Pasonick to testify at corruption trial; seeks to postpone sentencing

SCRANTON – Local engineer Michael Pasonick may be called to testify at the corruption trial of another area official that is set to begin in February, according to a court motion filed by his attorney today.

Attorney Joseph Sklarosky Sr. filed a motion seeking to postpone Pasonick’s sentencing for his guilty plea to bribing a local school board member, which was scheduled for this month, until April 2012.

In the motion, Sklarosky noted Pasonick signed a plea agreement that requires him to cooperate in the investigation of others accused of wrongdoing. Pasonick testified in June at the trial of former Lackawanna County commissioner Robert Cordaro, and has been advised he will likely be called as a witness in another corruption trial that’s scheduled for February, Sklarosky said.

The motion does not identify the person on trial. The only known public official currently awaiting trial on a corruption related matter is former state senator Raphael Musto.

Musto’s trial was scheduled to begin on Nov. 1, but a court document filed last week noted that a case management conference has been called for that date, indicating the trial may be postponed.

Sklarosky is seeking to postpone Pasonick’s sentencing until after he testifies at the upcoming trial so that the judge can take his cooperation into consideration in deciding what sentence to impose.