UPDATE | Dem chair Betras wants Mayor McNally to resign

CLEVELAND

Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally said he took a plea deal to four misdemeanors in the Oakhill Renaissance Place criminal-corruption case because "it was time to put this issue to bed for me."

As for the plea deal, McNally said, "I'm not going to talk about the terms of any offers they provided to us. I will say that this past week is probably the first time we've ever had any meaningful discussions about getting this issue resolved."

The judge in the Oakhill Renaissance Place criminal-corruption trial will sentence Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally and ex-Mahoning County Auditor Michael V. Sciortino on March 28 at 9 a.m. after the two pleaded guilty today.

Taking the pleas avoid a trial against the two that was to start Monday.

Atty. David Betras, Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman, is calling upon McNally to resign.

“As I have said from the beginning, I believed Mayor McNally had the right to remain in office pending the disposition of the charges filed against him. In light of the fact that he today pleaded guilty to four misdemeanors related directly to his official duties as an elected officials, I believe he should resign,” Betras said in a statement.

“At the very least, I believe he should not seek re-election when his term expires. If he does not, the voters will have their say when it comes time for his re-election.”

The party chairman added: “I would note for the record that it would not be unprecedented for an elected official to remain in office after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges. Gov. Robert Taft, who pleaded no contest to and was subsequently convicted of four misdemeanors related to his failure to disclose that he accepted 52 gifts from lobbyists, chose not to resign and remained in office for the remainder of his term.”

In a stunning move, McNally and Sciortino, both Democrats, took plea agreements in the Oakhill Renaissance Place criminal-corruption case.

Sciortino declined to comment after pleading guilty.

McNally accepted a plea to four misdemeanors: two counts of falsification and one count each of unlawful use of a telecommunications device and attempted unlawful influence of a public official.

Also, McNally will be permitted to remain mayor.

"I don't know if deal-breaker is the right word, but we were adamant that I was not resigning from office and I was going to be back serving as mayor and hopefully running for reelection down the road."

He's agreed to pay a $3,500 fine, cooperate with prosecutors and prosecutors are not making a recommendation on prison time.

Sciortino took a deal to a felony count of having an unlawful interest in a public contract, originally tampering with records, as well as misdemeanors of falsification and receiving or soliciting improper compensation.

He is also prohibited from holding a public office for seven years.

Sciortino also took a plea deal to one felony and one misdemeanor in his 25-felony-count indictment in Mahoning County. He was accused of using illegally using county-owned computers and other equipment more than 300 times for political purposes and for his personal DJ/band business and requiring four of his employees to help him.

Sciortino couldn't plead guilty to those counts today as that case is in front of a different judge, but is part of this plea deal.

He agrees to cooperate with prosecutors, and prosecutors are not making a recommendation on prison time.

The two - along with Martin Yavorcik, an attorney and failed 2008 independent Mahoning County prosecutor candidate - faced a total of 53 counts including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, bribery, perjury, conspiracy and tampering with records.

They were accused of being part of a criminal enterprise that conspired with others to illegally stop or impede the relocation of the Mahoning County Job and Family Services Department from a building owned by a subsidiary of the Cafaro Co. to Oakhill, the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center.

Yavorcik, who is acting as his own attorney, will not take a plea. Yavorcik said he is going to trial, expected to start March 14, but would have been ready to defend himself on Monday, the original trial date.