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Tristan Jarry returns to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ready to compete for starting job in net

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Siphon cleaning project in Hanover Township finished

<p>Two former Luzerne County prison workers charged with extortion must wait to reclaim money they paid toward their county pensions, the county Retirement Board decided Wednesday.</p><p>Louis Elmy, who entered a guilty plea in July on charges of extortion and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in connection with his actions as a prison counselor, is seeking $66,883 he paid into the pension fund.</p><p>Former corrections officer John Stachokus is awaiting return of his $31,957 pension contribution. He entered a guilty plea in September for extortion and tampering with a witness.</p><p>The board, which oversees the employee pension fund, tabled a vote Wednesday on the advice of board Solicitor Donald Karpowich.</p><p>Karpowich recommended holding off until the men are sentenced.</p><p>His rationale: restitution may be owed and claimed through their pension contributions. Guilty pleas also can be changed before sentencing, he said.</p><p>Sentencing dates have not been scheduled, according to court records. The retirement board won&#8217;t meet again until Dec. 7.</p><p>Unless the charges are altered, Karpowich said he is confident the board has authority to deny both pensions and interest on the pension contributions of Elmy and Stachokus.</p><p>The state Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act precludes public employees from receiving a pension if they are convicted of certain crimes related to their employment, including extortion, he said.</p><p>The board proceeded Wednesday with a vote to refund the $13,823 pension contribution of another former prison employee &#8212; Steven Suda &#8212; without interest.</p><p>Suda, a corrections officer, was terminated in May. County officials have not disclosed the reason, citing personnel confidentiality.</p><p>Karpowich said Suda&#8217;s interest on his contribution was withheld, even though no charges have been filed against him, because Suda was terminated and agreed to waive a claim on the interest.</p><p>County officials have refused to pay pensions or interest earnings on employee pension contributions several times in recent years due to criminal charges against former employees.</p><p>Federal prosecutors alleged Stachokus and Elmy granted unauthorized leave to work-release inmates in exchange for cash and other items.</p><p>The charges against Elmy, 52, of Wilkes-Barre, said he 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 crack cocaine.</p><p>A nearly 20-year prison employee, Elmy resigned from the $58,413-a-year county position in lieu of termination in March.</p><p>Also a veteran prison worker, Stachokus, 41, of Plains Township, is accused of granting unauthorized leave to work-release inmates in exchange for cash, alcohol and cocaine and then urging an inmate to lie about the arrangement to federal agents. He was terminated from his $50,272-a-year position in September.</p><p>Both extortion schemes continued from November 2013 until Elmy was charged in February, prosecutors alleged.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_ew-2.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">Stachokus </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_ew-2.jpeg</photo0><caption0>Stachokus </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_ew-1-1-1.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">Stachokus </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_ew-1-1-1.jpeg</photo1><caption1>Stachokus </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_elmy-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Elmy </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_elmy-2.jpg</photo2><caption2>Elmy </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Learn-Andes</p><p>jandes@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Pension refunds delayed for former prison workers facing extortion charges