Arrest of Dubois City Manager John “Herm” Suplizio

[Ignatius]

Much damage has already been done to this area and if convicted, the public must demand full disclosure of everyone involved.  There are parties on the peripheral that may not have done anything illegal (assuming a conviction), but they certainly should have known something was not right.  If the indicted are found guilty, I certainly hope the city pursues a civil trial to claw back identified money (this is in addition to criminal penalties).

[jaman]

7 hours ago, Ignatius said:

Much damage has already been done to this area and if convicted, the public must demand full disclosure of everyone involved.  There are parties on the peripheral that may not have done anything illegal (assuming a conviction), but they certainly should have known something was not right.  If the indicted are found guilty, I certainly hope the city pursues a civil trial to claw back identified money (this is in addition to criminal penalties).

If I were a betting man in VEGAS? Some looked the other way.

[fedup]

On 11/28/2023 at 2:02 PM, Basset3 said:

State of Pennsylvania withdrawing charges against Suplizio to allow the Feds to pave the way for Federal prosecution. 

Maybe the state is too Chicken to throw it's skeletons under the bus. Let the feds bust their fellow crooks and then hide.

[fedup]

If crooked is getting crooked money some crook is handing out the crooked money.

Who are the crooks handing out your tax dollars to a crook?

[Keyser Soze]

3 hours ago, fedup said:

If crooked is getting crooked money some crook is handing out the crooked money.

Who are the crooks handing out your tax dollars to a crook?

Waste management money:  

As alleged, beginning as early as 2008, Suplizio and Shaffer used the city’s tax identification number to establish secret bank accounts into which they diverted city money, including approximately $60,000 in annual administrative fees from the city’s waste management contract. During the alleged conspiracy, Suplizio and Shaffer made large cash withdrawals from these unaudited accounts, wrote checks to themselves and others, and obtained cashier’s checks with themselves listed as payees—totaling more than $350,000. The defendants also allegedly spent more than $450,000 from the accounts toward payments on Suplizio’s personal credit card, which he used to pay for personal vacations, utility bills for his residence, department store purchases, and jewelry store purchases, among other personal expenses.

“Herm Suplizio allegedly funneled city money into secret bank accounts that he and Shaffer controlled and that he could use for his personal benefit, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal credit card payments,” United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan said. “Our communities entrust public officials like Suplizio with tremendous authority, and when that trust is violated—as is alleged here—this office and our federal and state law enforcement partners will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

[Ignatius]

8 hours ago, Keyser Soze said:

Waste management money:  

As alleged, beginning as early as 2008, Suplizio and Shaffer used the city’s tax identification number to establish secret bank accounts into which they diverted city money, including approximately $60,000 in annual administrative fees from the city’s waste management contract. During the alleged conspiracy, Suplizio and Shaffer made large cash withdrawals from these unaudited accounts, wrote checks to themselves and others, and obtained cashier’s checks with themselves listed as payees—totaling more than $350,000. The defendants also allegedly spent more than $450,000 from the accounts toward payments on Suplizio’s personal credit card, which he used to pay for personal vacations, utility bills for his residence, department store purchases, and jewelry store purchases, among other personal expenses.

“Herm Suplizio allegedly funneled city money into secret bank accounts that he and Shaffer controlled and that he could use for his personal benefit, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal credit card payments,” United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan said. “Our communities entrust public officials like Suplizio with tremendous authority, and when that trust is violated—as is alleged here—this office and our federal and state law enforcement partners will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

I certainly hope that outside auditors of the local government are scrutinized.  Those here that are familiar with this process understand that a number of steps are involved before financial statements are produced, including recommendations to the local government, contact with outside vendors and steps even as far as refusing to produce statements.  

[Keyser Soze]

1 hour ago, Ignatius said:

I certainly hope that outside auditors of the local government are scrutinized.  Those here that are familiar with this process understand that a number of steps are involved before financial statements are produced, including recommendations to the local government, contact with outside vendors and steps even as far as refusing to produce statements.  

I do not understand why council thought it was a good idea not to place the Waste Management payments in a city account.

