Although it's been nearly two and a half years since Maureen Cronin, 59, retired from the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court bench, federal authorities said it's what she allegedly did while still a judge that has her in trouble now.
She's been named in a bill of information that claims that in 2006 she took an $18,000 loan from who's described as a senior executive with a local business. And she did it without making a repayment schedule, offering any collateral or paying any interest. On top of that, she allegedly never reported the loan to the Ohio Ethics Commission.
Attorney and Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman Dave Betras said while there's no crime in public officials accepting loans, the information must be made public.
"When you are an elected public official, there's a different set of rules that apply to you," he said.
Cronin was charged with two counts of honest services mail fraud. She is accused of taking a personal payment, or "loan", from the executive who had multiple cases pending in Mahoning County court. As a judge, she was required to disclose any such payment that could be construed as a conflict of interest.
The bill of information said Cronin received the loan "in the form of cash in the backseat of the senior executive's car."
After receiving the payment, Cronin is accused of continuing to preside over pending and newly filed cases involving the senior executive's company and affiliated companies.
When reached by phone Thursday morning, Cronin declined to comment.
Even beyond the federal charges of mail fraud, local officials said the allegations of lying on official documents is not likely to sit well with the Ohio Supreme Court.
Attorney Chip Comstock said the high court "has previously found that any member of the judiciary who lied is particularly subject to sanctions."
Comstock said the allegations are similar to those made in 2000 against then-local appeals court Judge Ed Cox, who was accused of taking money from lawyers -- who then had cases before him -- and then lying about it to the ethics commission.
In that case, the court suspended Cox's license indefinitely, calling his actions "deplorable" and "egregious."
U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach said in a press release the filing on Cronin demonstrates commitment to investigating and prosecuting allegations of corruption in the Mahoning Valley.
"The citizens...suffer when elected officials violate the public trust," he said. "When someone charged with the responsibility of doing justice is alleged to have violated that trust, we will act swiftly to investigate and prosecute those involved and to restore confidence in the judicial system."
Cronin was Mahoning County's first female judge, winning reelection twice without opposition. She served 13 years before retiring in the summer of 2007, near the beginning of her third term. Twice while judge, Cronin faced DUI charges, pleading no contest the first time and guilty the second.
Cronin is expected to appear in federal court later this month. A bill of information generally means the person accused is not planning to fight the charges and will eventually plead guilty.
To read the press release, which outlines the filings and that was issued Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice, click here.
