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Leader of Valley theft ring freed from jail on good behavior
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Brian Bleggi
YOUNGSTOWN
A defendant in a major theft ring has been freed after being locked up for a little more than half of the four-year prison term to which he was sentenced.
On Monday, visiting Judge Thomas P. Curran of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, who imposed the sentence on Brian Bleggi in November 2008, granted Bleggi judicial release.
Bleggi, 43, of Black Oak Lane, a former pizza shop owner, had pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, two counts of receiving stolen property, six counts of breaking and entering and seven counts of theft.
In Bleggi’s plea agreement, the prosecution and defense agreed he could obtain judicial release after two years if he behaved well in prison.
Saying his behavior had been exemplary, the prosecution recommended judicial release on Monday.
Bleggi, an Austintown native who founded the Brier Hill Pizza and Wings chain in Youngstown, told the judge at his sentencing that he turned to crime several years ago after his business ventures and investments went sour.
Bleggi was a ringleader among 15 Mahoning Valley residents named in a 68-count indictment. That indictment followed a one-year investigation by about 30 local police agencies into about 125 break-ins at businesses between January 2004 and May 2007.
Authorities said $400,000 in stolen property was recovered in the probe, including horse trailers, jet skis, riding lawn mowers, big-screen TVs, gas grills and motorcycles.
Judge Curran put Bleggi on three years’ probation, during which he must maintain full-time employment and submit to random alcohol and drug testing.
If he violates any terms of his release, Bleggi will be returned to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence, the judge warned.