Friday, June 27, 2003
It is not known if the defendant will offer a plea next week, a defense attorney says.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A Warren man facing a bribery charge is scheduled for a federal court hearing July 1.
James F. Nicolaus is scheduled to appear in Judge Ann Aldrich's courtroom, according to his attorney, Sam Bluedorn.
A bill of information was filed last week in U.S. District Court in Cleveland as part of a bribery charge made against Nicolaus, 46, of Hazelwood Drive, Warren.
Nicolaus is identified as having owned and operated T & amp;J Construction and J & amp;J Enterprises.
"We are in the process of trying to work out something but I am not sure if he is going to enter a plea next week or not," Bluedorn said. He noted that his client has cooperated fully with federal officials.
The six-page information document says Nicolaus conspired with two public officials and others to obtain city contracts.
Accusations
Nicolaus is accused of paying thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for the contracts in a scheme that began in the early 1990s and lasted until June 2000, according to the government.
Federal officials have declined to identify the public officials. No current or former city officials have been indicted. Three other contractors, however, have been convicted.
James Matash, owner of M & amp;M Construction, which demolished the Regency Hotel in 2000, was sentenced in 2001 to more than a year in prison for unlawfully acquiring that contract. He was convicted of one count of bribery for agreeing to pay a city official $5,000.
Dante Massacci Jr., 34, of Shadowwood Lane, Howland, and Dante "Dundy" Massacci Sr., 79, of Central Parkway Avenue Southeast, pleaded guilty in December to one count each of violating the Hobbs Act, a federal law targeting public officials who extort bribes.
The two operated South Main Sand and Gravel, which is no longer in business. They were accused of paying off a Warren city official to get a half-dozen city construction contracts over three years.
Each was sentenced April 1 to a year and one day in prison. They were scheduled to report to prison June 3 but were granted an extension to July 14.
sinkovich@vindy.com