91-year-old judge who presided over "kids for cash" case is missing

SCRANTON, Pa. - A 91-year-old federal judge who recently stopped hearing cases due to health issues has been reported missing from his Pennsylvania home.

The U.S. Marshals Service said it’s looking for Edwin Kosik, who was last seen at his home outside Scranton around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. The Marshals Service said Kosik is driving a gray 2015 Acura with driver’s side damage and may be “at special risk of harm or injury.”

The Marshals Service planned a news conference Thursday to discuss Kosik’s disappearance.

The (Scranton) Times-Tribune reported last month that Kosik would no longer hear cases because of health issues. The paper quoted his son, attorney Michael Kosik, as saying the judge had a difficult time recovering from broken ribs he suffered in two falls.

Kosik became inactive but kept his chambers. He’s still listed as a judge on the website of the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Kosik was appointed to the federal bench in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. He’s best known for presiding over the notorious “kids for cash” case, in which two local judges were accused of taking money from the developer of a pair of for-profit detention centers.

The judges pleaded guilty to federal charges, but Kosik rejected the deal, saying they hadn’t fully accepted responsibility for the crimes. Kosik sentenced one judge to 17 1/2 years and the other judge to 28 years in prison.