YAVORCIK TRIAL | Youngstown mayor testifies in Oakhill case

CLEVELAND

Youngstown Mayor John A. McNally pleaded guilty three weeks ago to four misdemeanors, including unlawfully sending Mahoning County's offer to buy Oakhill Renaissance Place to a law firm, but testified today that he didn't "believe this was a confidential letter."

The letter, the $75,000 offer accepted to buy the former hospital, was faxed July 13, 2006, by McNally, a county commissioner at the time, to Ulmer & Berne, a Cleveland law firm that represented Anthony Cafaro Sr., a prominent businessman who opposed the purchase.

At the time, Cafaro was president of his family-owned Cafaro Co. shopping center business. Ohio Valley Mall, a subsidiary of Cafaro Co., owned Garland Plaza, was the location of the county's Department of Job and Family Services, which was to be relocated when the county bought Oakhill, the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center.

McNally testified in the Martin Yavorcik corruption/conspiracy trial in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.

McNally testified today for 75 minutes and will resume his testimony Friday.

Yavorcik faces 11 felonies, accused by prosecutors of running in 2008 for Mahoning County prosecutor to halt a criminal investigation into an alleged criminal enterprise that wanted to stop the JFS move.

Yavorcik has largely been an afterthought in this trial as prosecutors first work to establish the Oakhill conspiracy - and that part of it occurred in Cuyahoga County to establish venue.

For the complete story, read Vindy.com and The Vindicator Friday.