress.</p><style>
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<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>

Wilkes-Barre Twp. resident settles lawsuit with fire company, former chief