Stacy Brown wrote:

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The sentencing is complete, she got whacked! 25 to 84 months in prison. More details to come.

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Here's the article from the Erie Times-News (you can link to it here as well):


Article published May 13, 2009

Dead dad swindled
Scranton woman sent to prison for theft from estate
By Lisa Thompson
lisa.thompson@timesnews.com
A Scranton woman was sentenced Tuesday in Erie County Court to 25 months to seven years in state prison for draining more than $150,000 from the estate of her father, an Erie resident, in the hours and weeks after he died.

Joanne Pilchesky, 56, must also pay $146,500 in restitution to the estate of her father, Raymond Conrad, who was 82 when he died, and $6,255 to a bank that held some of her father's funds.

The bank, PNC, had paid Pilchesky $6,255 from Conrad's estate after his death in September 2005, but then reimbursed the Conrad estate once it realized the disbursement was not proper.

The sentence, which fell in the most severe recommended by state sentencing guidelines, came after an Erie County jury convicted Pilchesky of one third-degree felony count of theft on March 18.

Conrad had named his niece, Charlene Snyder, not Pilchesky, executor of his estate.
The jury found that before Conrad's will could be probated, Pilchesky, who had been named an heir in the will, used an existing power of attorney to transfer nearly all his liquid assets to herself.

Judge John Garhart, who sentenced Pilchesky, also fined her $15,000, the maximum in the case.

Garhart acknowledged that Pilchesky had no prior criminal record, but said the evidence showed a signed copy of Conrad's will had been removed just before or at the time of his death, "never to be seen again."

He said Pilchesky improperly used the existing power of attorney for her father's affairs to begin transferring money from her father's accounts to herself within minutes of his death.
The evidence showed she then drafted a "spurious" will to cover up the crime, Garhart said.

Garhart also faulted Pilchesky for showing no remorse. He said she continues to use "vexatious litigation" to harass "all who would call her to account."

Pilchesky, an activist known in her home area for maintaining a comment board critical of Lackawanna County politicians, represented herself at the hearing.

She asked the judge to wait to determine restitution until the legal dispute over Conrad's will and estate is settled in Erie County Orphans' Court.

Testimony indicated Pilchesky was in line to receive approximately 70 percent of her father's estate. She argued Tuesday that she might owe as little as $20,000 to the estate once it is inventoried.

Garhart rejected that argument. He entered a $146,500 judgment in favor of the estate, which he said should be filed in both the criminal case and the Orphans' Court litigation over Conrad's estate.

The state Attorney General's Office handled the case after the Lackawanna County District Attorney's Office referred it to state prosecutors in 2006, citing the case's complicated nature. A statewide grand jury recommended charges, which were filed in October 2007.

Nils Fredericksen, a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, said the case sends a message about the importance of obeying the law in estate cases.
"You can't clean out a bank account, you can't take what you think you are entitled to," he said.

"There is a process there to protect anyone else who is involved," including other rightful heirs and "the wishes of the deceased," he said.
LISA THOMPSON can be reached at 870-1802 or by e-mail.

a bitter pill Posts: 1367 Date: May 13 5:21 AM, 2009

Dear Joanne and Joe, It is abundantly clear that you are targets of the most politically corrupt group of judges and politicians in this state. Your work has blown their cover. The retaliation is absurd, and criminal. I, for one, am grateful for the selfless work you do to uncover the corruption. Know that you have my prayers and support during this difficult phase of your mission. __________________ "A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right ".                                      Thomas Paine

Oh my God ... this one has got to be kidding ... Erie is how many hours away from Scranton I highly doubt until this that they ever even heard of Joe and Joanne

How about what I just thought about ... Joanne can't vote!  Shucks ... hope Gary and Janet's team does not lose by one vote!