Ratkovich expected to plead guilty

July 17, 2009

By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com

Three New Castle residents charged in a mortgage fraud scheme will appear in federal court later this month.

The alleged conspiracy centers on Affordable Housing of Lawrence County, a defunct nonprofit housing agency created in 2003 by the Lawrence County Housing Authority.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh is claiming that Nicholas DeRosa, 64, of 221 N. Cascade St. and Robert Ratkovich, 40, of 512 Norwood Ave. plotted to defraud First Commonwealth in connection with the purchase of seven properties by Affordable Housing.

Ratkovich will appear before U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond at 10 a.m. July 28. The former housing authority maintenance supervisor is charged with one count of bank and mail fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy.

According to court records, Ratkovich will waive his indictment, arraignment and plea hearing. The action signals a defendant’s intent to enter a guilty plea.

DeRosa will be arraigned at 9:30 a.m. July 30 before U.S. Magistrate Amy Reynolds Hay. A federal grand jury indicted the retired New Castle school administrator on one count of bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy.

The government will ask DeRosa to post a $10,000 bond.

In conjunction with DeRosa’s indictment, the U.S. Attorney’s Office refiled a charge against Anthony J. Staph Jr., 43, of 132 Firestone Drive.

A real estate appraiser, Staph entered a not guilty plea to one count of bank fraud in February.
When Staph was named in the same indictment as DeRosa, the government dropped the earlier charge and then reintroduced it. Staph’s arraignment will take place at 9:30 a.m. July 21 before Hay.