Infante racketeering charge similar to 2004 Trumbull County case

By ED RUNYAN

runyan@vindy.com

WARREN

Infante Indictments

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Indictments against former Mayor of Niles, Ralph Infante, and associates related to public corruption and illegal gambling operations.

One of the most serious charges facing former Niles Mayor Ralph Infante – taking up the most space in his 45-page indictment – is reminiscent of allegations never proved more than a decade ago about Trumbull County public corruption.

Infante and his wife, Judy, are under indictment for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. Conviction carries a 10-year prison term.

The statute, Ohio’s version of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, is used to charge someone who participates in the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of corrupt activity.

Infante’s indictment says the Infantes, city employee Scott Shaffer, 12 unnamed people and the Niles Board of Control were involved in the enterprise.

From 1991 to January 2016, the common purpose of the enterprise was to “create sources of money and power for Ralph Infante through bribery, theft in office, the misuse of city-owned property, paying employees contrary to law, gambling for profit and to hide the proceeds of illegal activity, including bribe monies, gift monies and gambling,” the charge says.

The charge also paints a picture of Ralph Infante as a man who exercised his power over others in improper ways.

One goal of the enterprise was to “bestow upon Ralph Infante inappropriate power over city employees and officials based on favors, unauthorized use of property, illegal payment of city employees monies not entitled to receive by law, intimidation and fear of losing one’s job or position or facing political opposition in an election if Ralph Infante’s orders/wishes were not followed,” the indictment alleges.

The charge also says Ralph Infante “insisted that at least one city supervisor sell political fundraising tickets to city vendors when such supervisor had approval authority over such vendors.”

That allegation is similar to one made in May 2004 by Tony Delmont, former Trumbull County maintenance director, who contended in a sworn statement that he was directed by the three county commissioners at that time and the sheriff to accept gifts from vendors who were providing services to the county.

Delmont, who has since died, said he gave $50,000 to elected officials, as well as sporting-event tickets, electronics equipment and other gifts.

“[County] officials made it known to me that it was part of my job as Trumbull County maintenance supervisor that I must sell large volumes of campaign fund-raising tickets in return for cash payment which I delivered to these Trumbull County officials,” according to Delmont’s affidavit.

Delmont later was sentenced to prison after he admitted taking $50,000 for himself. A special prosecutor investigated Delmont’s claims about public officials, but no charges were filed against them.

“I think it is fair to say that there is not sufficient credible evidence to support an indictment, let alone conviction, and that is the conclusion we and the grand jury have come to,” Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci told reporters in July 2006.

Infante’s indictment says the money he’s accused of getting from the criminal enterprise was hidden from governmental agencies such as the Ohio Ethics Commission, U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Ohio Department of Taxation and Niles Income Tax Department, the charge says.

“During this period of time, hundreds of thousands of dollars changed hands within and outside of this enterprise,” the charge says.

Infante, when reached by telephone Wednesday, said he’s been advised by his attorney not to talk about the indictment. But when asked about the allegation that he asked an employee to sell fundraising tickets, Infante said he hadn’t held a fundraiser “in three or four years.”

The indictment doesn’t indicate when the alleged activity occurred.

“Sadly, it’s a repeat of history,” Randy Law, Trumbull County Republican Party chairman, said of the ticket-selling allegations involving Infante and Delmont.

“I hope the voters of Niles start cleaning house, as voters everywhere should,” Law said.

“That’s what refreshes the system and keeps it clean,” he said, adding that he has always supported term limits for elected officials for that same reason. Infante served as Niles mayor 24 years.

“It’s a shame. It’s a black eye, but someone has to have a black eye to clean it up,” Law said.

Infante’s indictment includes 50 examples of corrupt activities purported to have occurred between 1993 and early this year.

They include incidents of bribery, theft in office, theft, operating a gambling house, gambling, tampering with records, having an unlawful interest in a public contract and money laundering.

In one example, Ralph Infante, as chairman of the Niles Board of Control voted to, and spearheaded, the waiving of more than $40,000 in building fees for a local company without authority from city council, the charge says.

The company involved was the Cafaro Co., and the fees were related to projects at the Eastwood Mall complex. It was illegal for Infante to waive the fees because he didn’t have the authority to grant such waivers. That power rests with the city council.

Investigators couldn’t determine if the improper waivers were done with the knowledge of anyone at the Cafaro Co., and the company isn’t going to face charges, according to people with knowledge of the investigation.

Another allegation in the indictment is “John Doe 3” did free work at Infante’s house in exchange for the then-mayor hiring a friend of the unidentified person to a city job.

Ralph Infante also “permitted John Doe 8, a lifelong friend of Ralph Infante, to run a private business on city of Niles property, using city of Niles property and equipment,” the charge says. “Said business included doing work for Ralph Infante, close friends of Ralph Infante, and others,” it says.