UPDATE: Lukach sentencing continued to Oct. 20, 2020.
The former Schuylkill County Clerk of Courts is due to be sentenced on fraud and obstruction charges on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Steve Lukach pleaded guilty to one count each of mail fraud and falsifying records while he was the focus of a County, State Police, and FBI investigation into his behavior while in office.
The Canary has learned that Lukach will appear in a federal courtroom on Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. It’s unknown if the court appearance will happen in person or through a virtual connection.
Lukach faces serious fines and up to 40 years in prison for his crimes committed while in office.
Former Schuylkill Clerk of Courts Steve Lukach Sentencing Hearing on Oct. 6 in Scranton
Back in 2018, Lukach was indicted by a federal grand jury on 20 counts of mail and wire fraud as well as manufacturing records to obstruct an FBI investigation into his actions as Clerk of Courts in Schuylkill County.
About a year later, Lukach agreed to plead guilty to mail fraud and falsifying records and awaited sentencing.
But the investigation into Lukach’s bad behavior in office started back in 2013 when then-Schuylkill County Controller Christy Joy launched an internal audit of the Clerk of Courts office.
The investigation uncovered evidence that Lukach took thousands of dollars in public money and spent it on various personal expenses, including his own bills and meals. Then, during a follow-up investigation conducted by State Police and the FBI, Lukach was busted stealing mail and faking records to obstruct that inquiry.
We’ll have more information on Lukach’s sentencing when it’s made available.
>> This weekend, check out our report on how Lukach pulled off his scam on Schuylkill County taxpayers. <<
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Image: License purchased via Depositphotos.com
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