Trial to begin in forgery case involving late judge

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Testimony will begin Wednesday in an unusual federal trial born of marital strife that judges in Pittsburgh could not hear because it involves the forged signature of their dead U.S. District Court colleague.

Steven Grados, a retired state trooper, is accused of sending a fake document and court order from the late U.S. District Judge Gary Lancaster in an attempt to persuade a state agency to reduce pension payments to his ex-wife, Karen Lanier, and gain more pension money for himself.

U.S. District Judge Kim Gibson, who presides in Johnstown, will conduct the trial in Pittsburgh because judges here recused themselves.

A jury was selected Tuesday and opening statements are set for this morning.

Mr. Grados, 51, of Monongahela, was indicted last year on charges of mail fraud and forgery of a U.S. court seal.

A grand jury said he sent bogus documents in 2014 to the State Employee Retirement System in Harrisburg, the agency that oversees state pensions.

He is accused of forging Judge Lancaster’s signature on a memorandum opinion directing the office to reduce payments to Ms. Lanier, dating the order for April 1, 2013 and sending it in May 2014.

Judge Lancaster died on April 24, 2013.

He had presided over a 2011 lawsuit that Mr. Grados had brought against his exwife, her attorney and a judge in Illinois in which he accused them of conspiring against him in an Illinois divorce action in violation of his civil rights.

Judge Lancaster threw out that case.

Ms. Lanier is expected to testify against her ex-husband.