Ex-inspector for Warren pleads guilty

The former building official remains free on bond.
& lt;a href=mailto:sinkovich@vindy.com & gt;By PEGGY SINKOVICH & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A July 1 sentencing date has been set for the city's former building inspector.
James Lapmardo, 53, of Perkinswood Drive S.E., pleaded guilty to a charge of racketeering Thursday in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.
Lapmardo will remain free on a $25,000 bond until he returns to U.S. District Judge Lesley Wells' courtroom for sentencing.
Neither U.S. district attorney officials nor Lapmardo's attorney, Albert Palombaro of Boardman, could be reached to say the amount of prison time Lapmardo could be facing.
Lapmardo left his city job in October 2000.
Lapmardo's 26-page indictment states that he and an unnamed public official had the power to influence the selection of contractors to perform work for the city, recommend approval of change orders, to issue permits, and to supervise and inspect construction work on city contracts.
From the early 1990s through mid-July 2000, Lapmardo and several contractors, and the unnamed public official, conspired to "obstruct, delay, and affect commerce by extortion," the indictment states.
Contractors sentenced
Earlier this month, Anthony Cervone and Matthew Mesaros of Innerscope Technical Services Inc. of Austintown were sentenced by Judge Wells: Both received three years' probation and a $2,000 fine. Cervone was sentenced to 10 months of house arrest, and Mesaros was sentenced to seven months.
According to officials, Cervone, 53, of Rome Drive, Austintown, and Mesaros, 36, of New Road, Austintown, promised to pay Lapmardo $75,000 for the contract to demolish the Mahoningside Power Plant in Warren.
The other contractors indicted and convicted in the scheme were James Nicolaus of T & amp;J Construction Inc. and J & amp;J Enterprises; Dante Massacci Sr. and Dante Massacci Jr., of South Main Sand & amp; Gravel; and James Matash of M & amp;M Excavating. All were sentenced to prison for a year and a day.
& lt;a href=mailto:sinkovich@vindy.com & gt;sinkovich@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;