Luzerne County Woman Sentenced To Prison For Money Laundering Conspiracy And Obstruction Of Justice

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Christina Strom, a Luzerne County woman, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison by Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie, sitting by designation as a judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Christina Strom, age 42, of Dallas, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in January of 2006 to charges of money laundering conspiracy and obstruction of justice.  Strom was sentenced to prison for her role in laundering tens of thousands of dollars in cash proceeds of crimes committed by her then boyfriend, Hugo Selenski, and for obstructing the investigation into the murders of Michael Kerkowski and Tammy Fassett.  Hugo Selenski and Paul Weakley were convicted of the murders and are presently serving life sentences.  Strom testified against Selenski in his state court trial as part of her agreement to cooperate with the government.  Her cooperation was a major factor in the government’s position that the sentence should be below the applicable federal sentencing guidelines and in the sentence imposed by Judge Vanaskie.

The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police, detectives of the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys William S. Houser and John Gurganus prosecuted the case.

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