Mar 16, 2005 2 min read

PITTSBURGH – Two Brownsville residents will spend nearly three years in federal prison and pay more than $1.5 million in restitution after being convicted of fraud resulting from the nonprofit organization the Lynn Road residents operated. U.S. District Judge David Cercone sentenced Lawrence McGeehan, 53, of 124 Lynn Road and Kathleen Haluska, 53, of 128 Lynn Road to 34 months incarceration and $1.6 million in restitution fees for their connection to fraudulent activities by the Benjamin Franklin Technical Center.

The center is now known as Innovative Technologies.

According to U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan, the two worked as the president and vice-president of the technology center, where, from September of 1994 through June of 1998, the corporation funded by the state and the U.S. Navy had contracts initiated for costly, inappropriate programs.

The technology center administered financial support during the late 1990s to technological development as well as a Navy research programs for defense applications.

According to Cercone, McGeehan and Haluska abused their authority by misspending public funding on costly programs and deliberately attempted to hide their actions from the center’s board.

Cercone said that while the individuals did not reap personal gain, abuse of the public trust is a serious offense.

Buchanan agreed: “These convictions and sentences should serve to remind persons associated with public service organizations of the importance of diligent oversight of management.