Judge rules David DeChristofaro’s conviction records will be sealed

Staff report

WARREN

A visiting judge has ruled that the records related to the conviction of former Trumbull County Engineer David DeChristofaro shall be sealed.

The records relate to DeChristofaro’s July 2011 conviction on charges of felony theft and misdemeanor conflict of interest for having employees carry out political and personal tasks on county time.

DeChristofaro was convicted in July 2011, shortly after resigning the job as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

DeChristofaro, 60, of Sunny Estates Drive in Niles, asked to have the records sealed from public view because his “rehabilitation has been attained,” according to a filing.

Visiting Judge Richard D. Reinbold Jr. of Stark County ruled this week that he was approving the sealing of the records because the “interests of David M. DeChristofaro in having these records sealed outweigh any legitiate needs of the government to maintain these records.”

Reinbold is the judge who handled DeChristofaro’s criminal case in 2013, sentencing DeChristofaro to two years’ probation and ordering him to pay $5,000 in restitution and $7,400 for the cost of the criminal investigation.

The judgment entry will be sent to 13 entities informing them of the decision, including the common pleas court, jail, probation department, prosecutor’s office, FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Ohio Ethics Commission, Ohio Attorney General’s Office and three credit-reporting agencies.