Authorities charged former Scranton insurance executive Philip Bosha with giving cash to Mr. Eagen in return for appointments as guardian of the estates of elderly people who could no longer manage their own finances.

Mr. Bosha also was charged Wednesday with theft of about $20,000 from the estates, conspiring with former attorney Ronald Worobey to extract another $196,000 from 27 elderly residents and lying to a Lackawanna County grand jury.

Mr. Bosha already is serving a 30-month prison sentence on convictions in federal court in the estates scandal.

Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Granahan, who is prosecuting Mr. Bosha on the new state charges, would not say Wednesday whether Mr. Boshas arrest meant Mr. Eagen also would be charged.

Mr. Eagen could not be reached for comment. His attorney, Paul Walker, said he has not seen the charges and would have no comment.

He noted, however, that in the past the judge has vehemently denied receiving payoffs from Mr. Bosha and has called such allegations a complete fabrication.

Mr. Walker also questioned Mr. Boshas credibility, noting that the charges against him include lying to a grand jury.

If he lied to one grand jury, what is to say he did not lie to subsequent grand juries? the attorney asked.

Mr. Bosha frequently hired Mr. Worobey, who is serving a two-year federal sentence for abusing estates and guardianships in Lackawanna County, to serve as legal counsel for estates.

Mr. Worobey has admitted to overbilling the estates for his services. As guardian, Mr. Bosha then would approve the bills. Mr. Worobey said he would kick back one third of his overall bill to Mr. Bosha.

District Attorney Michael Barrasse said the state charges expose Mr. Bosha to 23 more years in prison if he is convicted.

Mr. Bosha was charged shortly after he arrived in Scranton from a federal prison in Kentucky.

He was arraigned before District Justice Alyce Hailstone Farrell. Mrs. Farrell ordered him held on $25,000 unsecured bail. She explained that the bail would go into effect only if Mr. Bosha is released from his federal sentence.

Miss Granahan would not say whether the same grand jury that reportedly has recommended criminal charges against Mr. Eagen recommended the charges against Mr. Bosha.

The grand jury issued the presentment in December, but at Miss Granahans request, it was immediately sealed and remains sealed.

While he was a member of the Lackawanna County bench, Mr. Eagen served as Orphans Court judge and was responsible for appointing guardians to handle the estates of incapacitated elderly people.

Mr. Eagen allegedly provided Mr. Bosha with official-looking stationery, allowed him to have his mail delivered to the judges chambers, offered him use of his chambers to conduct guardianship business, and had him review, at county expense, virtually every guardianship case that came before the court.

An affidavit filed along with the warrants for Mr. Boshas arrest quoted Mr. Bosha as telling a grand jury in October that he made five cash payments to Mr. Eagen. Four of the payments were made in the judges former chambers, according to the affidavit.