WILKES-BARRE TWP. — After months of nearly complete public silence on the issue, Mayor Carl Kuren on Monday made a public statement regarding the theft of funds from the township’s volunteer fire department.
At a council work session, Kuren said the township administration has, under his direction, cooperated fully for several years with criminal investigations, “providing all necessary documentation and testimony requested” by state police, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Township Fire Chief John Yuknavich on Thursday pleaded guilty to federal theft charges, agreed to make restitution of $45,000 and resign as fire chief within 10 days.
A prosecutor said Yuknavich was solely responsible for a monthly $3,500 check cut by the township to the department for the purpose of paying bills, and that between 2008 and 2011 he typically kept as much as $1,500 from each of those checks for personal use.
Kuren said his administration acknowledges the theft was “a breach of the public trust to the highest degree, considering those monies were taken from an organization that relies heavily on public support” to provide fire protection.
“We have taken the position of mandating full accountability for monies provided to the Volunteer Fire Department. We will continue to maintain diligent oversight into the expenditures that are reimbursed by township funding,” Kuren said.
Kuren also said that at no time did the township not have fire protection.
“I was in full contact with other fire departments, and I was in contact with Ashley verifying that they were providing us with protection,” Kuren said. “We do have fire protection from our and from other fire protection outfits.”
A special public meeting on the department is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the township building, 150 Watson St.
Kuren also responded to statements “that we don’t have checks and balances. These are all checks and balances,” he said holding up a folder full of paperwork.
“Every check that we issued to them, they had to sign for and we have receipts. … So whoever said we don’t have them better get their facts straight,” he said before slamming the folder onto the table to applause from members of the public.
Several members of the public criticized the Times Leader for unfairly criticizing the administration and fire department leadership in editorials. One man accused the newspaper of “relying on innuendos from uneducated bullies” and not missing a chance “to besmirch the entire population” of the township.
———
©2014 The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)
Visit The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) at www.timesleader.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
