Vindicator file photos

Vindicator file photos

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO: On Aug. 12, 1982, U.S. attorneys filed in federal court a confession written and signed by Mahoning County Sheriff James A. Traficant Jr. in which he admitted taking money from organized crime bosses in exchange for allowing them to operate. The confession was dated June 15, 1981. Traficant was indicted Aug. 9, 1982, on charges of bribery and turned himself in at FBI headquarters in Austintown that day. He was led from the office in handcuffs by agents Lawrence Lynch, left, and Robert Kroner and taken to Cleveland for arriagnment.Traficant was acquitted June 16, 1983, after her represented himself through a seven week trial, during which he alleged the confession was a forgery.