Schuylkill County Clerk of Courts Stephen M. Lukach Jr. resigned Friday, ending a 27-year tenure under a cloud of suspicion involving alleged misappropriation of money.
At a news conference Friday at the Schuylkill County Courthouse, District Attorney Christine A. Holman and Controller Christy Joy announced that Lukach would resign effective Thursday.
First Deputy Clerk of Courts Paul Steffanic will take Lukach's place until Gov. Tom Corbett appoints a successor or, if that is not done, until a replacement is elected.
"My nerves are shot. It's a sad situation," Steffanic said after the news conference.
Holman and Joy detailed allegations that Lukach, who did not attend the news conference, used public money to make personal car payments and buy items for his own use.
"The primary account from which the payments were coming out of was the automation account," Holman said. "That is an account that is owned by the county."
Holman would not say when, and by whom, criminal charges might be filed against Lukach.
First Assistant District Attorney Maria T. Casey said the U.S. attorney's office, the FBI, the state attorney general's office and the Pennsylvania State Police all have investigations in progress about the Lukach situation.
Neither Lukach nor his lawyer, Frederick J. Fanelli, Pottsville, could be reached Friday for comment on the matter.
Lukach, a Lake Hauto Democrat, is serving his seventh four-year term and is the senior row officer in Schuylkill County. Voters first elected him to the position in 1987 and he has been re-elected every four years ever since.
He made an unsuccessful run in March 2009 for the state Senate against David Argall, R-29, who won, and continues to hold, the position that had been left vacant by the death of state Sen. James J. Rhoades.
Joy, whom Holman credited as being the first person to discover the problem, said the situation came to light in inquiries involving the car, a silver Hyundai.
"The controller's office had asked some specific questions about the automation account," Joy said.
He said Lukach has paid back six of seven payments, totaling approximately $1,100, that he took from the account.
Holman said the probe expanded to include questions involving five sets of checks that have the same number, the same dollar amount and the same date, but are made out to different payees.
"When Mr. Lukach was asked to explain these, he could not, except to say it was a coincidence," Holman said.
Joy said Lukach provided copies of the checks, but he was not satisfied.
"We decided on a tip to subpoena those bank records," he said.
Casey said she and Chief County Detective Dorothy "Dolly" Malec went to Staples to get receipts for items that were bought with money from the automation account, and that Steffanic confirmed that those items, including a laser multifunction copier, a hard drive, toner, a black ink cartridge and H&R Block tax software, were not in the office.
Malec said that until Lukach's resignation becomes official, county detectives and sheriffs' deputies will remain in the courthouse 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure that he does not try to tamper with evidence. Lukach's key card gives him access to the courthouse at any time, Malec said.
"We are going to have to pay for the deputies and detectives to be here," she said.
Holman said she could not comment on other investigations, and her probe does not stem from any dislike of Lukach.
"We all like Steve," she said. "However, we have to do our job. It's unfortunate."
Amanda L. Endy, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Peter J. Smith, said he has no comment on any investigation.
Anthony James Urban, president of the Schuylkill County Bar Association, said Lukach's fate is a sad one, since he and his staff members always have been helpful and efficient.
"For as long as I've been a lawyer, Steve has been the clerk of courts. I think he served the people very well," Urban said. "It's always unfortunate when someone has to step down."
Urban said anything further in the matter will be resolved properly by the courts.
"I have a lot of faith in our judicial system," he said.
Somerset County Prothonotary Angie Svonavec and Jeffrey S. Shank, president and solicitor, respectively, of the Pennsylvania Prothonotaries' and Clerks of Courts' Association, each declined to comment on the Lukach matter.
"It's not within the purview of the association to comment," because the matter is a county affair, Shank, Elizabethtown, said.
Steffanic said he is looking forward to restoring public confidence in the office.
"I want to make sure everything gets straightened out. I just plan on having an open-door policy and doing the best I can for the people of Schuylkill County and making the office as transparent as I can," he said. "I'm looking forward to working with all the county offices."
Assistant District Attorney John Fegley said Steffanic would serve until the person nominated by Corbett is confirmed by the state Senate. Such a confirmation must be by a two-thirds vote.
Fegley said Steffanic or Corbett's nominee would serve until the position is filled in the Nov. 4 General Election. That winner, in turn, would serve the remainder of Lukach's term, which is scheduled to expire at the end of 2015.
Holman said she agreed to allow Lukach to remain until 4:30 p.m. Thursday, which will be the end of both the business day and the next pay period.
"We can live with six days," she said.
Lukach said he would not be coming into the office, which is a good thing, according to Holman.
"We certainly don't want him ... destroying any kind of evidence," she said.