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UPDATE | Yost says more to come as Sammarone, Bozanich, Marchionda indicted
YOUNGTOWN — A Mahoning County grand jury indicted former Youngstown Mayor Charles Sammarone, ex-city Finance Director David Bozanich, downtown property developer Dominic Marchionda and the latter’s affiliated businesses today on 101 criminal counts.
Youngstown Indictment
Document
A Mahoning County grand jury indicted former Youngstown Mayor Charles Sammarone, ex-city Finance Director David Bozanich, downtown property developer Dominic Marchionda and the latter’s affiliated businesses on 101 criminal counts.
Sammarone, 75, of Youngstown, was indicted on the following charges:
• One count of Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, a felony of the first degree
• Nine counts of Bribery, felonies of the third degree
• Three counts of Tampering with Records, felonies of the third degree
• One count of Falsification, a misdemeanor of the first degree
Bozanich, 61, of Youngstown, was indicted on the following charges:
• One count of Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, a felony of the first degree
• Two counts of Aggravated Theft, felonies of the first degree
• 15 counts of Bribery, felonies of the third degree
• One count of Obstructing Justice, a felony of the fifth degree
The indictment also serves as a superseding indictment for Marchionda, 58, of Poland, and his affiliated businesses which were previously indicted on October 2, 2017, on charges including Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, Aggravated Theft, Money Laundering, Receiving Stolen Property, Tampering with Records, and Telecommunications Fraud. The indictment includes new charges of Theft pertaining to insurance funds for the Legal Arts building and Money Laundering for laundering the stolen insurance funds related to the Legal Arts building.
Sammarone served as Mayor of Youngstown from 2011 to 2013. The indictment alleges that Sammarone solicited and received recurring cash payments from a vendor in return for steering projects to the company.
Bozanich served as Finance Director of Youngstown until December 2017. The indictment alleges that Bozanich received benefits from several individuals and in return agreed to assist in securing public funding from the city for economic development projects, including Marchionda’s.
“The people of Youngstown deserve to have confidence in their elected officials, but the indictments announced today show a repeated pattern of bribery and corrupt activity,” said Attorney General Mike DeWine. “There has been tremendous cooperation in this case from my office, Auditor of State Dave Yost, Prosecutor Paul Gains, Sheriff Jerry Greene, and others who have worked hard to bring these charges to light in order to seek justice.”
Yost — whose office with the attorney general led the investigation — said today's indictments aren't the end.
“Our team is still on the ground,” he told The Vindicator during a visit to the newspaper's office. “An investigation is like a ball of string. You take it to the end and we're not to the end.”
Yost, a Republican, said there were new discoveries found following Marchionda's indictment almost 11 months ago.
“I expect as our work continues there will be future developments,” he said. “We've learned more and we continue to learn more.”
When asked if this should shake people's faith in Youngstown government, Yost said it was the opposite.
“It should strengthen people's faith in city government,” he said. “When the powerful are held accountable that should build confidence.”