Oak Hill Trial: Anthony Cafaro, Sr. still under investigation
As the prosecution in the Oak Hill corruption trial was set to rest its case prosecutors asked one last question of FBI Special Agent Deane Hassman of Youngstown. Is Anthony Cafaro, Sr. still under investigation? Hassman answered, "Yes."
As the prosecution in the Oak Hill corruption trial was set to rest its case prosecutors asked one last question of FBI Special Agent Deane Hassman of Youngstown. Is Anthony Cafaro, Sr. still under investigation? Hassman answered, "Yes."
Anthony Cafaro, Sr., who has often been referred to as "Businessman Number 1" in these proceedings is at the center of the Oak Hill scandal, even though to date he has not been indicted in Cuyahoga County's investigation.
Cafaro along with former Mahoning Commissioner John McNally, former auditor Michael Sciortino, former treasurer John Reardon and former Democratic Party Chairwoman Lisa Antonini are accused of strategizing to block the county's purchase of the Oak Hill Renaissance building, and keep Jobs and Family Services from moving from the Cafaro owned Garland Plaza.
Defendant Martin Yavorcik faces 11 charges including bribery, tampering with records and money laundering. He's accused of running for county prosecutor and if elected accepting bribes to kill the criminal investigation into the Oak Hill matter.
FBI Special Agent Hassman also testified that defendant Yavorcik told him on March 2, 2010 that several Mahoning County officials wanted him to be the Mahoning County Prosecutor because they thought he might be willing to do something illegal, and that included doing away with the criminal investigation into Oak Hill that was started by prosecutor Paul Gains. But Yavorcik denied that he would do anything illegal.
Also taking the witness stand for the prosecution was former Mahoning County Treasurer John Reardon.
Reardon testified that he was adamantly opposed to the purchase of the Oak Hill building from the beginning because, "No due diligence was done to purchase, renovate, and occupy that building."
Mahoning County's former treasurer admits that he was friends with Anthony Cafaro, Sr. and met with him to discuss the Oak Hill building, its condition, the cost estimates to make it habitable and the delinquent real estate taxes.
He also admits meeting with Cafaro and then auditor Michael Sciortino, "Auditor Sciortino was not going to cut that $75,000 check (for the purchase) and it came up in the Cafaro meeting - and it may have been Mr. Cafaro's idea not to cut the check. We needed to stop Oak Hill. We needed to stop Oak Hill from moving forward. This is insanity. We talked about a lot of opportunities to try and stop the project," Reardon said.
The prosecution has rested its case.
Defense witnesses will begin testifying on Wednesday.