Judge denies Cafaro request

Staff report

CLEVELAND

A federal judge has denied a request by John J. Cafaro, former Cafaro Co. vice president, for early termination of his three-year probation.

U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent denied the request without explanation in a hand- written judgment entry filed Friday.

Cafaro was sentenced in June 2010 to probation, fined $250,000 and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service after he pleaded guilty to making a false statement about a contribution he gave to the unsuccessful 2004 congressional campaign of his daughter, state Sen. Capri Cafaro of Liberty, D-32nd.

John Cafaro caused his daughter’s campaign committee to falsely report to the Federal Election Commission that he had given only $2,000 to her campaign, when, in fact, he gave an additional $10,000 in the form of a loan to a campaign-staff member for the campaign’s benefit, the U.S. attorney said.

Cafaro, 59, of Liberty, argued unsuccessfully that his probation should be terminated because he paid his fine and fulfilled his community-service obligation and has fully complied with the terms of his probation.