Official’s son pleads innocent

July 15, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

The son of an elected official targeted in a two-year county government corruption probe pleaded innocent Wednesday to charges of bribery and conspiracy in a purported scheme to trade TVs for consulting contracts.

Tightening the prosecution ring, federal prosecutors announced earlier in the day the indictment against 31-year-old Vincent Russo, son of Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo.

Ann Rowland, an assistant U.S. attorney, wouldn’t comment whether the charges were intended to get Russo to testify against his father or cooperation by his father in the wider probe.

Vincent Russo, who was led into court in handcuffs, was released on bond. His attorney, William Beyer, said outside court that Russo would fight the charges at trial.

The defendant, who lives in the Cleveland suburb of Willoughby Hills, declined to comment except to appeal for privacy on behalf of his pregnant wife.

The indictment charged the younger Russo with bribery and three counts of conspiracy in what prosecutors say was a scheme to provide televisions to Maple Heights school officials in return for consulting contracts for his business, Vincore LLC.

According to the indictment, Russo delivered two TVs in 2007 to school board member Santina Klimkowski, a former top aide in Frank Russo’s office.

Klimkowski was instructed to give one TV to the school treasurer, Christopher Krause, according to the indictment.

Klimkowski and Krause have pleaded guilty in the investigation.

The indictment said Russo, just six days after 2008 FBI raids on his business and his father’s office, directed Klimkowski to “get rid” of the TV and order the treasurer to do the same.

Spokesman Destin Ramsey said Frank Russo was surprised by the indictment and would deal with the matter. He declined to comment further.

Russo and another longtime Democratic Party ally who also is a probe target, county Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, have not been charged. Both deny wrongdoing.