Ex-Crestwood officials avoid prison
A federal judge has blamed an uncharged ex-mayor as she declined to imprison two former water officials for lying about mixing tainted well water into Crestwood’s drinking supply.
Judge Joan Gottschall sentenced both Theresa Neubauer and Frank Scaccia Thursday to two years’ probation.
Gottschall said the ailing Scaccia would likely die in prison and she called Neubauer “a low-level soldier” in a scheme led by then-Crestwood Mayor Chester Stranczek.
Gottschall said she understood Stranczek’s own deteriorating health made filing charges against him impossible.
Crestwood mixed the contaminated water with cleaner but pricier water. Prosecutors said Stranczek wanted to score political points by pointing to low village water rates.
There’s no telephone listing for Stranczek in Crestwood. Stranczek’s former attorney says he no longer represents him.