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Mahoning County sells former clinic of convicted Canfield doctor
By Justin Wier
YOUNGSTOWN
Mahoning County received $37,750 from the sale of a former health clinic on Market Street that law enforcement seized from a doctor convicted of overprescribing pain and anxiety medications.
William Paloski, 75, of Western Reserve Road operated the former BEM Medical Arts Center, a pain-management clinic, at 3100 Market St.
Becky Liguori purchased the property from the county at auction. The Mahoning County commissioners approved the sale at Thursday’s meeting.
County officials said they are working with the prosecutor’s office to determine how the money will be distributed, but they believe it will go toward the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force that raided the clinic and Paloski’s home in 2015.
Paloski, who was indicted on 78 counts, pleaded guilty last year to eight misdemeanor counts of possession of dangerous drugs, four felony counts of trafficking in drugs and one felony count of attempted trafficking in drugs.
He received five years’ probation from Judge R. Scott Krichbaum, who told Paloski he contributed to the malaise of the community and had to have known better.
Paloski forfeited his medical license for the duration of his probation.
In addition to the health clinic, law enforcement seized an SUV, firearms and $250,000 cash.
Also at Thursday’s meeting, Commissioner Anthony Traficanti fired a shot across the bow of Joe Paloski, who is challenging Commissioner Carol Rimedio-Righetti in the Democratic primary for her seat on the board of commissioners.
Paloski told The Vindicator renovation costs were too high at Oakhill and criticized Carol Rimedio-Righetti’s plans for the building that included providing transitional housing for female veterans.
He suggested finding a health care center to take over the space or to use it as a film set.
Traficanti, who didn’t mention Paloski’s name, said he was personally invested in seeing Oakhill Renaissance Place succeed and was offended to see in the paper that someone suggested that the county should give up on it and use it to film “monster movies.”