TruemorsSources tell Fox 29 that former TV news anchor Larry Mendte will plead guilty to one felony count for his alleged snooping into the e-mail accounts of his former co-anchor, and that Mendte confessed to the FBI.
Fox 29 has also learned that Mendte was the sole source of leaks to the media about news anchor Alycia Lane.
Sources also tell Fox 29 that Mendte is not expected to serve jail time and he will formally plead guilty in August.
Mendte is accused of reading the e-mail accounts of former co-anchor Alycia Lane without her consent.
Both Mendte and Lane were released from their contracts at KWY-TV in Philadelphia in recent months in a series of widely publicized incidents.
In June, CBS3 fired Mendte as the station read in a prepared statement on a 6 p.m. newscast.
A statement from the station said Mendte was being investigated by the U.S. Attorney's Office but noted that his termination "was based on an independent investigation conducted by CBS."
Sources: Larry Mendte To Plead Guilty, Confessed To Media Leaks
Photo Properties
NP! ID: 1334595
Title: Sources: Larry Mendte To Plead Guilty, Confessed To Media Leaks
File Size: 396 × 243 – 42.94 KB
Created: Mon, 07/21/2008 - 8:32am
Modified: Mon, 07/21/2008 - 8:32am
File Type: image (jpeg)
Licence: None (All rights reserved)
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (1)
at 09:06 on July 21st, 2008
WAS THERE AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE IN THE MENDTE/LANE CAPER?
Scrivener reports from Philadelphia, PA:
According to a source within Fox 29, an employee of CBS-3 who is believed to have been the person who allegedly installed "key capture" software on a station computer was recently terminated from the CBS owned and operated station (KYW-TV).
The source within Fox 29 stated that the terminated employee had the reputation of being something of an agitator, and was suspected by other employee of other usual occurrences in the newsroom. The source did not elaborate.
The firing of this employee thus raises the question: Was this person working behind the scenes in an effort to invite -- induce -- Mr. Mendte into committing a federal crime?
Yes, Mr. Mendte admitted the single charge involving the reading of another employe's private emails -- but how that came about may be the untold portion of this story.
Was there someone above that terminated employee pulling the strings -- and to what end?
Stayed tuned. More coming your way as we learn more.