PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

George Waksmunski
by George Waksmunski Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009 at 11:58 PM
uegeorge@hotmail.com 412.452.8158 3034 Wiggins Street, Pgh. PA. 15219

Garrassment by LAw enforcement of Chrisitna Korbe's family continues and escalates.

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE FAMILY OF

CHRISTINE KORBE

For more information contact George Waksmunski at 412.452.8158

February 12, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PITTSBURGH, PA. Law enforcement continued its harassment against the family of Christina Korbe. Their goal in our opinion is to destroy the support structure of Christine Korbe and terrorize her family and her children.

Mr Roland is a retired senior citizen with a spotless record. He has been a participating member of the National Rifle Association (NRA). His status in the organization is that of “Benefactor member”. He actually has voting rights in the NRA. He also worked as a Pinkerton Security Guard after his retirement.

All weapons which were in his possession were in either locked desk drawers, rooms which are normally locked or buried deeply in the basement or garage which are non living areas of the home. The Roland Family had nothing to do with removing serial numbers from any weapons and any charge to that affect is baseless. The charge is absolutely frivolous.

Gilbert Roland Junior had a Felony arrest 15 years ago. He has never harmed anyone in any way. He has not had any run ins with the law since that time. He is not the owner of any weapons. He lives in the home to assist his family in their hour of need.

Darlene Waksmunski has a spotless record. She works at D&J variety for free to help raise money to defend her sister Christina Korbe..

This is simply another smear tactic to damage Christina Korbe’s ability to defend herself. Law enforcement is keeping their promise to Darlene Waksmunski that they were going to attack everyone in Christina Korbe;s family and “GET THEM”. That’s when the FBI Agent spit at her.
Jocco’s bar in Sharpsburg was raided on the same day as D&J variety. The home of the owner of Jocco’s bar was not raided. Furthermore Mr Roland does not own D&J variety or any of the machines in D&J variety.

This is a continuation of a witch hunt against Christina Korbe’s family and her support structure. If Law enforcement can hurt Christina Korbe’s family then they hurt her. If law enforcement can once again traumatize and terrorize her children then they hurt her. If Law enforcement can cause the death of her elderly mother by stress of a raid on her home that satisfies their objective. Christina’s mother was sent to the hospital in an ambulance the day after the raid on her home. Christines Mother also has a spotless record.

Everything they have done to this point is to extract Revenge, not justice.


END

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unlikely
by pg Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009 at 10:39 AM

Vendetta against Korbes called 'unlikely'
Sunday, February 22, 2009
By Paula Reed Ward, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Since three members of Christina Korbe's family were arrested earlier this month, they have stepped up claims of being subjected to harassment and intimidation by local and federal law enforcement.

"Everything [police] have done to this point is to exact revenge, not justice," Mrs. Korbe's brother-in-law, George Waksmunski, said in a news release. Police respond that they are merely following leads as they investigate the fatal shooting of FBI Special Agent Samuel Hicks on Nov. 19 at Mrs. Korbe's Indiana Township home.

It's a case of a strikingly tone-deaf public relations campaign vs. the grim determination by law enforcement to thoroughly investigate the death of one of its own.

Christina Korbe, 40, is charged with killing Agent Hicks on Nov. 19, when he and a team of officers arrived at the couple's home to serve an arrest warrant on her husband, Robert Korbe.

Already charged in connection with a large-scale cocaine ring, Mr. Korbe, 39, is also accused of faking a burglary at his home to collect $29,000 in insurance money.

The Korbes' relatives have contacted the media and local politicians to complain about their treatment at the hands of law enforcement, saying that they have been followed, spat upon and had their every move scrutinized. They have walked with protest signs outside the federal courthouse during a hearing for Mrs. Korbe.

After Mrs. Korbe's sister, brother and father were charged with unrelated crimes, the family said those prosecutions were evidence of a campaign against them.

But local police said this is how investigations work.

