Charities to benefit from Mahoning sheriff's unclaimed inmate property

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene will be donating to various charitable causes unclaimed county jail inmate property, some of which has been held by the county since 1972.

The disposal was authorized recently by Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

The property was unclaimed after inmates were released from jail or went to the state penitentiary.

The sheriff said jewelry will be taken to a gold dealer, who will appraise it and write checks to charities, possibly the Mahoning Valley Food Bank and Friends of Fido, for it.

“Probably 90 percent of this is going to be costume jewelry and have a very minimal value to it, but, you know, the 10 percent, I’m hoping we get a couple of thousand (dollars) for it,” for charity, he said.

“We’re finding some wedding bands. We found some class rings,” he said, looking over the array of unclaimed items this morning on a conference room table.

The wallets and watches will be donated for sale at the Angels for Animals garage sale, he said.

“The cell phones, we will be sending to our seniors program,” within the sheriff’s office to be donated to senior citizens for emergency use, after ascertaining that they have chargers and are in working order, he said.

About $150 in unclaimed cash will be forfeited to the sheriff’s department.

A 1939 Mercury dime is only worth 60 cents, the sheriff determined.

“We just needed to get rid of this stuff,” the sheriff said of his decision.