Judge hears Infante arguments to prohibit search evidence at trial

WARREN

The judge in the Ralph Infante public-corruption case heard arguments Thursday from Infante’s attorney and special prosecutor Dan Kasaris of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office regarding Infante’s request to have evidence seized by agents at his former home in Niles be suppressed from trial.

The former Niles mayor and his wife, Judy, owned the home in earlier years, but his attorney argued in a September filing that they did not own it when investigators raided it Feb. 1, 2016.

Agents seized records that special prosecutors say are related to illegal gambling and the operation of ITAM No. 39 on State Street in McKinley Heights.

Through Atty. John Juhasz, Infante seeks to have the evidence suppressed on the grounds that investigators exceeded the scope of their search warrant by searching areas in the home on North Rhodes Avenue that “were not the residence of Ralph and Judy Infante.”

Infante, 61, is facing 41 criminal charges accusing him of taking bribes, receiving inappropriate gifts, tampering with records, illegal gambling and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.

Read more about the matter in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.