The payment of entertainment for community days with cash seemed stupid too. (The solicitor approved of this)

Where did the money come from for the annual year end bonuses to highly paid employees????

Is the budget balanced because excess money is being transferred from water/sewage fund?  

My feelings are that whenever the council needed more revenue they just sent a sewage surcharge/ rate increase to Sandy Township.

 

[Ignatius]

20 minutes ago, Keyser Soze said:

I do not understand why council thought it was a good idea not to place the Waste Management payments in a city account.

The payment of entertainment for community days with cash seemed stupid too. (The solicitor approved of this)

Where did the money come from for the annual year end bonuses to highly paid employees????

Is the budget balanced because excess money is being transferred from water/sewage fund?  

My feelings are that whenever the council needed more revenue they just sent a sewage surcharge/ rate increase to Sandy Township.

 

The devil is in the details!  How were items presented to the council or were steps taken to consolidate decision making into a select few (if so, why?)?  One would have to believe that with the severity of a federal case, anyone in the know would start 'fessing up.  I would also believe that Waste Management is not going to give cover to the city.

[L8RG8R]

2 minutes ago, Ignatius said:

The devil is in the details!  How were items presented to the council or were steps taken to consolidate decision making into a select few (if so, why?)?  One would have to believe that with the severity of a federal case, anyone in the know would start 'fessing up.  I would also believe that Waste Management is not going to give cover to the city.

Waste management can do whatever they want with their money as they are a private entity.  As for what the city did with that money is not on them.  I really doubt they have any other information to give on how the city used the money they gave back.  I would also assume that many of the "brass" of the city had some knowings on what was going on. Personally, I feel the only way to move forward may be a clean sweep of all departments.  Out with the old and in with the new.  Everything from city manager, redevelopment, police, etc.  

[BigT]

26 minutes ago, L8RG8R said:

 I would also assume that many of the "brass" of the city had some knowings on what was going on. Personally, I feel the only way to move forward may be a clean sweep of all departments.  Out with the old and in with the new.  Everything from city manager, redevelopment, police, etc.  

I understand why you want a clean sweep but let's wait for the new City Council members and Mayor decide what really needs to happen. There are too many moving parts to just fire all the department heads at this point and their contracts or articles of employment need to be examined.

Edited November 30, 2023 by BigT
change

[L8RG8R]

5 minutes ago, BigT said:

I understand why you want a clean sweep but let's wait for the new City Council members and Mayor decide what really needs to happen. There are too many moving parts to just fire all the department heads at this point and their contracts or articles of employment need to be examined.

You're right, we have to see what the new council's agenda is first.

[Ignatius]

29 minutes ago, L8RG8R said:

Waste management can do whatever they want with their money as they are a private entity.  As for what the city did with that money is not on them.  I really doubt they have any other information to give on how the city used the money they gave back.  I would also assume that many of the "brass" of the city had some knowings on what was going on. Personally, I feel the only way to move forward may be a clean sweep of all departments.  Out with the old and in with the new.  Everything from city manager, redevelopment, police, etc.  

Waste Management is a publicly traded company (NYSE).  I reserve any further comments, pending release of factual information.

[L8RG8R]

12 minutes ago, Ignatius said:

Waste Management is a publicly traded company (NYSE).  I reserve any further comments, pending release of factual information.

Correct, and so is Apple, Microsoft, etc.  They are public corporations that are not funded by taxpayer dollars, thus they are donate their money where they wish.

[disgruntled]

On 11/29/2023 at 5:07 PM, fedup said:

Maybe the state is too Chicken to throw it's skeletons under the bus. Let the feds bust their fellow crooks and then hide.

truthfully, this was likely a very smart move.  It adds a step in between the accused, who had a failed campaign as a Republican Senator, and the governing law enforcement.  The state handling the charge with a sitting Democrat governor that was AG at the time a lot of this was uncovered could give some reason to claim it is all political.  For what it's worth, it may be the reason it was uncovered to begin with--enemy digging in deep on enemy.  It's also likely why some are still "Team Herm is innocent"--they think he's a victim.

Imagine how much more he could have gotten his paws into had he won that election.  

