Larger text Larger text Smaller text Smaller text

Turnpike ex-chief Rubin facing federal charges of obstruction

By Walter F. Roche Jr., PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, March 11, 2010

Federal prosecutors Wednesday charged the former chairman of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and a close ally of convicted former state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo with obstruction of justice.

In court papers filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, prosecutors accuse Mitchell Rubin, 58, of withholding information from when he was questioned in March 2006 about a $30,000-a-year contract his firm, B&R Professional Services, had with the state Senate.

Barry Gross, Rubin's attorney, declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for acting U.S. Attorney Virginia Gibson.

The filing of an "information" without a grand jury indictment generally means the defendant has agreed to enter a guilty plea. Rubin could face a sentence of up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted.

Fumo, a Democrat, is serving a 55-month sentence at a federal prison in Ashland, Ky., for his conviction on fraud, conspiracy and related charges.

During Fumo's trial, prosecutors charged Rubin received $150,000 over five years from the Senate.

The prosecutors' filing charges that Rubin obstructed justice "by failing to fully and honestly respond to questions" about the contract and the nature of his "relationship with and scope of work for Senator Fumo."

The jury that convicted Fumo also convicted Rubin's wife, Ruth Arnao, of 45 counts of defrauding a nonprofit agency with close ties to Fumo that employed her. Arnao, 56, is serving a sentence of one year and a day at a prison in Lexington, Ky.

Rubin's fate became apparent a year ago when an FBI agent served him with a target letter at the close of the Fumo trial in the courtroom.

Rubin later announced he was taking an indefinite leave of absence from his $28,500 year job as Turnpike Commission chairman. Gov. Ed Rendell fired him within days.

Rendell's office did not respond to a request for comment.

"Save for the fact that Mr. Rubin was Turnpike chairman when he received notification of a federal investigation last year, the case doesn't involve the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission," spokesman Carl DeFebo said.

Rubin was appointed to the commission in 1998 by then-Gov. Tom Ridge. Rendell designated Rubin as chairman of the five-member panel in 2003 and reappointed him in 2006.

Rubin, a suburban Philadelphia resident, owns a process serving and court reporting services firm.


More Pennsylvania headlines

Subscribe to the Tribune-Review today