Shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday, a Sheriff's deputy assigned to the Oakhill investigation arrived at the Mahoning County Clerk of Court's office to file a 41-page, 73-count indictment stemming from efforts to prevent the county's purchase of Oakhill Renaissance Place back in 2006.
Among those named is developer Anthony Cafaro Sr., who retired from his family-run company last December, and his sister Flora, who is an executive with the company. Current Mahoning County Commissioner John McNally, Auditor Mike Sciortino and former Treasurer John Reardon are also charged.
The indictments charge that the owners of Garland Plaza and other entities conspired with county officials to prevent or delay the relocation of JFS. The indictment further states that participants engaged in a pattern of corrupt activity, including bribery, perjury, money laundering and ethics violations.
"Listen, these are the same allegations that were made in 2006 and 2007 when this whole Oakhill fiasco was going on," said Louis DeFabio, Reardon's lawyer.
Prosecutors contend the Cafaros and their related companies worked with elected officials as well as former Jobs and Family Services Director John Zachariah in trying to prevent JFS from leaving the Cafaro-owned McGuffy Mall and moving into Oakhill and then trying to conceal their involvement with the scheme.
Local attorney and one-time county prosecutor's candidate Martin Yavorcik is also charged with money laundering in the case. DeFabio, who is representing Reardon in the case insists the defendants were only trying to protect taxpayers.
"That they thought Oakhill was a bad project then, that it is a bad project now," said DeFabio. "Looking back through time at how much money it's cost and, you know, that's what trials are for in this country."
And DeFabio added that if the case goes to court, it may well be the Oakhill purchase itself that's put on trial.
"This isn't communist China," he said. "Public officials here should speak their mind, and when they find a project is ill-advised they should stand up."
Counts were filed against:
- Anthony M. Cafaro, Sr.
- Ohio Valley Mall Company
- Cafaro Company
- Marion Plaza Inc.
- John A. McNally, IV
- Martin Yavorcik
- John Reardon
- Michael V. Sciortino
- Flora Cafaro
- John Zachariah
The jury was set to expire Friday.