[disgruntled]

On 11/30/2023 at 8:26 AM, Ignatius said:

I certainly hope that outside auditors of the local government are scrutinized.  Those here that are familiar with this process understand that a number of steps are involved before financial statements are produced, including recommendations to the local government, contact with outside vendors and steps even as far as refusing to produce statements.  

The way I understand this, auditors are only able to review what they are presented with.  If those accounts were "secret" those statements were not given to auditors.  

It's been milling around and talked about in small circles, but there is a video available on multiple platforms called, "All the Queen's Horses" about a similar event in another small town USA.  If I remember correctly she was able to steal more than $50 million before she was caught.    

[Ignatius]

48 minutes ago, disgruntled said:

The way I understand this, auditors are only able to review what they are presented with.  If those accounts were "secret" those statements were not given to auditors.  

It's been milling around and talked about in small circles, but there is a video available on multiple platforms called, "All the Queen's Horses" about a similar event in another small town USA.  If I remember correctly she was able to steal more than $50 million before she was caught.    

I don't disagree with what you're saying, however, the same auditor did the city and the local United Way.  I find it incredulous to believe donations to the latter were in cash, so there has to be a paper trail of donations.  As far as Waste Management, I'm curious as to who the "payee" was on the checks and further, whose name was the receiving checking account titled to.  Could those payments (from Waste Management) have originally been set-up in a purely altruistic manner and titled for "DuBois Days"?  Anything is possible!

Final thoughts:  my opinion is, if the indicted are proven guilty, then those involved were only a few.  With more than a few, keeping a "secret" becomes infinitely harder, if not impossible.  Finally, what were the first allegations and who was the accusing party?

[fedup]

I wonder what it would be like to wake up to honest governments?

Just think of all the good that honest governments could supply ALL the citizens.

[gc]

3 hours ago, Ignatius said:

I don't disagree with what you're saying, however, the same auditor did the city and the local United Way.  I find it incredulous to believe donations to the latter were in cash, so there has to be a paper trail of donations.  As far as Waste Management, I'm curious as to who the "payee" was on the checks and further, whose name was the receiving checking account titled to.  Could those payments (from Waste Management) have originally been set-up in a purely altruistic manner and titled for "DuBois Days"?  Anything is possible!

Final thoughts:  my opinion is, if the indicted are proven guilty, then those involved were only a few.  With more than a few, keeping a "secret" becomes infinitely harder, if not impossible.  Finally, what were the first allegations and who was the accusing party?

The 'payee' would certainly tell the tale - except if city accounts were made falsely and the check was written to the city, it could be deposited without any red flags from a bank.

And even with Waste Management being a private business - bribery for 100 percent control of the work in a town - is still considered illegal no matter how you label it in the ledger.  

[Petee]

I'm sure the FBI will also be auditing the books of Waste Management.  

[Basset3]

14 minutes ago, Petee said:

I'm sure the FBI will also be auditing the books of Waste Management.  

Here's an idea....direct all those 87,000 IRS Agents that Biden employed and send them to Dubois.  Think of all the secondary businesses that would benefit...being restaurants, hotels, etc.   They might even buy temporary housing.

[fedup]

2 hours ago, Basset3 said:

Here's an idea....direct all those 87,000 IRS Agents that Biden employed and send them to Dubois.  Think of all the secondary businesses that would benefit...being restaurants, hotels, etc.   They might even buy temporary housing.

Braindead doesn't even care about this country let alone little ole Dubois.

[Basset3]

30 minutes ago, fedup said:

Braindead doesn't even care about this country let alone little ole Dubois.

You're right about that!!

[Keyser Soze]

9 hours ago, Ignatius said:

  Finally, what were the first allegations and who was the accusing party?

 

[Keyser Soze]

9 hours ago, Ignatius said:

  As far as Waste Management, I'm curious as to who the "payee" was on the checks and further, whose name was the receiving checking account titled to.  Could those payments (from Waste Management) have originally been set-up in a purely altruistic manner and titled for "DuBois Days"?  Anything is possible!

 

 

[Mahatma Kane Jeeves]

This is turning into a book that I read about the Vito Massimo and the Siciiain Mafia and their collection of kickbacks,

embezzlement and other assorted crimes