Trumbull Vets Assistance Program graduates 1st participant

By Ed Runyan | February 6, 2016 at 12:07a.m.

WARREN

The Trumbull County Veterans Assistance Program through the probate court has graduated its first participant.

A man who faced a criminal charge in the county was recognized Friday as the first graduate of the program, which began six months ago.

The participant, a veteran of the Army who served from 1998 to 2002 and was deployed in Iraq in 2001 and 2002, is expected to have his charge dismissed by Judge Philip Vigorito of Newton Falls Municipal Court, probate Judge James Fredericka said.

Judge Fredericka commended the man for his “courage and discipline” for completing the program, which involves assistance from a treatment team that included Col. James Dignan, commander of the 910th Airlift Wing at the reserve station in Vienna; April Caraway, executive director of the county Mental Health and Recovery Board; and Herman K. Breuer, director of the county Veterans Service Commission.

“You serve as an example for other veterans who find themselves in the same type of difficulty that you deserve something other than punishment,” Judge Fredericka said.

The program has shown that veterans can sometimes face a lot of challenges, Judge Fredericka said.

“We have had success stories like today, but we have our complicated cases that are still ongoing,” he added.

The veteran, who wished not to be identified, said, “When the legal trouble started, I was introduced to Gary [Steinbeck, program coordinator through the probate court], and with the judge’s assistance and the [Veterans Affairs] in Youngstown, I was able to complete the program.”

“I think this is a great example of what the military spirit is – we look out for each other,” Dignan said at the ceremony. “What Judge Fredericka has put together is amazing.”

Richard Dunn of New Castle, Pa., a Vietnam veteran who served as the participant’s mentor, said the program is “a wonderful opportunity for the veteran to rehabilitate themselves and get a fresh start without a criminal conviction to weigh them down.”