Co-defendant's arraignment postponed

CLEVELAND -- Arraignment of Richard E. Detore, 41, of Clifton, Va., on a charge of conspiracy to violate the federal bribery statute, which was set for this Friday in U.S. District Court here, has been postponed to 2 p.m. Nov. 27.
Detore, former chief operating officer of U.S. Aerospace Group, was named as a co-defendant with U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. in a superseding indictment filed Oct. 26.
U.S. Magistrate William H. Baughman Jr. agreed to Detore's request for a postponement of about two weeks to give him time to engage legal counsel.
The government says Detore agreed to conceal mall developer J.J. Cafaro's purchase of Traficant's houseboat by making it appear that someone else bought it. Cafaro, of Liberty, who once ran USAG, has already pleaded guilty to bribing Traficant with nearly $40,000, including cash and the houseboat purchase in return for Traficant's use of his influence to promote USAG's laser guidance technology.
Traficant is still scheduled for arraignment at 2 p.m. Friday on the superseding indictment, which adds a new racketeering charge against him. The superseding indictment updates the original May 4 indictment charging the congressman with racketeering and bribery.