MAHONING COUNTY Former sheriff to get early release

Once he's in the halfway house, Chance must get a job within two weeks.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- In two months, ex-Mahoning County Sheriff Phil Chance will be released from the federal prison he entered Jan. 24, 2000.
Chance, who turns 55 in August, will be transferred Sept. 29 from the Federal Correctional Institution in Milan, Mich., to a halfway facility for three months, said Richard J. Billak, Community Corrections Association chief executive officer.
After that, Chance will spend just under three months in home confinement with work privileges.
His prison commitment ends March 19, 2005. Inmates typically go to a halfway facility six months before their prison commitment ends.
Chance earned "good time" in prison, which shortened his 71-month sentence by roughly nine months. He was convicted of racketeering crimes in July 1999.
Billak said that CCA, a halfway facility on Market Street, was contacted by the federal Bureau of Prisons to house Chance in September. Because CCA won a defamation lawsuit against Chance, the decision was made to send him either to Oriana House, a halfway facility in Akron, or Oriana House in Cleveland, Billak said.
The lawsuit was filed when Chance, as sheriff, instigated an investigation of Billak. The lawsuit settled for $75,000, with Chance's former employer paying half and Mahoning County, which was represented by Prosecutor Paul J. Gains, paying Chance's half, Billak said.
Job rules
Billak said that once Chance moves to a halfway facility, he must obtain employment within two weeks.
Some restrictions may be placed on the type of employment, such as not working where liquor is sold, Billak said. Also, working in a family business may not be permitted, he said.
Chance's sister has Philatina's, a bar on Mahoning Avenue. The name is a combination of his and his mother's first names.
Chance served as sheriff from Jan. 7, 1997, until July 16, 1999, then resigned. The resignation came three days after a jury in Cleveland federal court found him guilty of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, RICO conspiracy, obstruction of justice and two counts of extortion.
Chance's corruption case centered mostly on his 1996 election, when he sought the financial support of Lenny Strollo, Mahoning Valley mob boss at the time.
In November 1999, U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. O'Malley imposed the sentence of 71 months. Chance appealed his conviction, and on Sept. 19, 2002, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the obstruction conviction and one extortion conviction, ruling that the evidence did not support the verdicts.
Sentence not affected
Reversal of the two counts didn't affect the sentence. The basis for the sentence was the RICO conviction, and sentences for the other convictions were ordered to be served concurrently.
The federal appellate court wanted Judge O'Malley to redo the sentence and expand on her decision to give more time than the guidelines recommended. She did so in February 2003.
Judge O'Malley said Chance, as sheriff, was in a position to advance racketeering activity countywide. Public confidence in government entities was greatly reduced in Mahoning County because of him, she said.
The judge added that Chance wasn't some cop on the street taking a bribe. He accepted bribes from organized crime figures and violated state campaign finance laws.
meade@vindy.com