Former Allentown Finance Director Admits to Rigging City Contract Award
Garret Strathearn, a 68-year-old resident of Sea Girt, NJ, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud while serving as Finance Director for the City of Allentown. Strathearn admitted to interfering with the awarding of a city contract at the behest of Public Official #3, who was receiving campaign contributions from the eventual contract awardee.
Strathearn and Assistant City Solicitor Dale Wiles, who previously pleaded guilty, manipulated the process for awarding the City of Allentown’s 2014 revenue collection contract with the approval of, and for the benefit of, Public Official #3. The duo falsified paperwork to create public records that gave the false impression that the contract awardee earned the revenue collection contract on merit.
Strathearn and Wiles also made false statements to FBI agents regarding the revenue collection contract award process for 2014. United States District Judge Juan R. Sanchez accepted Strathearn’s guilty plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 14, 2016.
Assistant City Solicitor Dale Wiles is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2016. Both Strathearn and Wiles face a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Khan and Nancy Beam Winter.
In a shocking display of corruption, Strathearn and Wiles brought shame to the City of Allentown. Their actions undermine the trust that citizens have in their government and call for swift and severe punishment.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Public Corruption|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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