W-b Wants To Turn Down Crossing Beepers

Airport Board 
Usair Express, Comair Adding Flights To Schedule

By DAVID J. RALIS and ELIZABETH AGUILERA; Times Leader Staff
Writers
 Saturday, January 17, 1998 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





WILKES-BARRE- Luzerne County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim
Siracuse did more than approve the $48,000 in business he handed last year to
a company run by two EMA employees, state police said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Siracuse used his own home computer to make the bills P.S.S. Technologies
later submitted to his agency for payment, according to a search warrant state
police filed with District Justice Michael Collins. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; State police at Wyoming served the warrant at EMA headquarters, 185 Water
St., on Dec. 18. They were looking for documents relating to the company and
seized two ledgers showing EMA's 1997 expenses and receipts. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Similar searches were conducted at the Swoyersville homes of Siracuse and
EMA Incident Coordinator John Salvo. Salvo and Siracuse are neighbors and
P.S.S. operated out of Salvo's West Hall Street home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Few details about those searches are known. Warrants were still sealed
Friday, nearly a month after police entered the homes looking for evidence. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Salvo and Emergency Management Specialist Mark Pavilitz, Nanticoke, are the
owners of P.S.S., according to paperwork on file with the state Corporation
Bureau. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Siracuse declined comment Friday night when read the warrant, which states
that Salvo told troopers "Siracuse assisted him in preparing the bills to be
submitted" and that they were printed using Siracuse's computer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Siracuse previously told The Times Leader that Salvo and Pavilitz wanted
him to be a third partner in the business, but he said, "I am not in any way,
shape or form a member." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The three remain in their county jobs despite a continuing state probe into
whether they violated ethics and bidding laws. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Salvo and Pavilitz declined comment Friday afternoon when contacted at the
EMA office. Neither returned phone messages later after the newspaper received
a copy of the warrant. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The warrant says county Property and Supply Director Russel Arnone told
troopers some of the bills for electronic equipment and maintenance contracts
sold to EMA by P.S.S. were "split" so they fell below $4,000 and circumvented
state bidding law. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Arnone based that on a conversation he had with Salvo about two of the
bills, each totaling more than $3,000, for radios and supplies and dated Dec.
4. "Salvo said they belonged together," the warrant says. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Under the state's bidding law, any county department making a purchase of
$4,000 to $10,000 first must seek three quotes from different vendors. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But because all of the purchases from P.S.S. were below $4,000, Siracuse
didn't have to seek any other quotes. He simply approved each purchase by
signing purchase orders, county invoices say. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The state Ethics Act prohibits public officials and employees, as well as
their families and businesses, from doing more than $500 worth of business
with the government agencies that employ them. Violations of the act are
punishable by up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The ethics violation is probably premiere," state police Lt. Carmen
Altavilla said Friday. "But we'll ask the state attorney general's office to
see if there's any other charges." A meeting between the troopers and that
office is set for next week. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Meanwhile, the investigation continues and the troopers will be conducti

Warrant Links Siracuse, Bills 
Head Of County's Emergency 
Management Agency Used His Home 
Computer To Prepare Bills Later 
Submitted To His Office For Payment, 
According To Search Warrant

Warrant Links Siracuse, Bills Head Of County's Emergency Management Agency Used His Home Computer To Prepare Bills Later Submitted To His Office For Payment, According To Search Warrant