According to a 15-page indictment and arrest warrant, on April 25, 2006, Lackawanna County District Attorney Andrew Jarbola requested the office of the states attorney general assume jurisdiction over allegations of financial irregularities with the estate of Raymond Conrad, Mrs. Pilcheskys late father.
The request was made due to a lack of resources, a perceived conflict of interest, and the fact that the events involved in the investigation spanned several counties, including Erie and Lackawanna, according to court records.
Mrs. Pilchesky was one of five estranged children of Mr. Conrad, (Why was Joanne the only one of Mr. Conrad's children that was entitled to anything in the will? It's not like she had an ongoing loving relationship with her father ... so why are the other 4 children of Mr. Conrad not shouting from the rooftop for their cut of the estate ... Oh more than likely they are not married to greedy bastards ... hmmmm) according to the presentment, and had little contact with her father until he suffered an aneurysm in 2002 or 2003. During his recuperation from surgery, Mrs. Pilchesky began to visit regularly, the presentment states. Within a year, she convinced Mr. Conrad to sign a document she had drafted giving her power of attorney over the estate, the filing charged. (One has to wonder how she convinced Mr. Conrad to sign ... and why was she only reunited with him after suffering an from an aneurysm ... she could have made a choice to forgive this man ... who was a veteran who served our Country long befor this ... but made a choice to wait until he was dying ... why?)
But Mr. Conrad had already given power of attorney to his niece, Charlene Snyder. (How did they go about getting the new Power of Attorney? Did anyone ever notify Ms. Snyder that there had been a change made? Hell they didn't notify the banks of the death ... why would any of us think that they would notify Ms Snyder!)
The power of attorney gave Mrs. Pilchesky authority to access Mr. Conrads three bank accounts, but all transactions were supposed to be for Mr. Conrads care, investigators said. Mr. Conrad died Sept. 21, 2005 in a nursing home in Erie. (If Mr. Conrad was so loved by the Pilchesky's ... hence the war on the Mayor and all local politicians over the denial of a ramp in 2005 ... Mr. Conrad did not reside with the Pilchesky's he resided in a nursing home in ERIE ... and they had been estranged ... for many years ... Well now why do they profess to know so much abut him ... and proclaim how proud of him they were ... how close to him they were ... when they hadn't even bothered with him for so long ... hmmmm)Mrs. Pilchesky was present at the time of his death but failed to notify his banks, investigators allege.
At the time of his death, Mr. Conrad had $155,776.51 in three accounts, the presentment charges. Investigators allege that from Sept. 20 to Oct. 27, 2005, she nearly drained the accounts, writing checks to herself in the names of Joanne Ricci her maiden name and Joanne Pilchesky.
One check for $8,500 was made out to her husband, Joseph, and later placed in one of her accounts, investigators charged. (My question here is ... Joe knew that this was not only against the law but it was immoral to accept this money ... yet he did it anyway .... we all know he knows and is an expert on the law ... because he has told us all hundreds of times ... so why are no charges being pressed on him?????It's only my opinion but he is just as guilty as Edith is ... did he later have Edith place this money in her own account because he was afraid of the legal ramifications?) Mrs. Pilchesky ultimately transferred $152,755.09 to her own accounts and tried to transfer another $2,318.23 but the checks were stopped when the banks learned of Mr. Conrads death, according to the presentment.
Authorities, who said Mrs. Pilchesky was legally entitled to about $98,500 (ok ... above you will see ... highlighted in red, that she took far more than she was entitled to ... even Joe in his original post stated that Joann was entitle to approximately $100,000.00) under terms of her fathers will, claim she had no legal authority to take any of the money and the estate should have gone through probate and been distributed. Her power of attorney, they charge, expired upon Mr. Conrads death.
The Pilcheskys declined comment when contacted by The Times-Tribune. Mrs. Snyder could not be reached for comment.
Contact the writer: sbrown@timesshamrock.com
