Howland man to pay 50 fine, court costs

WARREN -- A Howland man convicted of filing a false affidavit with the Trumbull County Board of Elections, while circulating petitions for former congressional candidate Randy Walter in 2006, was sentenced to a 50 fine and court costs.
Patrick Vennetti, 37, of Coral Drive, received the penalty Thursday in the Trumbull County Common Pleas courtroom of Judge John M. Stuard. He could have gotten as much as 90 to 180 days in jail and a fine of 50 to 500.
In July 2006, the elections board referred Vennetti, Georgene Mummey of Saginaw Drive in Poland and two others to the prosecutor's office for possible prosecution in relation to irregularities in Walter's petitions. The other two were Grace Hreno of Niles, Walter's mother-in-law; and Billie Mauritz of Hunter's Ridge in Boardman. No charges have been filed against Hreno.
Mummey was recently indicted on the same charge as Vennetti -- a misdemeanor called prohibitions concerning signatures on a petition -- and is set to enter a plea on the charge April 5 before Judge Logan. Mauritz pleaded guilty to the charge March 7 and is expected to be sentenced April 11 before Judge W. Wyatt McKay.
David Toepfer, assistant prosecutor, said Vennetti turned the petitions in knowing they contained forged signatures.