YAVORCIK TRIAL | FBI agent: Cafaro Sr. 'still under investigation'

CLEVELAND — Anthony Cafaro Sr., the former president of his family-owned Cafaro Co. shopping center business, is "still under investigation," FBI special agent Deane Hassman testified today.

The statement was the last comment made by Hassman during about 90 minutes of testimony given by him in the Martin Yavorcik criminal trial during questions asked of him by prosecutors.

Hassman, the prosecution's final witness in the Yavorcik trial, also testified the defendant told him certain Mahoning County public officials backed his 2008 candidacy for prosecutor believing he'd kill a criminal investigation into their alleged illegal acts.

Those officials, Hassman said included then Commissioner John A. McNally, now Youngstown mayor; then Auditor Michael V. Sciortino, defeated in 2014 while under indictment; then Treasurer Lisa Antonini, also a former county Democratic Party; and ex-Treasurer John Reardon.

McNally and Sciortino took pleas for their involvement in the Oakhill Renaissance Place criminal-corruption case. Antonini and Reardon were found guilty of other crimes not related to Oakhill.

Hassman said he's a member of "Operation Restore Faith," a law enforcement program that investigates public corruption in Mahoning, Trumbull, Cuyahoga and Franklin counties.

Hassman testified he reviewed Yavorcik's 2008 campaign finance reports while investigating political corruption related to efforts by some Mahoning County officials to help high-level executives with the Cafaro Co. stop or impede the relocation of the county's Department of Job and Family Services from a building owned by a Cafaro Co. subsidiary, to Oakhill, a former hospital.

The Vindicator reported in December 2008 that three members of the Cafaro family - Anthony Sr., J.J., and Flora - each contributed $40,000 to Yavorcik's campaign, the largest campaign contributions given to a Mahoning County candidate in at least the past two decades, and likely ever.

Hassman said today he interviewed Yavorcik at his Boardman home on March 2, 2010. Yavorcik said the public officials who backed him "had ulterior motives."

If elected prosecutor, which he wasn't, Yavorcik said they expected him to kill the Oakhill investigation, Hassman testified.

Also in open court when asked by prosecutor Dan Kasaris, Hassman identified numerous unnamed people in the Oakhill indictment. They're identified in court filings, but this was the first time they were verbally named.

"Businessman 1" is Anthony Cafaro Sr. "Businessman 2" is J.J. Cafaro while "Businesswoman 1" is Flora Cafaro.

Also revealed, "Business 1" is the Cafaro Co., and "Business 2" is Ohio Valley Mall, a Cafaro subsidiary.

Earlier in the day, former Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairwoman Lisa Antonini testified today that she never told Martin Yavorcik, facing 11 felonies, that she did anything wrong related to the Oakhill Renaissance Place investigation or that she illegally took money that resulted in a felony conviction.

"You repeatedly told me you didn't do anything (illegal) with the Oakhill case," Yavorcik said to Antonini, also a former county treasurer.

Antonini agreed.

Yavorcik faces criminal charges including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and tampering with records.

Prosecutors contend Yavorcik was illegally paid money by those being investigated in the Oakhill matter to run as an independent in 2008 for county prosecutor.

If he won, prosecutors say Yavorcik was going to quash a criminal investigation into efforts by some county officials and Anthony Cafaro Sr., then the president of the Cafaro Co., to stop the county's plan to purchase Oakhill, the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center in 2006.

The county was planning to relocate its Department of Job and Family Services from a building owned by a Cafaro Co. subsidiary to Oakhill.

Yavorcik said he was running because Paul J. Gains, the Democratic incumbent, was a bad prosecutor and "I didn't like him."

Antonini testified that she didn't want Gains re-elected not only to stop the Oakhill investigation, but also because "he played politics with his office."

Antonini testified for about 2 1/2 hours between Monday and today.

Other county officials being investigated in the Oakhill matter besides Antonini included then Commissioner John A. McNally, now Youngstown mayor; then county Auditor Michael V. Sciortino who lost re-election in 2014; and former Treasurer John Reardon.

McNally and Sciortino took plea deals and are to be sentenced Monday. Antonini and Reardon were convicted on other crimes not related to Oakhill.

One of the three bribery charges facing Yavorcik is for taking $2,500 from Antonini's campaign fund during the 2008 campaign.

Antonini said it was a campaign contribution with Yavorcik calling it a loan. Yavorcik had the canceled check as evidence that shows Antonini wrote loan. However, the money was never repaid by Yavorcik's campaign.

Yavorcik's campaign did pay back a $809.63 check to Antonini after his failed bid for prosecutor.

"If you're allegedly bribing me, why am I returning money to you after the election?" Yavorcik said.

Kurt Welsh, Antonini's boyfriend in 2008, testified today he worked for Yavorcik's campaign with the hope that if he won, Yavorcik would help him with various drunk-driving charges he had pending and stop the Oakhill investigation.

"I felt they were being wrongfully pursued," Welsh said.

He called the Oakhill investigation "a witch hunt."