Former Youngstown mayor, finance director swept up in expanding corruption probe
YOUNGSTOWN, OH (WOIO) - A Mahoning County grand jury has indicted the former Youngstown mayor, Charles Sammarone, and finance director, David Bozanich, on high-level public corruption charges.
The indictment is part of an ongoing public corruption probe, which includes a Northeast Ohio businessman, Dominic Marchionda, who was previously indicted on corruption charges last year, according to a press release issued by the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
Sammarone, 75, of Youngstown, was indicted on the following charges:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, first-degree felony
- Nine counts of bribery, third-degree felony
- Three counts of tampering with records, third-degree felony
- One count of falsification, a misdemeanor of the first degree
Bozanich, 61, of Youngstown, was indicted on the following charges:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, first-degree felony
- Two counts of aggravated theft, first-degree felony
- Fifteen counts of bribery, third-degree felony
- One count of obstructing justice, fifth-degree felony
The former city officials were swept up in a wider investigation involving Marchionda, 58, whose affiliated businesses were previously indicted last October on charges including corruption, aggravated theft, money laundering, receiving stolen property, tampering with records and telecommunications fraud.
The indictment includes new charges of theft pertaining to insurance funds for the Legal Arts building, and money laundering for "cleaning" stolen insurance funds related to the Legal Arts building.
Sammarone served as mayor of Youngstown from 2011 to 2013. The indictment alleges that Sammarone solicited and received recurring cash payments from a vendor in return for steering projects to the company.
Bozanich served as finance director of Youngstown until December 2017. The indictment alleges that Bozanich received benefits from several individuals, and in return, agreed to assist in securing public funding from the city for economic development projects, including Marchionda's.
"The people of Youngstown deserve to have confidence in their elected officials, but the indictments announced today show a repeated pattern of bribery and corrupt activity," said Attorney General Mike DeWine in a prepared statement. "There has been tremendous cooperation in this case from my office, Auditor of State Dave Yost, Prosecutor Paul Gains, Sheriff Jerry Green, and others who have worked hard to bring these charges to light in order to seek justice."
This ongoing case is being investigated by the Ohio Auditor of State's Public Integrity Assurance Team with the assistance of the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department. The Ohio Attorney General's Office is serving as special assistant prosecutor with Mahoning County in this case.
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