Federal grand jury indicts George Rafidi

Staff report

CLEVELAND

A federal grand jury has indicted George Rafidi, 60, of Lordstown, on charges of assaulting federal officers and brandishing a gun while doing so.

The indictment, issued Wednesday, alleges that Rafidi, owner of the Breaden Market on Youngstown’s South Side, committed the assault Oct. 8.

Rafidi twice pointed a .357-caliber revolver at the officers before Lordstown Detective Christopher Bordonaro fired several shots at Rafidi, according to Daniel K. DeVille, a deputy U.S. Marshal, who filed an affidavit and testified in a detention hearing.

Rafidi retreated into his home before emerging and surrendering shortly thereafter, DeVille testified.

The confrontation occurred as federal agents served a search warrant at Rafidi’s residence in connection with a food-stamp-fraud investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, DeVille testified.

Rafidi, who was awakened by the agents, was not hit by the gunfire, but a USDA agent, who jumped off Rafidi’s porch during the confrontation, injured his shoulder.

Nobody else was hurt.