TRUMBULL COUNTY Accused ordered to pay past fees

Pirko must register with the county, the chief building official says.
By PEGGY SINKOVICHand STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A boiler repairman who did hundreds of thousands of dollars of work for the county and pleaded innocent earlier this week to criminal charges now faces more problems.
Peter M. Marchese, the county's chief building official, sent a letter to Dennis Pirko, the owner and sole employee of Northern Engineering, earlier this week advising Pirko to cease doing work within the county's jurisdiction because he is not registered to do so.
To register, Pirko must show that he has obtained certification from the Ohio Construction Industry Examining and Licensing Board. According to state records, Pirko has not been certified since 1995.
Pirko also must pay all registration fees for the last five years.
"This department has evidence to suggest that you performed work in areas of Trumbull County during this time without paying required annual registration fees and obtaining job permits, where necessary," Marchese's letter states.
The annual fee for registration is $200 and the late fee is 100 percent, Marchese's letter states.
"You must pay $2,000 to the Trumbull County Building Department as restitution for this failure to register before you will be registered by this department," the letter says.
Innocent plea
Pirko pleaded innocent Tuesday to charges of bribery, theft, money laundering and failure to file state tax returns. He is free on a $50,000 bond.
Pirko is accused of double-billing the county for $1,375 by submitting the same invoice in both March and April 2001, the indictment says.
He also is accused in the indictment of bribing maintenance director Tony Delmont in 1998 with two checks, one for $400, the other for $500. Both checks were made out to cash and deposited in the account of a friend of Delmont's.
Pirko has said the checks were for the purchase of tangible goods.
Pirko also is accused of money laundering on allegations he hid the purpose of the transaction by passing the money through Delmont's friend's bank account.
He also will face charges of failing to file state tax returns between 1998 and 2002.
siff@vindy.comsinkovich@vindy.com