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UPDATE | State indicts McNally, Sciortino, Yavorcik on several felony counts
McNally, Sciortino, Yavorcik indictment
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73-count indictment against Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally, Mahoning County Auditor Michael Sciortino and Youngstown attorney Marty Yavorcik.
CLEVELAND — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty announced a 83-count indictment against Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally, Mahoning County Auditor Michael Sciortino and Youngstown attorney Marty Yavorcik.
DeWine and McGinty this afternoon in Cleveland announced the results of a grand jury investigation into Mahoning County political corruption. It is a 63-page indictment by a Cuyahoga County grand jury on charges related to public corruption in the period of January 2005 to July 2009.
“It’s not over,” DeWine said when asked if the Oakhill Renaissance Place case would continue to be pursued. He said the indictments are all Oakhill related.
“It’s never a happy day when you have to announce the indictment of public officials,” DeWine said. He said the crimes are alleged to have occurred in both Mahoning and Cuyahoga county, and the cases would be tried in Cuyahoga county.
DeWine said the felony counts compel him by law to ask the state Supreme Court’s chief justice to create a commission to remove Sciortino as county auditor on a temporary basis. The attorney general said it’s possible Sciortino could be removed from office on a temporary basis, but he is not barred from running for re-election. He is up for re-election in November.
The offenses alleged in McNally's indictment “relate to his conduct as county commissioner not as mayor,” DeWine said.
The felony charges alleged for McNally are one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, two counts of conspiracy, two counts of bribery, six counts of tampering with records, nine counts of perjury, one count of money laundering, two of telecommunications fraud, two counts of theft in office, two counts of unlawful compensation; and other misdemeanors. The total is 25 felonies and nine misdemeanors.
Sciortino faces felony counts of one of engaging in pattern of corrupt activity, two of consipiracy, two bribery, four tampering with records, six perjury, one money laundering; and other misdemeanors. That’s 16 felonies and six misdemeanors.
Yavorcik’s felony counts are one pattern of corrupt activity, two conspiracy, three bribery, 17 tampering with records, four money laundering. There are a total 27 felonies.
When contacted by The Vindicator earlier today, Sciortino said: “That’s the first I’ve heard of that. I have not heard from anybody. Wow. I’ve been hearing the past couple of years they’re going to bring it back. I don’t know what to think. From the bottom of my heart, I really believe I didn’t do anything wrong.”
McNally said he too had not heard anything about it.
When asked if he should have been contacted by prosecutors, McNally said: “You would think that would be nice, but nothing surprises me anymore. I’m unaware of that at the moment.”
He also maintained his innocence.
McNally and Sciortino were among those indicted in 2010 related to the county’s purchase of the Oakhill Renaissance Place. A visiting judge dismissed a 73-count indictment in 2011 without prejudice, meaning the charges could be refiled later.
The case was dismissed by prosecutors because of their inability to obtain tape recordings from the FBI and provide them to the defense making it impossible to proceed.