Rape trial begins

Rape trial begins
YOUNGSTOWN -- Jury selection began Monday afternoon and will resume this morning in the trial of a man charged with three counts of rape and one count of gross sexual imposition. The accuser was a 10-year-old boy. Nicholas C. Congemi, 27, of Meadowbrook Avenue, faces a mandatory life sentence if convicted on any of the rape counts, and one to five years in prison if he's convicted on the gross sexual imposition charge, said Dawn Krueger, assistant Mahoning County prosecutor. Offenses, for which Congemi was indicted in August 2003, are alleged to have occurred in May through August 2002 in Congemi's residence, Krueger said. The trial is before Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Congemi is represented by Atty. John Shultz.
Council mulls loan
YOUNGSTOWN -- On Wednesday city council will consider permitting the board of control to give a no-interest, bank-guaranteed 900,000 loan to Data Recovery Systems LLC, a computer network consulting firm in North Lima with 35 current employees. The company plans to move to 1343 Belmont Ave. in the city and add 12 jobs. Also, council is expected to approve the 5.01 million Community Development Agency budget.
Road work on I-80
HUBBARD -- Interstate 80 eastbound in Liberty and Hubbard townships between the Belmont Avenue exit and the Hubbard exit will have various right-lane closures beginning Wednesday and continuing through May 25. All lane restrictions will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily for pavement depth repairs.
Police awards luncheon
YOUNGSTOWN -- The annual Mahoning Valley Chiefs of Police Association awards luncheon will begin at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Ohio Room in Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University. This year's ceremony will honor 11 members of the law enforcement community from six agencies. The awards include valor, investigative excellence, distinguished service, administrative excellence, training excellence and community policing.
Trumbull fitness walk
CHAMPION -- The Trumbull County MetroParks board invites the public to participate in Ohio's third annual Healthy Ohioans Fitness Walk starting at noon Wednesday. The Trumbull County portion of the Western Reserve Greenway bicycle trail is registered as an official Fitness Walk venue, said Dave Ambrose, a member of the parks board. It includes nearly 15 miles of paved surface. The MetroParks' observation of the event will occur at the Greenway's Sunside Trailhead at state Route 305 in Champion.
Food-stamp fraud
WARREN -- A Poland man was sentenced to five years' probation and ordered to pay 2,676 in restitution for food-stamp fraud and other charges involving the Hubbard Gas & amp; Mini Mart, 175 Youngstown-Hubbard Road. Gurmit Kapoor, 50, of Brookside Place, received his sentence Monday by Judge Peter Kontos in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. He had pleaded guilty to illegal use of food stamps or benefits from the Women, Infants and Children program, one count of telecommunications fraud and one count of possessing criminal tools. Kapoor was manager of the store. Hubbard police said the arrest followed a 14-month investigation involving their department, the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force and the Ohio Investigative Unit of the Ohio Department of Public Safety that began when officers suspected drug activity going on at the business. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dropped 15 other charges, including one count of aggravated drug trafficking. Ken Bailey, an assistant county prosecutor, said Kapoor is not a U.S. citizen, so he could face deportation.
OVI checkpoint
The Mahoning Valley Operating Vehicle Impaired Task Force will hold a sobriety checkpoint in Mahoning County from 10 p.m. Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday. The task force will target impaired drivers and those not wearing safety belts.