Theft charges against former Hotel California chef bound over to grand jury

Photo

Cescon

Staff report

BROOKFIELD

Daimer Cescon, touted last year as the three-star Michelin chef who would run the kitchen at Hotel California in Austintown, is in the Trumbull County jail after being bound over to a Trumbull County grand jury.

Cescon, 40, who also was the operator of D’Vino Ristorante in Niles in the lower level of the former Alberini’s Restaurant in 2013, is charged with two counts of felony theft relating to jewelry and other items taken from a home in Kinsman Township.

Cescon has addresses on St. Andrews Drive in Canfield and Burning Tree Lane in Liberty.

Sebastian Rucci, owner of Hotel California, said Thursday that Cescon hasn’t been on the hotel staff for about two months.

He said the reason is because of “all the stuff that was going on with all these delays” in getting the hotel open. The hotel remains closed while it waits on resolution of its request for a liquor permit.

“It’s pretty surprising. Disappointing would be a better word for it,” Rucci said of the charges against Cescon.

Judge Robert Platt Jr. of Eastern District Court bound the two charges over to the grand jury Thursday. Judge Platt continued Cescon’s $10,000 bond but said Cescon must surrender his passport if he is able to post the bond.

Cescon is originally from Venice, Italy, according to a news release D’Vino Ristorante issued in 2013. It said he was one of seven three-star Michelin chefs in the U.S.

Cescon was charged by the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office after it investigated complaints filed Dec. 31 by two women on Corinth Road in Kinsman Township regarding missing diamond rings valued at $24,000. Police also listed other jewelry and electronic equipment valued at $11,400 as missing.

The two sisters reported that Cescon had been staying at the house on Corinth Road for about two months as a guest. They said Cescon “had complete access to the residence while [the women] were away.”

When they returned, they confronted Cescon about the missing jewelry, and he “became irate and quickly left the residence,” they said.

Cescon was arrested Jan. 10, the sheriff’s office said. He pleaded not guilty to the theft charges Wednesday.

One of the theft counts pertains to a separate complaint by an Austintown woman who reported the theft of $7,000 worth of jewelry. The location of that theft was not available, but the date of the offense is listed as Dec. 2.