TRUMBULL COUNTY Delmont had borrowed equipment, officials say

Taking county equipment home is a violation of county rules, officials say.
By STEPHEN SIFFand PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County Maintenance Director Tony Delmont not only helped vendors steal $400,000 from the county over the past four years, he also borrowed his employers' leaf bagger for a year without asking, prosecutors say.
Last week, employees of the county maintenance department retrieved a Billy Goat lawn vacuum from Delmont's garage after failing to find it around the courthouse.
"Someone called my department saying it couldn't be located," Sheriff Thomas Altiere said. "We then had someone call maintenance, and someone there remembered that Tony Delmont had borrowed it."
The machine is worth $400 to $500, acting Maintenance Director Al DeVengencie said. New models from the company are listed on Internet catalogs between $725 and $2,895.
Responses
Taking county equipment home is a violation of county rules, Human Resources Director Jim Keating said.
Commissioner James Tsagaris said he wasn't aware the equipment was missing.
"This is the first time I'm hearing about it," Tsagaris said.
The matter has been sent to Prosecutor Dennis Watkins' office for review. Watkins declined to comment.
"All I know is that I was told that it was missing, and I said to get it back here now," DeVengencie said. "When I came back to work on Friday, it was here, and that is good with me."
There was no wrongdoing involved with the borrowing of the lawn vacuum, said Atty. Robert Shaker, Delmont's legal counsel. He declined to comment further.
Delmont's future
Delmont has already been suspended from his job, from which he has been absent on workers' compensation since February. He has pleaded innocent to a seven-count indictment alleging money laundering, theft in office and bribery.
Commissioners are expected to discuss firing him today.
Commissioners have enough evidence to warrant disciplining Delmont, according to the presiding officer in his predisciplinary conference.
Delmont's predisciplinary hearing was Oct. 20. Neither Delmont nor his attorneys attended the hearing.
It is up to commissioners to determine what, if any, punishment is appropriate for Delmont.
The prosecutor's office is expected to issue a written recommendation to commissioners this morning. The prosecutor's office has already recommended that Delmont be fired.
Commissioner Joseph Angelo Jr. and Tsagaris voted to put Delmont on unpaid leave several weeks ago, the same day a supplier pleaded guilty to paying Delmont tens of thousands of dollars in bribes and conspiring with Delmont to steal $180,000 from county taxpayers.
Commissioner Michael O'Brien voted against suspending Delmont, saying he would rather the maintenance chief be fired.
Delmont, a 27-year county veteran, earns $71,000 a year. He has been off work since a traffic accident in February and is collecting workers' compensation.
siff@vindy.comsinkovich@vindy.com