A former local politician was sentenced by a federal judge today to 12 months imprisonment for bribery.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that former Old Forge Borough council president Robert Semenza, Jr. pleaded guilty to "soliciting, demanding, and accepting cash payments in exchange for performing and promising to perform official acts" between 2019 and 2020.
In a release, the Middle District of Pennsylvania said Semenza accepted money then agreed to advocate on behalf of a local business owner to resolve a civil suit.
Semenza was also ordered to undergo one year of supervised release after imprisonment.
During sentencing, Judge Malachy Mannion said the public corruption offense has negatively affected the public’s trust in elected officials.