Jury convicts Lordstown man of assaulting federal officers

Staff report

CLEVELAND

A federal-court jury convicted George Rafidi, 60, of Lordstown, of assaulting federal officers while brandishing a gun in an Oct. 8 confrontation at his residence.

The verdict came Thursday at the end of a two-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Patricia A. Gaughan, who will sentence Rafidi at 11:30 a.m. July 7.

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 is the owner of the Breaden Market, a convenience store on Youngstown’s South Side.

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.

At the end of the detention hearing last fall, U.S. Magistrate George J. Limbert ordered that Rafidi remain jailed without bond pending further proceedings in this case.