Penn. Paramedic who Sued Mayor No Longer Under Investigation

Sept. 16--A criminal investigation into a Wilkes-Barre paramedic who sued Mayor Tom Leighton has been closed, a federal judge said in court documents filed Monday.

Details about the nature of the investigation were not released, but paramedic Tyler Hammond has previously claimed that Leighton wrongly accusing him of running a satirical Facebook page that mocked Leighton and his administration.

In his lawsuit filed in September 2013, Hammond claims the city attempted to discipline him based on suspicion he was behind the Facebook page.

Hammond claims the city's attempt to discipline him was retaliation for a previous 2009 lawsuit he and his wife filed against Leighton regarding alleged "corrupt dealings" behind the sale of the Old River Road Bakery.

The couple wanted to buy a sliver of the bakery property and alleged Leighton and assistant city attorney William Vinsko completed a "back-door deal" when the city abruptly pulled the property from a September 2009 tax sale and agreed to sell it to then-towing contractor and Leighton campaign contributor Leo Glodzik III. The city had planned to sell the property to Glodzik for $38,000, far below the county assessed value of $478,300. The sale was called off after the lawsuit. Harrold's Pharmacy eventually purchased the property to build a new pharmacy.

In June, U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion dismissed the bakery lawsuit, which the Hammonds had filed against Leighton, Vinsko, the city, and Glodzik. The Hammonds have appealed.

On Monday, Mannion noted that Hammond's lawsuit over Leighton's alleged retaliation can now move forward since a criminal investigation against Hammond is now closed. Mannion had ordered a delay in the case while the investigation was ongoing.

The court order does not indicate who was conducting the investigation or the results of the probe.

A conference call on the status of the case was scheduled for Oct. 14.

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2055, @cvbobkal

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