Commissioner Cerilli won’t comment on campaign money from dead man tied to massage parlor prostitution ring
According to campaign finance records, Cerilli received four donations from Henry “Sonny” Caruso dating back to 2015, including a $500 gift made in August.
Caruso, 49, of Mt. Pleasant, committed suicide in November after he was suspended with pay from his job as a guard at Westmoreland County Prison. Cerilli, along with fellow commissioners Ted Kopas and Charles Anderson, voted for Caruso’s suspension. County officials said the suspension came after they were notified Caruso was part of an ongoing grand jury investigation into human trafficking allegations.
Criminal charges were filed last week against Caruso’s wife, Hui Xu, 44, and four others involving allegations of prostitution and human trafficking at five businesses in Monroeville and Murrysville.
Sonny Caruso was named in the grand jury presentment. Investigators said his bank accounts were used to launder proceeds from the massage parlors, that he drove woman from bus stops to work at the businesses and money from the criminal enterprise was used to pay for Caruso’s vehicles and his daughter’s college tuition.
Doug Chew, a Republican candidate for county commissioner, on Monday called for Cerilli to turn over the money Caruso donated to her campaign to organizations that fight human trafficking.
https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/commissioner-cerilli-wont-comment-on-campaign-money-from-dead-man-tied-to-massage-parlor-prostitution-ring/