Malvasi faces theft charge while awaiting prison

AUSTINTOWN

Township police on Wednesday issued a warrant for a Canfield man currently on federal probation for illegally possessing an unregistered machine gun.

Michael G. Malvasi Sr., 56, of Timber Run Drive, was spotted shoplifting about $120 worth of women’s skin-care products, including lotion, eye serum and cleanser, from the Giant Eagle along Mahoning Avenue on Feb. 1, according to a township police report.

A store associate told police Malvasi stuffed the items in his coat then exited to the parking lot, where he was stopped by employees. Malvasi reportedly gave the items back then fled west along Mahoning Avenue in his white Chevrolet Silverado truck.

Police were unable to track the vehicle, the report states.

Mahoning County court records show police issued a warrant for Malvasi’s arrest on one misdemeanor count of petty theft.

Federal court records show Malvasi was sentenced in January to five months in prison on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm — specifically, an unregistered machine gun, which authorities seized during an August 2017 raid of his Canfield home.

Malvasi previously pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion and was sentenced to four months, making him unable to own or possess a firearm.

Prosecutors dismissed the charge relating to that firearm being unregistered as part of the plea deal.

Court records show he was not required to self-report to jail for at least three months after his sentencing, or “as soon as possible after April 1.”

The police report states Malvasi’s parole officer was informed of the incident.

Malvasi was arrested in November at a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court hearing for his son, Michael Malvasi Jr., who is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide after a 2017 fatal crash in Canfield.

Malvasi Sr., who reportedly failed three drug tests while awaiting sentencing in his federal case, was released after agreeing to enter a drug treatment program.