YAVORCIK TRIAL | Strabala testifies on prosecutor race plot

CLEVELAND — Harry Strabala, an FBI informant, testified today in the Martin Yavorcik corruption trial that the defendant told him if elected Mahoning County prosecutor in 2008 he'd end a criminal investigation into those who tried to stop the county's purchase of Oakhill Renaissance Place.

Strabala, a political consultant, secretly recorded Yavorcik and others for at least six years at the direction of Wallace Sines, an FBI special agent.

Strabala said he would "lie" to "stimulate conversations" with politicians believed by him and/or Sines of possibly being corrupt.

During today's hearing, some of those tapes were played for jurors. But the sound quality for a number of audio tapes were poor that portions were inaudible to Strabala, Yavorcik, Judge Janet R. Burnside, who is overseeing the case, and others at the trial.

Yavorcik ran as an independent candidate for county prosecutor in 2008, losing to incumbent Paul J. Gains.

Prosecutors contend Yavorcik ran at the behest of those being investigated for trying to stop or impede the relocation of a county agency from a building owned by a subsidiary of the Cafaro Co. to Oakhill, the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center owned by the county.

Gains had requested an investigation into some of those.

Yavorcik said he ran because he and others believed Gains wasn't a good prosecutor.

Those being investigated at the time of the 2008 campaign were Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally in his capacity as a Mahoning County commissioner, then county Auditor Michael V. Sciortino, ex-Treasurer John Reardon, then county Democratic Party Chairwoman Lisa Antonini, then county treasurer, as well as Anthony Cafaro Sr., then the head of the Cafaro Co., and his sister Flora, a Cafaro Co. executive.

On a tape played in court, Yavorcik said, "I don't believe they did" anything illegal. "How is that a crime?"

On a taped cell phone conversation, Yavorcik said, "You're absolutely right," in response to Strabala telling him he has to win or those being investigated would be prosecuted. All but the Cafaros have been convicted of crimes.

Yavorcik is also on tape telling Kurt Welsh - Antonini's boyfriend - that if elected he could end pending criminal charges against him. During cross-examination, Yavorcik said the supposed case fixing never happened and that sometimes people brag.

Yavorcik faces 11 felonies: one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, one county of conspiracy, three counts of bribery, four counts of money laundering, and two counts of tampering with records.

Follow Vindy.com for updates on this trial and read Thursday's Vindicator for the complete story.