MCDONALD Mayor awaits word on documents

Mayor James W. Border turned over two packets of documents last April.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
McDONALD -- Almost a year after he turned over materials to the FBI, the village mayor is still awaiting word.
"I haven't heard anything," Mayor James W. Border said. "I really don't know what to think about that."
Last April, Border turned over two packets of documents dealing with paving work done by Asphalt Specialists Inc., Prime Contractors and Hardrives Paving and Construction Inc. Border said the materials included copies of contracts between the village and the companies and other documents.
All the companies are now out of business.
Border said he has heard nothing and has no contact with Special Agent Pete Proch, who took the information.
Proch did not return calls inquiring about the status of the investigation.
Traficant case
Border said his decision to approach the FBI with the information came after hearing testimony in former Congressman James Traficant's trial on racketeering charges.
Anthony Bucci and James R. Sabatine, former owners of the companies, testified at the trial about substandard work and shoddy materials they used on several paving jobs in the Mahoning Valley, as well as bribes they gave to the former federal legislator.
"Basically, after hearing the testimony in the trial, I wanted to make sure that we didn't lose any tax money on any of those projects," Border said.
"I didn't know whether any of the documents meant anything, but I thought maybe they could look into it."
In relation to the Traficant trial, Bucci was not prosecuted for any crime, while Sabatine was sentenced to five months in a federal community-based halfway facility, followed by five months of house arrest.
The bulk of the case against Sabatine, however, did not involve Traficant.
slshaulis@vindy.com