Youngstown finance director: To avoid more thefts, clean your own office

YOUNGSTOWN

The alleged theft of one city credit card and the disappearance of another, both from the finance department, is causing a somewhat unique change in protocol — at least for the time-being.

Finance Director David Bozanich said if city credit cards are left in offices in his department, employees are being asked to take their garbage cans out of their offices and put them in the hallway, and lock their office doors. Those employees would then be responsible for cleaning their own offices, Bozanich said.

“I’ve been doing that for 20 years,” he said.

The city credit card of Rick Deak, the city’s chief information officer, was stolen from his desk while the card of Kyle Miasek, deputy finance director, is missing.

Anthony McDowell, 40, of Carlotta Avenue in Youngstown, who worked for American Maintenance Services, which cleans city hall, was charged with felony charges of theft and misuse of a credit card. Police say McDowell is accused of taking Deak’s city credit card a few weeks ago, and using it to buy $900 worth of alcohol and clothes.

Read more about how the theft was enabled in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.