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Roller remains free pending appeal
YOUNGSTOWN
Richard A. Roller, the former director of the Mahoning-Youngstown Community Action Partnership, can remain free pending his appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court, the trial judge ruled.
The judge ruled, however, that Roller, who was convicted by a jury of theft in office and grand theft, must report immediately to Mahoning County jail to start serving his 120-day sentence if the state’s top court either refuses to hear the appeal or upholds Roller’s conviction.
On Dec. 30, a three-judge panel of the 7th District Court of Appeals unanimously upheld Roller’s conviction.
Visiting Judge Paul H. Mitrovich of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, who initially stayed Roller’s jail term pending the appeal to the 7th District Court, extended the stay at Roller’s request.
The prosecution objected to extending the stay and demanded Roller be jailed, Judge Mitrovich said in his judgment entry.
Judge Mitrovich ruled Thursday, however, that sending Roller to jail now would mean he “would serve his sentence before an appeal to the Supreme Court could be perfected, which would deny him due process.”
Besides imposing the jail time, Judge Mitrovich placed Roller on three years’ probation and ordered him to pay $14,000 in restitution.
Roller, 52, of Colonial Drive, Liberty, made restitution in full at his August 2015 sentencing.
The MYCAP board fired Roller in May 2010 after an Ohio Department of Development investigation into whether the Youngstown-based nonprofit, anti-poverty agency misappropriated funds and resources while he led it.
In the October 2012 indictment, Roller was charged with using his office to take $7,500 or more from the state between June 19 and July 13, 2009.
The bill of particulars accused Roller of deceptively obtaining $14,000 in consulting fees and $3,400 in equipment rental fees from the state during that period.
Roller directed MYCAP for about 10 years. He has no prior criminal record.