YOUNGSTOWN Traficant pays his fine one month at a time

The state pension can't be attached, a federal prosecutor says.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Each month, the government takes $770 from James A. Traficant Jr.'s federal pension and $50 from his prison-work earnings and applies the money toward the expelled congressman's $150,000 fine.
Traficant was found guilty of racketeering crimes and tax evasion and is serving an eight-year sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution at Allenwood in White Deer, Pa.
At sentencing July 30, 2002, U.S. District Judge Lesley Brooks Wells ordered Traficant to pay a $1,000 special assessment, $150,000 fine and $96,000 forfeiture. The jury that found Traficant guilty determined that he owed $96,000 derived from a staffer's kickbacks, cash bribes, gifts and services.
The judge ordered that Traficant begin paying the fine while incarcerated.
The Poland Democrat, who served 171/2 years as 17th District representative, has an annual pension of roughly $40,000. It kicked in May 8, 2003, when he turned 62.
Current tally
So far, attachment of his federal pension and prison earnings and other garnishments have paid off his $1,000 special assessment and knocked $17,558 off his $150,000 fine, according to court records obtained Wednesday by The Vindicator. The balance is $132,441 and, at the rate things are going, he will still owe nearly $77,000 when he gets out of prison.
An inmate's job assignment and hourly wage are not public record, Bill Campbell, prison spokesman, said Wednesday. He added that Traficant continues to decline reporters' requests for interviews.
The money paid to date includes 13 collections of $50 each from the prison, beginning in November 2002, and six collections of $770.50 each from his federal pension, beginning in August 2003.
Also applied toward the fine was $4,810 from the proceeds of an auction of items that had been at Traficant's district offices and horse farm in Greenford. The balance of the auction proceeds, $5,504, went to his wife, Tish, and daughter, Elizabeth Chahine.
Another lump sum of $8,475 was applied toward the fine but the nature of the garnishment wasn't immediately available from the U.S. attorney's office.
Richard French, an assistant U.S. attorney based in Cleveland, said garnishment of Traficant's federal pension lasts until the fine is paid and can be extended if Traficant doesn't pay the $96,000 forfeiture.
State pension
Traficant, a former Mahoning County sheriff, also has a state pension that pays about $11,000 annually. In all, he worked 15 years for the county before joining Congress in 1985.
French, head of the financial litigation unit, said he tried garnishment of Traficant's state pension, the Public Retirement System of Ohio, but dismissed the court action. The federal prosecutor said Ohio law prohibits garnishment of the pension and he wants to check further before refiling.
Once out of prison, Traficant will serve three years' supervised release. He must provide his probation officer with any requested financial information and pay any remaining financial penalty imposed by the judge. He also owes $19,580 in unpaid taxes.
An IRS spokesman could not be reached to comment Wednesday.
Traficant's release date was July 17, 2009, but he recently failed to earn 24 days of "good time" by violating undisclosed prison rules and is now set to be out Aug. 10 that year.
meade@vindy.com