PA lawyer to plead guilty in $2.5M corruption case

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Federal prosecutors say a Pennsylvania lawyer who allegedly tried to cover up payments he made to a pair of judges in a $2.5 million corruption case will plead guilty.

Prosecutors said Tuesday that 49-year-old Robert Powell of Hazleton falsified records to hide the true income of former Luzerne County judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan. They said Powell also transferred tens of thousands of dollars in cash to Conahan to avoid federal income taxes.

The former judges have pleaded guilty to accepting payoffs in exchange for placing juveniles in detention facilities operated by companies that Powell co-owned. Their sentencings are pending.

Powell's lawyer said Powell realized he made a mistake. He faces a maximum sentence of more than five years.