Ex-LCCC deanā??s fate depends on hearing

WILKES-BARRE – A former Luzerne County Community College associate dean convicted of stealing more than $17,000 and laptops from the school will soon begin serving his four to 23 months prison sentence.

Peter Paul Moses, 61, of South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, has remained free for more than two years on bail while his attorney appealed his case to the state Superior and Supreme Courts.

In March the Superior Court upheld his conviction and on Nov. 27, the Supreme Court denied a petition to appeal that decision.

Prosecutors now will ask a county judge to schedule a hearing where they will ask for a date for Moses to report to the county prison to begin serving his sentence.

Having exhausted all appeals, Moses' attorney, William Ruzzo, said his client will likely be permitted to serve his sentence on work release.

No hearing date has yet been set.

Moses was sentenced in August 2010 on four counts of theft by Senior Judge Kenneth Brown.

Brown said Moses must also serve four years probation and will be eligible for the county's Intermediate Punishment Program after serving three months in jail.

At the time of Moses' sentencing, Brown said jail time was warranted because the ex-dean did not show remorse or apologize for his actions.

In his appeal to the Superior Court, Moses alleged Brown made erroneous rulings during the trial and was seeking a new trial because Brown also improperly permitted witnesses to testify they saw Moses take money from a cafeteria cash register.

The appeal also challenged a ruling that allowed prosecutors to tell jurors that Moses had filed for bankruptcy during the time frame the thefts occurred.

At his trial in July 2010, Moses testified he never took money from the college's cafeteria and could not account for the two missing laptop computers he was charged with taking.

A jury deliberated for nearly eight hours over a two-day period before finding him guilty.

He was charged in September 2008 with stealing more than $17,000 and two laptop computers from the school.

Moses, who was the associate dean of administration and auxiliary services, oversaw the cafeteria and Educational Conference Center and was paid $73,000 a year in salary.

Prosecutors said the college's business office began receiving complaints about the missing money, and employees were suspicious of Moses.