Former Senator Musto Pleads Not Guilty to New Charges
By: Eric Deabill
Updated: October 24, 2012
Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County - A former state senator from Luzerne County pleaded not guilty to additional corruption charges Wednesday.
Ray Musto of Luzerne County was back in front of a federal judge to face arraignment on two new criminal counts.
Musto is now facing a total of eight criminal counts.
Last week, prosecutors indicted Musto on two counts of corrupt receipt of rewards for cash payments he allegedly received in 2006 and 2008.
The 83-year-old got little sympathy from the public.
"Like the old saying, to coin a phrase, if you dance to the music you have to pay the piper and in this case," Dennis Pisano of Wilkes-Barre said. "I feel no empathy for this man. He broke the law. He needs to pay for what he did."
In 2010, Musto was charged with accepting money from a local developer.
Last week, the two additional charges involved allegations that Musto accepted two $1,000 cash payments from a municipal official in return for supporting state loans to that person's community.
His attorneys have said Musto is too ill to stand trial.
"If you do the crime you can do the time," Patricia Conner of Wilkes-Barre said.
In court papers, Musto's attorneys say the former longtime legislator suffers from liver disease.
"I think that's a cop out," Alyssa McAndrew of Hanover Township said.
"It's sad that we live in a world today where morals and values have just gone out the window," Pisano said.
Musto is currently slated to stand trial in mid-November. His attorney says that could change because of the additional charges that were just added.
