TRUMBULL COUNTY Howland chief tells of raid in December

The police chief said he issued the press release because he was told the search warrant was going to be unsealed Tuesday.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HOWLAND -- Police Chief Steve Lamantia, under the direction of federal and local authorities, released a statement Tuesday saying the FBI, Warren police and Howland Township police searched the Springwood Trace home of Leslie and Anthony Cornicello in December and seized $10,000 cash, numerous bars of silver, assorted gambling paraphernalia and a computer.
No arrests have been made.
Lamantia issued the release because he was told by federal and local officials the search warrant would be unsealed Tuesday. The warrant from Trumbull County Common Pleas Court remains under seal.
An FBI probe into illegal gambling operations has been ongoing for months. John J. Kane, agent in charge of the FBI's Youngstown office, could not be reached.
Dave Toepfer, an assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, said his office was not contacted about the press release and had no comment.
A second warrant
The release also says a second search warrant was served by Warren police in March to "obtain the contents of the information contained on the computer, concerning the gambling operation." That warrant also remains sealed.
Warren police and FBI agents raided the Carlton Drive N.W. home of siblings Lucy and Robert Perfette last week and confiscated more than $400,000. No arrests were made.
Officials said about $455,000 in cash was hidden inside, but they would not say how the money was found or what prompted the raid.
The FBI said the money is believed to be from a gambling operation a brother, Joseph J. Perfette, ran in the 1980s and 1990s.
The FBI and city police also executed 21 federal search warrants in Niles, Warren and Lordstown in November.
Those warrants say numerous gambling records, football pool cards and betting slips were confiscated.
No arrests have been made, and no indictments have been issued.
Officials said a federal grand jury in Cleveland has begun hearing the evidence in that case.
sinkovich@vindy.com