If crime never sleeps why didn’t anybody answer the telephone at Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce’s office when I called 570-825-1674 at 1:13 p.m. and 1:14 p.m. on Friday? I let the phone ring and ring and ring until the ringing automatically turned into a busy signal.
Who knows what mayhem might have been breaking out all over? Maybe county crime busters were out looking for vulnerable undocumented immigrants. Or maybe the DA and his crew were just asleep at the switch.
So I called 570-825-1675, the second number listed for the DA’s office on his page on the official Luzerne County website. A recorded voice told me “The number you have dialed is not valid. Please check the number and try again.”
Again the line went to a busy signal. When I called twice more I received the same recording. At 1:25 p.m. I called the original number and finally reached a human.
I identified myself. I asked for Sam. “Hold, please,” she said.
As I waited a recorded voice informed me “We appreciate your business,” like I was calling a beer distributorship in South Wilkes-Barre instead of trying to reach the chief public service law enforcement officer of Luzerne County.
When the DA’s office telephone answerer came back on the line she said the DA’s personal secretary was not answering her telephone.
“Maybe she’s at lunch,” she said offering to take a message.
I explained I merely wanted to confirm Sam did or did not receive the three emails I sent him during the past two weeks asking if his staff has yet received federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) training. Sam is the first DA in Pennsylvania to sign onto the 287(g) program that authorizes DA’s office detectives to cooperate with ICE and apprehend immigrants. Detectives must receive ICE training before depleting county resources to help ICE, a federal government agency that receives more public money than any law enforcement agency in the United States.
Why trumpet the big blowhard announcement Sanguedolce made back in June to accept Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s invitation to skate with her in the racist ICE Capades unless he expected to quickly get training for his enforcers?
Talk about thin ICE.
An ICE spokesman in Philadelphia also did not respond to questions about whether Luzerne County’s wannabe J. Edgar Hoover got the required training for his Junior G-Men.
Of course our intrepid district attorney never got back to me.
Sam’s resume on the county website says, “In this year’s Primary Election, Sam won both the Republican and Democrat nomination for another term as District Attorney, and was elected to serve another fouryear term in November of 2023.”
Even Luzerne County, the land that time forgot, is wrapping up 2025, Sam.
And “fouryear” should not be one word.
I wonder what Sam Sanguedolce’s immigrant ancestors, whose Italian surname translates into the term “sweet blood,” would think about his sour bloodthirsty willingness to help terrify tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free? Don’t expect this aloof right-wing Republican political opportunist to lift the lamp beside the golden door.
Sanguedolce’s shoddy professionalism should show the ICE goon squad they chose the wrong border posse with which to ride the range. ICE has more than its own share of brainpower problems without partnering with the gang that couldn’t spell, respond to simple questions or think straight.
