Former County Commissioner A.J. Munchak is headed from federal prison to The VIllages
 

Former PA County Commissioner Munchak scheduled for early release from prison


Former Lackawanna County Commissioner A.J. Munchak is headed from federal prison to “Florida’s friendliest town.”

The 70-year-old is on track for early release from the federal prison camp in Pensacola, Florida, and plans to live at the Villages, which bills itself as a community “where everything you could possibly want, need or dream of doing in your retirement years is just a golf-cart ride away.”

A jury convicted the Republican in June 2011, on federal corruption charges that he and former Commissioner Robert Cordaro demanded money from companies that wanted to do business with Lackawanna County in what prosecutors called a kickback and extortion scheme.

Munchak, currently inmate No. 68385-067, was sentenced to seven years in prison; Cordaro was sentenced to 11 years.

Munchak so far served time at the low-security Butner Federal Correctional Complex near Raleigh, North Carolina, and more recently the minimum-security facility in Pensacola to accommodate his request to be closer to his wife in Ocala, Florida.

Scranton attorney Christopher Powell, who represents Munchak and recently visited him, expects the former commissioner’s release from federal prison to come in November.

“He lost weight,” Powell said. “He looks great. He’s looking forward to his release.”

The federal Bureau of Prisons approved transferring Munchak to a halfway house, followed by home confinement, during which the U.S. probation office will monitor him.

The former Scranton resident’s release is scheduled for May 7, 2018. Upon release, he will live at the Villages and be supervised by the probation office.

“Inmates in the BOP’s custody may release directly from a correctional institution or instead from home confinement or a halfway house, also called a Residential Reentry Center,” explained agency spokesman Justin Long, who did not address Munchak specifically.

After imprisonment, Munchak will live in a community that in a Youtube video, Sales Manager Jennifer Parr described as: “A collection of quiet neighborhoods, each filled with its own amenities and activities and future friends like you.”

The experience includes champion and executive golf courses, country clubs, swimming and other recreation activities for a monthly fee of $145 based on a $250,000 home.

Listed real estate values range widely, from a $1.09 million four-bedroom home at the Village of Bridgeport at Lake Miona to a $119,900 two-bedroom manufactured home in the Village of Orange Blossom Gardens. It’s not clear which community he will live.

Contact the writer: kwind@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100, x5181; @kwindTT on Twitter

[QUOTE=784caroline;1389568]Former PA County Commissioner Munchak scheduled for early release from prison


Former Lackawanna County Commissioner A.J. Munchak is headed from federal prison to “Florida’s friendliest town.”


WOW!

No big deal. This is just a guy you know about, what about the ones you don't know about.

At least he's not a 35-50 year old drunk or doper living off mommy or daddy in their Villages home!

I have no problem whatsoever with his moving here. He did his time and he is entitled to a fresh start in life hopefully having learned from his experience. He presents no risk to the community.

A bio when he was running for office in Pennsylvania is here
Our Campaigns - Candidate - A.J. Munchak

Seems like he was active in multiple service organizations and other than that bribery and tax fraud thing, was a net positive for his county.

He is a good example of my signature below

The only problem I have with government is too much of it.

I think that a person's morals and values are pretty much set by the age of five.

That is my opinion and everyone and everything I have ever met or read or observed has supported that.

If you will, you always will. Break the law, steal, kill, etc.

There is much to be offered by a strong home and nun's hitting you on the knuckles.

This person has paid his debt. He is a non-violent offender who was in minimum security facilities. Let him live out his years in peace.

Let's hope he comes on here and posts, we should give him a warm welcome.

Much better having 100 of him than one non working adult child living off mommy.

The Sheriff's Office may keep some kind of track of him or at least Seniors Against Crime.

What if he is a cyber bully, now posting on political from prison?

Unless things have changed from when I volunteered and taught at a Federal camp, no internet allowed.

He's done his time. Parole is hard. Few are successful. Get a ticket, go farther than your ankle bracelet, don't pay back any fines and penalties and whatever other conditions are thrown at you and you're back in prison. I wish him luck and hope he has a good rest of life.

Not allowed at Coleman. Coleman II U.S. Penitentiary

Coleman Low Federal Correctional Institution

I couldn't disagree with you more, about the part he paid his debt. White collar crime is distroying this country. I personally would let out all non-violent drug offenders to make room for white collar criminals in regular prison.

:boom: My exact thoughts......