"If we get information, we follow the information," said Allegheny County Police Superintendent Charles Moffatt.

Criminal justice experts said that in any case, as an investigation continues, more and more information about illegal activity can surface. But in a high-profile case, that happens even more frequently. Add a cast of characters constantly seeking publicity, and there is a greater likelihood of an increased number of anonymous tips.

"If you're going to put yourself out there in the public like that, you better have a clean background," said La Roche College criminology professor Larry Likar.

In the Korbe case, her family members have picketed, they've done interviews with local media and sent out a number of news releases.

Then, on Feb. 12, Allegheny County police charged Mrs. Korbe's sister, Darlene Waksmunski, 48, of Polish Hill, and father, Gilbert Roland Sr., 72, of Glenshaw, with misdemeanor counts involving video poker machines at the Korbes' D&J Variety Store in Sharpsburg.

Her brother, Gilbert Roland Jr., 45, also of Glenshaw, was charged with two felony weapons counts, as well as one misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of children. Gilbert Roland Sr. was also charged with a weapons offense and endangering the welfare of children. The endangering charge stemmed from guns that police say were not secured around the Korbes' two children, 5 and 10.

"We think we're being targeted because we're the support structure for Christina Korbe," Mr. Waksmunski said. "The only reason for the raid was a fishing expedition to see how they could damage the family more."

Paul McCauley, a criminology professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, said it's a legitimate question to ask when the investigation into the video poker machines and weapons began. He also said he can understand how the Korbe family may feel that it's being unfairly targeted.

"But I certainly don't think it's true," he said.

Instead, it's perfectly acceptable for law enforcement to expand its investigation, Mr. McCauley said. Often where drugs are involved -- the entire case began with a drug indictment of Christina Korbe's husband, Robert -- there is a connection to gambling, he said.

He added, though, that: "There's a fine line between officers' diligence and police deviance.

"I am not suggesting anyone's doing anything wrong. I'm saying there is that temptation for law enforcement to take care of its own, and that includes building a very strong case. Across that line is manufacturing a case."

But Mr. Likar, a retired FBI agent, said that's highly unlikely.

"Is it possible? Yes. Is it likely? No," he said. "Investigators going in just to get other people out of spite is highly unlikely because the potential repercussions could be too severe."

Those could include violations of internal regulations and possible punishment; hampering a case as it goes to trial because of flawed evidence, and in the extreme, criminal charges.

Frank Monaco, a former major with the Pennsylvania State Police and now chief of police in Plum, said an automatic safety feature is built into the criminal justice system to ensure things like that don't happen.

"The reality is the police always have a check and balance with the prosecutor's office," he said.

As an example, Chief Monaco cited the investigation into the shooting death of state police Cpl. Joseph R. Pokorny on Dec. 12, 2005. Leslie D. Mollett is serving life in prison without parole for first-degree murder in that case, which was investigated by state police.

"At the end of the day, we didn't run willy-nilly with every charge we could," he said. "Everything has to be approved by the DA."

When investigating the death of a colleague, Chief Monaco said, it's essential that the fallen officer's best friends not work the case.

"Obviously, you want people thinking clearly," he said. "You don't want anyone making decisions based on emotions."

In the Korbe case, Mr. Likar said, what likely happened is that the drug investigation involving Robert Korbe spun off into other directions.

"This case wasn't just a homicide, it was a large-scale drug investigation," Mr. Likar said. "Where did the income go? It just leads to uncover other activities."

And while he doesn't think the police investigating the case are doing anything inappropriate, he expects they might take pleasure in making additional arrests.

"It's just the nature of the beast," Mr. Likar said. "They're probably happy to charge them."

That's especially so, he said, when witnesses or family members are uncooperative or belligerent.

"We're scared, but we're defiant," said Mr. Waksmunski. "We're not going to be intimidated."

Paula Reed Ward can be reached at pward@post-gazette.com or 412-263-2620.
First published on February 22, 2009 at 12:00 am

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