Federal Officials Announce the Filing of Charges Against Brian F. Dunn, a Member of the School Board of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District

Martin C. Carlson, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Janice Fedaryck, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Don Fort, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, jointly announced today that BRIAN F. DUNN, age 45, a member of the school board for the Wilkes-Barre Area School District has been charged in a criminal complaint with allegedly accepting cash in connection with the award of contracts by the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Dunn appeared today in federal court and was released on bail pending further proceedings in this case.

According to U.S. Attorney Carlson, today’s announcement is the second charge in an ongoing investigation into allegations that teachers and contractors were required to provide money or anything else of value in connection with being hired or obtaining a public contract. On April 16, 2009, Dr. Ross Scarantino, age 64, Superintendent of Schools for the Pittston Area School District, was also charged in a criminal complaint with allegedly accepting cash in connection with the award of contracts by the Pittston Area School District.

On April 8, 2009 the FBI issued a statement requesting the public’s assistance in this ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Special Agent Richard Southerton or Special Agent Joseph Noone in the FBI’s Scranton office at 570-344-2404.

If convicted, Dunn faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and a maximum three years of supervised release.

This case is part of an initiative being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service, and prosecution is being handled by a team of federal prosecutors led by Senior Litigation Counsel Gordon Zubrod and includes Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Houser, Michael Consiglio, Amy Phillips, and Criminal Division Chief Christian Fisanick.

An Indictment or Information is not evidence of guilt but simply a description of the charge made by the Grand Jury and/or United States Attorney against a defendant. A charged Defendant is presumed innocent until a jury returns a unanimous finding that the United States has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or until the defendant has pled guilty to the charges.