WARREN Recycling employees indicted on criminal damaging charges

The wood that was being brought to the company was coming from a cabinet maker in Geauga County, a defense attorney says.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Warren Recycling Inc. and several of its employees are facing charges over the dumping of wood products.
Stephanie Beougher, a spokeswoman from the Ohio Attorney General's Office, said Tuesday that Warren Recycling, 300 Martin Luther King Blvd., was indicted on a felony charge of illegal open dumping. She also said that company officials have been indicted on misdemeanor criminal damaging charges over allegations that they dumped wood that came from a factory, not a construction or demolition site.
Warren Recycling has a landfill permit for construction and demolition debris, but it does not have a solid waste permit, Beougher said.
"If the wood is coming from an industrial process, it is a solid waste," Beougher said.
Charges: Richard B. Jones, 44, of Parkman Road, and Anthony DiCenso III, 38, of Fairway Drive, employees of Warren Recycling, and Ronald Luri, 49, of Brecksville, a Browning-Ferris Industries employee, were secretly indicted on the misdemeanor criminal damaging charge.
DiCenso and Jones pleaded innocent to the charges. Both were released on $1,000 bonds and are due back in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court in two weeks for pretrials.
Atty. Steve Bell of Cleveland, who represents Warren Recycling, entered an innocent plea on the company's behalf. A pretrial has been scheduled for Nov. 26.
Luri is scheduled to appear in court later this week. Court officials declined to say how Luri was involved with Warren Recycling.
Atty. James Fredericka, who represents DiCenso and Jones, declined to comment.
Where wood came from: Bell, however, said the wood that was being brought to the company was coming from a cabinet manufacturer in Geauga County. Bell said as far as he knows, the wood caused no ecological harm.
"This is the same wood that is in most kitchens and bathrooms," Bell said.
Brad L. Tammaro, an assistant attorney general with the environmental enforcement section, who is assigned to the case, could not be reached to comment. Sean O'Brien, an assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, declined to comment.
Mayor Hank Angelo said Warren Recycling is a transfer center for the city.
He explained that all the trash in Warren is taken to the center and then Warren Recycling takes the garbage to solid waste landfills.
He said the indictments will not cause the city to stop using the facility.
"They have done an excellent job for us," Angelo said. "There is no reason for this indictment to affect our contract."
sinkovich@vindy.com