WARREN Ex-contractor is sentenced to prison

Nicolaus also will have to serve two years' probation.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CLEVELAND -- A 46-year-old man who pleaded guilty to paying two Warren officials to get city contracts has been sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
James F. Nicolaus, of Hazelwood Drive, Warren, also was ordered Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cleveland to pay $50,000 in restitution to Warren and to serve two years' probation after his release from prison.
Nicolaus will be ordered to report to prison in the next few months. Neither he nor his attorney, Sam Bluedorn, could be reached.
Nicolaus pleaded guilty in July to one charge of extortion. He could have faced up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Nicolaus owned and operated T & amp;J Construction Inc. and J & amp;J Enterprises Inc. of Warren.
Authorities said the two public officials, who have never been identified, had the power to influence the selection of contractors to perform work for the city, supervise the work of contractors and recommend approval of change orders to the city board of control.
Kickbacks
From the early 1990s until June 2000, Nicolaus paid kickbacks requested by one public official in exchange for that official's assistance in winning public contracts in Warren, the 16-page plea agreement says.
The official also asked Nicolaus, who agreed to serve as an intermediary, to seek kickbacks from two unidentified contractors.
The plea agreement notes Nicolaus paid about $100,000 in kickbacks in exchange for contracts for himself and other contractors.
The kickbacks involved construction of a new clubhouse at the city-owned Avalon South Golf Course, work at the Warren Community Development building, Warren housing rehabilitation, residential and commercial board-ups, and rehabilitation of vacant houses.
From December 1995 to September 1996, at a public official's request, Nicolaus created five fictitious invoices for T & amp;J, falsely stating the company had done work for South Main Sand and Gravel.
Sentenced
The now-defunct South Main was owned by Dante Massacci Sr. and his son, Dante Jr., both of whom have pleaded guilty in the scheme and have been sentenced to prison.
The government says that when South Main paid Nicolaus, he kept some money but gave most of it to the unidentified public official "knowing that such payments were in exchange for" the official's assistance in obtaining contracts for South Main to demolish Mahoningside Power Plant, Warren Music Center and the Sanitary Dairy Building.
Nicolaus was told the official would share the money with a second unidentified public official, the plea agreement says.
sinkovich@vindy.com