Struthers mayor keeps mum about ‘issues’ in BCI investigation

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

STRUTHERS — Mayor Terry P. Stocker revealed that the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s office, as well as the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, is investigating “issues” with some of the city’s computers.

Two weeks after he told city council about the BCI investigation at a caucus meeting, however, Stocker is still unwilling to discuss what those issues are.

That and other questions were asked of Stocker during Wednesday’s council meeting by Councilman at large Daniel Yemma.

Yemma also asked Stocker how the mayor determined an investigation was needed, why the city’s police chief and law director were not immediately informed of the mayor’s concerns, and whether a computer technician was called in to try and deal with the problem.

“Are the law director and police chief suspects?” Yemma asked.

Atty. Carol Clemente Wagner is the law director, and Robert Norris is the police chief.

Stocker said during the council meeting that he could not answer that question. He explained further after the meeting.

“No one is a suspect. We’re not make any accusations against anybody. I was advised by BCI, the attorney general and the county prosecutor to not discuss details with anybody. That includes the law director and the police chief,” Stocker said.

“I gave the law director the same information as I gave council at its caucus Jan. 9. I felt that was adequate. I have to be careful what I say so I don’t screw up the investigation,” the mayor said.

Stocker did say that he was unable to reboot one computer, and that a computer technician who was called in was unable to solve the problem.

After BCI was brought into the situation, a spokeswoman for the agency, Jennifer Brindisi, said there is no time line for how long it will take BCI to examine the hard drives. Also, at that time she said there was an allegation of some sort of tampering.

alcorn@vindy.com