Ex-Traficant aide charged with theft

Ex-Traficant aide charged with theft

CANFIELD

Linda Kovachik, 69, a former aide to the late U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., is charged with theft, accused of taking more than $100,000 from a Canfield woman with dementia. Officers arrested Kovachik, of Flagler Lane in Boardman, on Tuesday morning. A judge has ordered her to stay away from casinos if she makes her $100,000 bond.

According to the police report, Kovachik befriended an 89-year-old woman in 2013 and offered to help manage the woman’s finances.

Police said from then until mid-2015, Kovachik withdrew more than $100,000 from the woman’s bank accounts, savings bonds and annuities.

Kovachik served as an aide to the late congressman from 1985 to 1990, and again from 2000 to 2002. Traficant died in September 2014 after an accident at his Green Township farm.

New US citizens

YOUNGSTOWN

Several people became U.S. citizens at a naturalization ceremony in Mahoning County Domestic Relations Court. Their names, countries of origin and hometowns are: Dennis and Leocardia Zindi, Zimbabwe, Boardman; Ratheesh Chelakkattu Rajan, India, Campbell; Samy Aghannaj, Morocco, Boardman; Rachid Baddou, Morocco, Youngstown; Munawar Begum Razzaq, Pakistan, Poland; Maoune Raji El-Hayek, Lebanon, Canfield; Manali Vinodbha Patel, Tejashkumar Vinodbhai Patel, and Raxaben Vinodbhai Patel, all India, all Youngstown; Dan Wang, People’s Republic of China, Boardman; Haishi Zhao and Ming Jin, both People’s Republic of China, both Canfield; Sultan Ahmad Alababseh, Jordan, Poland; and Jacek Jagusztyn, Poland, Poland.

Truck driver cited

YOUNGSTOWN

Police cited the driver of a truck hauling garbage that overturned about 12:35 a.m. Tuesday on state Route 711 for failure to control.

A report said the truck driven by Jose Alvarado, 55, of New York, was traveling on state Route 711 to Interstate 680 south before he lost control and struck a median. The truck spilled its contents on both lanes, which were closed for several hours before being reopened.

Alvarado was taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital to be treated.

More Digest on A9