PURCHASING PROBE

PURCHASING PROBE
The players
The people who have appeared in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court in the last year in the ongoing probe of county purchasing practices. Sentencings will wait until the investigation is done.
TONY AND KAREN DELMONT
Tony Delmont, the county's former maintenance director, was indicted for bribery, theft in office and money laundering and pleaded guilty last April. For at least three years, he was buying maintenance and cleaning supplies in huge quantities and at exorbitant prices. He said he gave $50,000 to elected officials, as well as sporting event tickets, electronic equipment and other gifts. Commissioners fired him. He must repay the county $50,000 and cooperate with prosecutors. His estranged wife, Karen, pleaded innocent to a felony charge of money laundering.
BARRY JACOBSON
Jacobson, of Envirochemical, also the former mayor of Lyndhurst, pleaded guilty to one charge each of bribery and complicity to theft in office. Jacobson agreed to give $200,000 back to Trumbull County. Jacobson said in a sworn statement that Delmont said some of the bribes would be distributed to other county officials. No other county officials have been charged in the scheme.
BARRY BONCHEK
Bonchek, of Cleveland, a salesman for Kinzua Environmental Inc., pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of bribery and one misdemeanor count of theft. He told prosecutors he paid out thousands of dollars yearly in return for getting a chance to do business in Trumbull County. He agreed to pay $27,000 in restitution.
TERRY AND LINDA MAIORANA
Terry Maiorana, formerly of Canfield, a salesman for Lid Chem in Girard, which sold janitorial supplies to the county, pleaded innocent to charges of bribery and money laundering and two counts of theft. His wife, Linda, president of Lid Chem, and the company itself were each indicted separately on identical charges. She also pleaded innocent. Lid Chem and a related company, Tri-County Supplies, collected $800,000 from Trumbull County for janitorial supplies since 1993 without holding a formal contract or submitting a bid.
DENNIS L. PIRKO
Pirko, of North Jackson, a heating repairman, pleaded innocent to bribery, money laundering, theft and failing to file state tax returns. He's accused of paying bribes to get business from Trumbull County, and he pleaded innocent to six charges of bribery and money laundering. Prosecutors allege Pirko paid $1,600 in bribes to Delmont, who had them deposited in his wife's bank account to avoid detection. Pirko is charged separately with counts of money laundering and bribery involving two other checks totaling $900, theft and failing to file state income tax returns between 1998 and 2002.