Janitorial spending declines sharply

Officials say several people have been secretly indicted in the investigation.
By PEGGY SINKOVICHand STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Shutting off numerous vendors and prohibiting the head of the maintenance department from purchasing janitorial supplies has saved Trumbull County hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In the first 10 months of 2003, Trumbull County spent about $32,925 to buy all the toilet paper, trash bag liners, glass cleaner and other janitorial supplies it needed, county records say.
In 2001 -- the last full year before news articles in The Vindicator prompted officials to look into maintenance department practices -- the department spent $545,396 on supplies.
"It is unfortunate we had to find out about it this way," said Commissioner Joseph J. Angelo Jr. "This is the way it should have been since day one."
Shortly after The Vindicator began running the stories in August 2002, county Prosecutor Dennis Watkins launched an investigation and asked the state Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation and the state auditor's office for help.
'Bare bones budget'
Al DeVengencie, acting maintenance director, said he thinks one of the reasons the spending is so low now is because the county is working on a "bare-bones budget."
"We laid off janitors," DeVengencie said. "We are only are doing the minimum so we aren't ordering as much, and plus, we have also been working with some of the products that were still part of our inventory."
Because of county budget problems, employees in all departments were laid off early this year. The number of maintenance custodians was cut back from 13 to two.
"Some of the savings are because we were getting gouged before," Angelo said. "Some of it is that we are using what we have, so we don't have to buy much."
Indictments
Since the investigation began, three people, including Tony Delmont, the former maintenance director, have been indicted. Officials say the investigation is continuing and several others have been secretly indicted. The identities of those indicted won't be revealed until they are arrested.
Prosecutor Dennis Watkins declined to comment last week.
Prosecutors say Delmont, as maintenance director, bought hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of unneeded cleaning supplies in exchange for bribes from vendors.
In a hearing before Delmont's termination by the county, prosecutors said he stole about $400,000 from the county since 1998.
One vendor, Barry Jacobson of Envirochemical Inc. in Bedford Heights, said in a sworn statement that Delmont said some of the bribes would be distributed to other county officials. No other county officials have been charged in the scheme.
Jacobson pleaded guilty in connection with bribing Delmont and helping him to steal taxpayer funds.
Delmont has pleaded innocent to bribery, theft in office and money laundering. His wife, Karen, also has pleaded innocent to a charge of money laundering. Prosecutors say she cashed checks on Delmont's behalf.
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