Sergeants resign in wake of allegation

By Ed Runyan

The Trumbull prosecutor said he will ask for a special prosecutor if a case is brought to him.

WARREN — Two sergeants in the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Department accused of taking charitable donations for their personal use have resigned.

Sgts. Peter Pizzulo and Anthony Leshnack notified Sheriff Thomas Altiere through their attorneys Tuesday that they will resign effective Nov. 3.

Altiere accepted the resignations, said Ernie Cook, chief deputy sheriff.

The resignations eliminated the need for a hearing set for Tuesday morning that would have allowed the men to fight the sheriff’s recommendation that they be fired. They would have had the opportunity to appeal the sheriff’s decision to an arbitrator.

Pizzulo and Leshnack have been on sick leave since Sept. 22.

Altiere recommended that Pizzulo and Leshnack be fired for converting donations collected in the name of the Ohio Narcotics Officers Association to their personal use.

The men started the organization in 2004 and paid a fund-raising organization to solicit contributions by telephone and other means for the purpose of giving money to charitable organizations, especially those that educate on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

The sheriff referred the matter to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation to determine whether any crimes were committed.

Cook said he’s not aware of any charges being filed against the men.

The organization collected more than $1 million across the state since it began, Cook said, adding that he doesn’t know how much the men are accused of taking for themselves.

Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennnis Watkins said he is aware that a criminal investigation has been started, and it’s possible that prosecution will occur in another county.

If a case is brought to him to be prosecuted in Trumbull County, Watkins said, he will ask that a special prosecutor be appointed because of the working relationship the prosecutor’s office has with the men.

Pizzulo is a detective and member of the Homicide Task Force. He was the lead investigator on the 2005 Jermaine McKinney double-murder case in Newton Township.

Leshnack is chief of the sheriff’s civil division, which serves documents such as subpoenas and criminal paperwork.

runyan@vindy.com