Thursday, December 21, 2006
YOUNGSTOWN — A Mahoning County grand jury has indicted John J. Seeco, former president of St. George Lodge 66, Croatian Fraternal Union, on three counts of misuse of a credit card.
The indictment on the fifth degree felony counts was returned Thursday against Seeco, 57, of Eisenhower Drive, Boardman, and alleges that the violations occurred Feb. 28, March 14 and July 18, 2002. Seeco turned himself in to police on Dec. 4, made an initial appearance in municipal court, and posted $2,500 bond.
Seeco, who was host of the Croatian Hour radio program for about 20 years, first on WKBN and later on WNIO radio, used the Vestal Road club’s name to obtain a credit card and charge personal items, police said.
Seeco used the club as second guarantor on a credit application and then, before the first bill was sent out, changed the billing address to his residence, and the account was closed with around $17,000 that Seeco charged to the club but didn’t pay, police said. He charged many personal items and travel expenses on the card, mostly outside Youngstown, police said.
In another case, Ronald S. Eiselstein, 46, of Fifth Avenue, was indicted on a fifth degree felony theft charge, alleging he cut down trees and took the wood without authorization Aug. 9 on the property of Frank Uhrain along Beech Avenue in Boardman. Eiselstein was arrested in October and released on a $2,500 bond. Police estimated the trees were worth nearly $1,500.
Eiselstein, who owns the Village Pantry on Main Street in Poland, is a member of Poland Streetscapes, which conducts community beautification projects.
Other indicted were:
• Dennis W. Cook, 50, of Mahoning County Jail, cocaine trafficking.
• Keith A. Jarrell, 51, of Mahoning County Jail, heroin possession.
• Nicholas R. Lawrence, 24, of Elmland Drive, Poland, burglary.
• Lisa Marie Rafidi, 33, of Shields Road, Boardman, theft.
• Anthony J. Schaffer, 19, of Mahoning County Jail, illegal weapons possession.
• Robert Swope, 23, of Mahoning County Jail, receiving stolen property and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer.
• Marc Robinson, 36, of Mahoning County Jail, felonious assault.
• Robert Lockard 36, of Mahoning County Jail, cocaine possession.
• Salene Y. Ballard, 37, of Mahoning County Jail, cocaine possession.
• Russell F. Bloom Jr., 50, of South Meridian Road, cocaine possession.
• Michelle L. Longmire, 36, of Mahoning County Jail, burglary.
• Robert Lee West, 47, of Park Heights Avenue, illegal weapons possession.
• Dedderick Lynell Ford, 27, of East Lucius Avenue, cocaine possession.
• Whister Winford III, 27, of Chicago Avenue, and Tyriek Johnson, 26, of Mahoning County Jail, aggravated robbery with a firearm specification and illegal weapons possession.
• Steve Shaffer, 36, of Bowman Street , Niles, cocaine possession.
• Robert E. Nitz Jr., 18, of South Linden Avenue, Alliance, theft.
• Sterling M. Carter, 25, of Mahoning County Jail, illegal weapons possession and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer.
• Natasha L. Perry, 24, of Idlewood Avenue, passing bad checks.
The grand jury declined to indict Fernando Lampkins on cocaine possession and obstructing justice charges.