Purchasing probe ends; wife gets plea deal

A prosecutor says avenues investigated exhaustively have 'turned up cold.'
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The long county purchasing investigation is complete, according to the Trumbull County prosecutor's office.
"I don't think you will see anyone else indicted," said Chris Becker, an assistant prosecutor who handled a plea agreement Friday for purchasing scheme participant Karen Delmont of Warren.
Becker said agencies that have investigated the case have "exhausted every avenue we have" and those avenues have "turned up cold."
Becker added that he believes Special Prosecutor Victor V. Vigluicci of the Portage County prosecutor's office has completed his investigation. Vigluicci did not return a phone call late Friday seeking comment.
Karen Delmont is the wife of former purchasing director Tony Delmont, the chief figure in the purchasing scheme. She pleaded no contest to money laundering and was found guilty.
Judge W. Wyatt McKay will sentence her for her role after a presentencing investigation. Becker said he would expect her to get probation, not jail time.
Court appearance
She calmly answered all of the questions Judge McKay asked, saying she was very satisfied with her defense attorney, Philip M. Vigorito. Becker said Karen Delmont had no previous criminal record, and the offense carries no mandatory prison time. "It appears to be an isolated incident," he said.
"I wouldn't say she cooperated fully, but she has limited knowledge of what her husband did," Becker said.
Karen Delmont worked for the county from 1985 to 1998, when she retired on disability. She was a receptionist and secretary in the treasurer's office.
Tony Delmont helped cleaning supply companies bilk some $400,000 from Trumbull County between 1999 and 2002 in return for bribes.
Karen Delmont helped her husband launder $17,000 worth of bribes from Envirochemical, a Bedford Heights vendor. She deposited two checks totaling $17,000 in the Delmonts' bank account and later wrote two checks for less than $10,000 each from that account to buy the ITAM Club on Chestnut Street in Warren on March 16, 2000, Becker said.
The reason for writing the checks for less than $10,000 was to avoid a federal requirement that transactions over $10,000 be reported, Becker said.
Tony Delmont, who was convicted of bribery, theft in office and money laundering in April 2004, will be sentenced Jan. 27 and faces one to 10 years in prison, Becker said earlier this week.
Other pleas
Barry Jacobson of Envirochemical Inc. and former mayor of Lyndhurst pleaded guilty in September 2003 to one charge each of bribery and complicity to theft in office. Jacobson said in a sworn statement that Delmont said some of the bribes would be distributed to other county officials. No other county officials were charged. Jacobson agreed to give $200,000 back to Trumbull County and has made payments as restitution.
Barry Bonchak of Cleveland pleaded guilty in August 2004 to two misdemeanor counts of bribery and one misdemeanor count of theft. He agreed to pay $27,000 in restitution, also making payments.
The county prosecutor's office and state investigators began probing the maintenance department purchases shortly after The Vindicator in 2002 began running a series of articles showing excessive purchases of janitorial supplies.
Three other individuals still face charges in the case:
Dennis Pirko of North Jackson, a heating repairman, pleaded innocent to bribery, money laundering, theft and failing to file state tax returns. Prosecutors said Pirko paid $1,600 in bribes to Delmont, who had them deposited into his wife's bank account to avoid detection.
Terry Maiorana and Linda Maiorana are charged with bribery, money laundering and two counts of theft. Terry Maiorana is set to go on trial April 3. Linda Maiorana has a hearing scheduled for Jan. 23. They ran a company called Lid-Chem Inc. of Canfield.
Authorities have said 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.
runyan@vindy.com