Former Aide To U.S. Senator Facing Additional Theft Charges

UPPER ST. CLAIR, PA - Additional criminal charges have been filed against a Pittsburgh lobbyist and onetime aide to former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum.

Joseph Kuklis, 48, was arrested in August and charged with defrauding six local businesses by charging fees for grant applications he never submitted. Since then, 14 other entities have come forward and said they were victimized in similar fashion.

“Since my office arrested Joseph Kuklis last month for defrauding six small businesses, 14
additional entities have come forward to report that the defendant also failed to deliver on hundreds of thousands of dollars of grant funding he promised to them,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement.

"I will not allow anyone to take advantage of our small businesses, nonprofits, universities and schools that contribute so much to our Commonwealth. My Office will continue working to hold the defendant accountable for his crimes and deliver justice for those he harmed.”

Kuklis was charged with additional counts of deceptive or fraudulent business practices, forgery and theft by deception.

Shapiro identified the additional alleged victims as Seton Hill University; Phipps Conservatory; It's About The Warrior Foundation; Allegheny River Development Corporation; Steel Bridge Consulting; Rapid TPC LLC; Re2 Robotics; Alung Technologies Inc.; Innovu; Glen Montessori School; Mt. Nebo Development LP and Regional Learning Alliance.

The investigation is ongoing and there could be additional victims, Shapiro said.