While serving jury duty 10/5/2022-10/6/2022 in Lackawanna County, I glanced out the window and realized I was nearly dead-center with 200 Adams Ave. This used to be a government establishment where I worked years ago, and it is known as a location where both good and bad things took place. The following months after jury duty, I was haunted with a string of bad luck. I lost everything except the clothes on my back. This caused me to break my silence and interrogate myself about a financial scam I developed that took place in the fall of 2017, within the walls of 200 Adams Ave. I have never revealed this information to anyone.
The following self-interrogation is based on true events. Some of what you read you may find disturbing. I apologize in advance.
S.I. Please state your name and date of birth for the record.
P.V. Pablo E. Vizcarrondo III. I was born in Jersey City, NJ on Sept the 23rd 1988, at 11:48 p.m. in Jersey City Medical Center. For the record I am not a lawyer. I am providing this information out of my own free will and from my own experience.
S.I. Where were you working in September of 2017?
P.V. Scranton, PA.
S.I. Can you be more specific?
P.V. 200 Adams Ave. ********************** Lackawanna County Family Court Division.
S.I. What type of statement are you prepared to provide?
P.V. A confession statement to theft by deception.
S.I. Go ahead.
P.V. I was employed by ********************** Lackawanna County Family Court Division from 06-07-07 through 07-24-2019 as a general clerk. The scam began on the Friday before Labor Day of 2017 and lasted until the last day of September 2017.
S.I. So, tell me the first instance of theft.
P.V. The first instance of theft would be on the first day of La Festa Italiana 2017, around August 31st; actually, I believe this took place right on September 1st. Attorney *********** came into the office. I love her dearly. She even bought me an amazing dinner once. She paid me $191.50 cash to have a divorce filed for her client. She actually gave me an envelope and $191.50 was written on the envelope in blue ink, and the money was inside the envelope. It was about 3:43 p.m. After processing the paperwork, alone in the office, I found
and copied a random forma pauperis. I then whited out the names and number on the copy and wrote in the names and number found on the attorney’s complaint. I then scanned in this forma pauperis. I noticed the lasers in the scanner could not detect the whiteout. I shredded the forma pauperis containing the whiteout and printed out the forma pauperis that had been just scanned in. This forma pauperis was then put in the end of the file, right behind the complaint.
I then pocketed the money by wiping out the receipt VIA code F11 and marking the case as forma pauperis granted; this wipes out the receipt as if the money never came across the counter. I then shredded the receipt. I am so sorry to this attorney, but my lights were going to be shut off that same day. I did not know how else to keep my lights on. This was the first time I ever committed this act. It’s actually the first time I ever stole anything.
S.I. Pardon me, sir. I don’t know who this attorney is at the moment, but I hear she’s badass prosecutor currently?
P.V. It’s been rumored. We need those, though. Where would the world be without badass prosecutors?
S.I. Okay… So, what is a forma pauperis?
P.V. It’s translated to a ‘poor man’s form’. I personally like to refer to it as a ‘you do not have to pay form’. You would get this blank form from the family court administrator and then bring it to motion court to have your fees waived.
S.I. So, you would bring this form with you to motion court, tell them your filing for a divorce and that you need your fees waived?
P.V. Right. It could be for divorce, custody, or a number of filings. The motion court judge will usually check your income and ask you questions about your financials and household size, and they usually grant it or deny it by those qualification measures.
S.I. Now, before going further, when you say whiteout?…
P.V. This would be with the whiteout strips. You have the whiteout liquid and then you have the whiteout strips. They usually come in a blue or green tube.
S.I. What would you say to this person if they were listening? P.V. You know… it’s a bit strange the way the dices fell, the way life turned out. This attorney and I have dinner once in a great while; I touched on that earlier a bit. I just never told her this story. You could imagine being at the dinner table eating your salad or sipping your wine, yet you stole $191.50 from the person to the left of you. It leaves you in a state of suspense, and it also humbles you and really makes you think about life, at least for me it did. I would say to both this attorney and my entire management team: I am very sorry. I apologize. I was experiencing a
set of unfortunate circumstances during this time period, and I hope you can all see who I truly am passed this situation.
S.I. I know you can’t touch on jury duty much. Can you give me any snippet about the bad luck?
P.V. It’s October 5th, 2022. I woke up about 5 a.m. to the morning newspaper. Front page, two jurors thrown off jury duty for knowing the defendant. I walked out of my apartment a few hours later to go to jury selection and I was shaking in my shoes. I know every damn person in the courthouse. I could already foresee my face on the front page of the paper the next day for knowing someone in the courtroom. To me, that’s where the bad luck started.
S.I. Good stuff. Well, farewell until next time.
