Pasonick asks to serve prison sentence near home

Wilkes-Barre engineer Michael J. Pasonick Jr. would prefer to serve his one-year sentence for bribing a school board member close to home, according to a motion filed in U.S. District Court by his attorney today.

The motion asks U.S. District Judge Richard Conaboy to recommend to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons that Pasonick, 69, be incarcerated at the U.S. Penitentiary-Canaan in Waymart, Wayne County, about 40 miles from Wilkes-Barre. The high-security penitentiary has a satellite camp for minimum-security offenders.

Pasonick is scheduled to report to begin his sentence on April 23. Conaboy’s recommendation would not be binding on the Bureau of Prisons.

Pasonick pleaded guilty to paying the school board member from Luzerne County between $1,000 and $5,000 in return for the board member’s support of Pasonick’s efforts to secure school district contracts. Federal prosecutors have not named the board member or identified the district.

Pasonick was fined $250,000 by Conaboy.