Delco Councilman Gets Prison For Kickback Scheme: DA

A former Delaware County municipal councilman will spend 6.4 to 32 years in prison for getting kickbacks on bogus security work in various municipal buildings, according to Delaware County authorities.

Edward M. Mitchell, former Upland Borough councilman, was sentenced to 6.4 to 32 years and restitution for receiving kickbacks on highly inflated costs for security systems installed in various borough buildings and billing for items that were never installed, Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland announced recently.

Mitchell, 75, was sentenced by Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Judge John Capuzzi and was immediately remanded to the George W. Hill Correctional Facility to begin serving his sentence term of 6.4 to 32 years, authorities said.

Mitchell was convicted by a jury on July 20 of six counts of theft by deception, 12 counts of criminal conspiracy, 18 counts of bribery, and six counts of restricted activities, according to the DA's office.

Mitchell was charged following an investigation which began on March 3, 2016, when Delaware County's Criminal Investigation Division was notified by Upland Borough Mayor Michael Ciach that he had discovered a covert camera system installed in the Upland Borough Municipal Building, authorities said.

That same day, CID Detectives Robert Lythgoe and Edmond Pisani went to the Upland Borough Municipal Building and found the camera system, which was disguised as motion sensors for the building alarm system, along with hidden microphones, the DA's office said.

During the investigation, authorities learned that multiple security systems, including cameras and recording devices, were installed by Logan Technology in various Upland Borough buildings, including covert recording devices in the Borough Council Chambers and cameras in the secretary’s office, according to the DA's office.

Further investigation revealed that a total of 275 invoices totaling $914,000 was paid by Upland Borough to Thomas Willard of Logan Technology Solutions from October 2009 to December 2015, the DA's office said.

Authorities said Mitchell got kickbacks of between 10 and 20 percent of various invoices submitted by Logan Technology.

Mitchell told borough staff to pay the invoices immediately, despite work being done on several occasions, and – contrary to borough rules – the bills were not submitted for approval by council, according to the DA's office.

In one instance, Mitchell authorized a payment to Willard in the amount of over $30,000 for cameras that had never been ordered, later concocting a story claiming the equipment had been stolen, and re-billing the borough for more than $15,000, authorities said.

Through the course of the investigation it was determined that some of the systems included the covert recording devices, installed at Mitchell’s direction for the purpose of intercepting conversations, the DA's office said.

"Mr. Mitchell had a sworn duty to serve the residents of Upland Borough, which he egregiously violated, through his orchestration of kickbacks for his own personal, selfish gain, to line his own pockets with money at our hardworking taxpayers’ expense. I hold elected officials to a higher standard of conduct, and Edward Mitchell’s criminal behavior and violation of public trust is not only disappointing, but downright deplorable. As a convicted felon, Mr. Mitchell has now been stripped of the cloak of innocence, and will begin serving his lengthy and well-deserved prison term starting today," said District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland. "I would like to commend CID Detectives Timothy Deery and Robert Lythgoe, Edward Lowitz from our Economic Crime Unit, and Maria Breen from the Villanova University Forensic Cooperative Program, for their excellent investigative work and for the detailed forensic accounting on this extremely complicated case which took a great deal of focus, time and persistence. I would also like to commend Assistant District Attorney Mary Mann, for her outstanding prosecutorial skills in pursuing this case of public corruption, and for methodically and successfully proving the charges against Edward Mitchell and bringing this case to justice for the people of Delaware County."

Image via Delaware County District Attorney's Office