Sunday, September 28, 2003
The former deputy was hired in 1996 and quit last week.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A former Trumbull County corrections officer is free on $50,000 bond after pleading innocent to charges of bribery and complicity to escape.
Michele Miller, 40, of Warren, appeared Friday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. She is scheduled to return to court Oct. 6. Miller declined to comment.
"She testified in front of the grand jury Thursday and invoked her Fifth Amendment right," said her attorney, James R. Willis, of Cleveland. "Later that day on Thursday she was arrested on a secret indictment."
Willis said he has not had an opportunity to review the charges with his client.
Officials say Miller may have been bribed by a federal inmate in the Trumbull County jail who wanted to escape.
The sheriff's department houses federal inmates on the fourth floor of the county jail. No one has escaped, they said.
Chuck Morrow, an assistant Trumbull County prosecutor who is handling the investigation, declined to give details of the charges.
Miller, who was hired by the county in 1996, quit last week, Sheriff Thomas Altiere said.
The sheriff said the investigation was handled by the FBI. John Kane, agent in charge of the Youngstown FBI office, said the FBI is assisting the county prosecutor's office.
"We think this is an injustice," said Duke Worthy, Miller's uncle. "We came here to make sure she is OK. She is a sweetheart."
Other indictments
Miller is the third former deputy to be indicted this year. Two others, Michael Battee and John Clutter, were indicted earlier on sexual battery charges.
Both have pleaded innocent. Their cases are pending.
Officials said female inmates accused the jailers of committing sex acts with them. The inmates told detectives Clutter would give them candy bars in exchange.
The sheriff noted there are normally two jailers assigned to each section of the jail, but one jailer may be alone during breaks.
sinkovich@vindy.com