Ex-Ohio school biz manager charged with bribery

CLEVELAND (AP) — A former school business manager in the Cleveland area has been charged with bribery in a long-running public corruption investigation.

Federal prosecutors announced the charges today against former Maple Heights school business manager Steven Canepa.

He’s charged with steering contracts in return for bribes, including $3,000 for a shed and $1,300 in air conditioning equipment at his home in Mantua.

The indictment also charges a landscaping contractor with bribing Canepa and a former school treasurer who has pleaded guilty.

Defense attorney Mark Marein says Canepa will plead not guilty to the bribery charges but is willing to discuss admitting to pocketing $2,000 from the sale of a stolen boom lift.