Former judge’s supervision ends early

Staff report

AKRON

A federal judge has released a former Mahoning County judge from her post-prison supervision five months early.

U.S. District Court Judge Sara Lioi issued the release order concerning the former judge, Maureen A. Cronin of common pleas court, 61, of Youngstown, on Thursday, saying the resources of the federal probation office “could be better used elsewhere.”

Judge Lioi had sentenced Cronin to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and fined her $4,000 after Cronin pleaded guilty to honest-services mail fraud.

Cronin took and failed to report an $18,000 no-interest cash loan from a local businesswoman, whose company had cases pending before her.

Having been released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Greenville, Ill., on March 8, 2012, Cronin sought early termination of her supervision in January 2014.

In her request, Cronin said she had complied with all prison and supervision rules and had become executive director of the Midlothian Free Health Clinic on Dec. 1, 2012.

In granting Cronin’s request, Judge Lioi observed that Cronin has stable employment, has fully paid her financial obligations to the court and has a low risk of becoming a repeat offender.