4 indicted in food-stamp, telecommunication fraud

4 indicted in food-stamp, telecommunication fraud

WARREN

Four people were indicted Friday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court involving alleged food-stamp and telecommunication fraud, accused of using a deceased woman’s food-stamp card. The four are Michael Totherow, 31, of Estabrook Avenue Northwest; Linda Winemiller, 65, of Burton Street Southeast; Patricia Reed, 46, of Euclid Boulevard in Youngstown; and Toni Simion, 34, of Waterville, Ohio.

Eric Wolf, an enforcement commander with the Ohio Investigative Unit, which is a part of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, said the Trumbull County Department of Job and Family Services first noticed the card being used after the woman’s death in December and contacted the investigative unit to assist.

The investigative unit carried out surveillance to build its case against the four, who knew each other. Some of them are related, Wolf said. Their combined usage of the card was $206. The charges are felonies punishable by up to 12 months in prison.

Alarm trips; Struthers students let out early

STRUTHERS

Struthers High School students were dismissed from class Friday after a faulty sensor tripped the fire alarm, prompting an evacuation, school officials said.

Due to the weather, the students were soaked upon returning to class. A school spokeswoman said the students were dismissed for the day as a result.

Notice entered to waive ex-chief’s arraignment

CAMPBELL

Former city police Chief Dennis Puskarcik didn’t appear in court Friday to answer a charge of menacing.

According to 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner, Puskarcik was scheduled to appear in court, but his attorney instead entered a written notice waiving his arraignment.

The misdemeanor charge was filed in Campbell Municipal Court after Puskarcik was accused of threatening to cause physical harm to police officer Melissa Williams. Williams accused Puskarcik of stealing items that were to be discarded from the evidence room before his resignation.

Puskarcik was cleared of any wrongdoing in the evidence case after an internal-affairs investigation.

Trumbull ODOT work

Ohio Department of Transportation will be doing work on these Trumbull County roads next week. Beginning Monday until further notice, weather permitting, U.S. Route 62 between the Mahoning County line and southern Hubbard corporation limit in Liberty and Hubbard townships will have various lane restrictions for resurfacing. The $300,000 project is scheduled to be completed by late June.

Also beginning Monday until further notice, state Route 88 between state Route 46 and state Route 5 in Johnston and Mecca township will have various daily lane restrictions for pavement repairs through early May.

A night at the ‘zoo’

SEBRING

The B.L. Miller Elementary School cafeteria, 506 W. Virginia Ave., will be transformed into a “zoo” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Second-graders will present research projects on animals they have been studying. Each student will be dressed as the animal picked for the research project. Students will have electronic and oral presentations prepared to share with visitors.

Ex-deputy charged over inmate sex acts avoids prison time

SPRINGFIELD (AP)

A former Ohio jail officer accused of having two female inmates perform oral sex on him will avoid prison but spend three years on probation and have to register as a sex offender.

Former Clark County deputy Marcus Johnson IV was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of gross sexual imposition.

The Springfield News-Sun reports the 27-year-old apologized and requested leniency, saying he wanted to remain involved in his young daughters’ lives.

Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Megan Farley had pushed for prison time, telling the judge that Johnson misused his position of authority and made it harder for the public to trust other officers in the community.

New OK for out-of-sight flights expands Ohio drone research

SPRINGFIELD (AP)

Researchers will expand testing of defense-related drone technology with new permission to fly beyond their line of sight in a limited area of Ohio.

The Federal Aviation Administration authorized that after the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the state developed new technology called SkyVision, which functions as sort of air traffic control system for drones. Officials announced Friday that testing using that detection system will be allowed in a 200 square-mile segment of airspace near the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.

Gov. Mike DeWine says that positions Ohio as an important asset for such research and creates potential for commercial companies to test their own drone technology using SkyVision. It will be operated by experts from the Ohio Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center.