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Ex-Covelli food workers indicted on theft charge
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Mark P. Daigle
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Kathy Lewis
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
YOUNGSTOWN
A Mahoning County grand jury indicted the former general manager of the Covelli Centre’s food and drink vendor and the vendor’s former office manager on a single count of theft.
The indictment was returned Thursday against Mark Daigle, 38, of Steeplechase Drive, Canfield, the former general manager, and Kathy Lewis, 40, of Karl Street in Youngstown, the former office manager.
They’re charged at the fourth-degree felony level with stealing between $5,000 and $100,000 from the vendor, Centerplate Inc., between Dec. 7, 2007, and Jan. 26 this year. They could get between six and 18 months in prison, if convicted.
The charges stem from what police said was a $30,000 embezzlement. Police are investigating whether a Jan. 26 robbery was staged to cover up the embezzlement, according to those familiar with the investigation.
Lewis was the supposed victim of the robbery, in which about $90,000 was taken from the arena’s food vendor.
Also indicted was Tyrell A. Ravnell, 20, of Halleck Street, on charges of aggravated murder with a firearm specification and illegal gun possession.
Ravnell was charged in the June 20 shooting death of Christian Blackshear, 19, of Wirt Street. Blackshear was shot in the head at close range with an AK47 on a sidewalk in the Kirwan Homes housing project in Campbell.
Ravnell previously was charged with murder in the death of a woman who was shot in the Kirwan Homes in February 2008. Diana Noble, 39, was shot there and drove herself to her Howland home, where she died.
Ravnell pleaded guilty in that case to a reduced charge of negligent homicide and improperly handling a gun in a motor vehicle and was sentenced to 304 days in jail, with credit for 241 days served.