WILKES-BARRE, Penn.—One of the five people charged in the federal investigation into the Wilkes-Barre City Employees FCU will plead guilty, according to federal court documents filed Wednesday.
Court records indicate Jeffrey Serafin, age 35, is slated for a guilty plea hearing on Jan. 23 in federal court in Wilkes-Barre.
This summer five CU members — including Serafin and the CU's assistant manager — were indicted on fraud charges. The five individuals were charged with conspiracy and bank fraud related to a scam to obtain loans with false collateral and stolen identities (http://www.cutoday.info/Fresh-Today/CU-Reportedly-Now-Part-of-Investigation).
Tino Ninotti, 35; Jason Anthony, 34; Leo Glodzik, 43; Amanda Magda, 30 and Serafin were charged in three separate indictments related to activities of the credit union. Magda was the assistant manager at the CU. Anthony is a Wilkes-Barre city police officer, while Ninotti is a former Wilkes-Barre city police officer. Glodzik is a contractor whose company had a towing contract with the city.
The four others are still awaiting trial.
Jim Payne, former head of the credit union, committed suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 10, one day before his scheduled testimony in front of a federal grand jury regarding a corruption investigation of the institution by the FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police.
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