Judge Sentences Marchionda and Briya to Service, Bozanich Prison
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge Maureen Sweeney this morning sentenced downtown developer Dominic Marchionda to five years of community controlled service with no jail, ending a five-year public corruption investigation by the state.
Former city finance director David Bozanich was sentenced to one year in prison for felonies and misdemeanors and fined $5,000. After the sentencing, he was handcuffed and escorted from the courtroom by deputies.
Both men pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges Aug. 7. The felony counts to which Bozanich and Marchionda admitted carried a maximum penalty of 36 months in prison. The minimum was a period of supervised community service.
Marchionda’s sentence includes 250 hours each year at a community outreach program instructing young people.
Former MS Consultants chief financial officer Ray Briya was also sentenced to three years of community controlled service with 100 hours each year. He also received 180 days of house arrest to run concurrently and a $5,000 fine.
Marchionda pleaded guilty to four counts of tampering with records, a third-degree felony. Bozanich pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful enrichment of a public official – a misdemeanor – and two felony counts of bribery and tampering with records.
Both men were indicted in August 2018 on 100 counts of corruption charges ranging from bribery to racketeering. Marchionda’s attorney, John McCaffery, said that the investigation into his client began about five years ago.
The indictment said that Marchionda used at least $600,000 in public money for personal gain, and that Bozanich accepted bribes from representatives of companies that were involved in several development projects in return for city help.
Former Mayor Charles Sammarone was initially included in the indictment, but in March pleaded to reduced charges of two counts of tampering with records. He was sentenced to five years probation and 30 days of supervised community service.
In September 2019, Briya pleaded guilty to a five-county bill of information related to the corruption investigation. As part of his plea, Briya agreed to pay $200,000 in restitution to his former employer, from which he stole money to bribe Sammarone and Bozanich.
The bribery represented the first two counts of the five-count bill of information. He was also charged with tampering with evidence by providing false documents with Marchionda to the city of Youngstown to secure money from the city; stealing money from MS to bribe the named city officials; and obstructing justice by lying to the Mahoning County Grand Jury.
Related coverage:
- Aug. 7, 2020 | Marchionda: ‘Time to Move on with My Life’
- Aug. 7, 2020 | Marchionda and Bozanich Plead Guilty at Hearing
- Sept. 10, 2019 | Briya Pleads Guilty, Will Repay MS Consultants $200K
- Aug. 30, 2018 | Sammarone, Bozanich Indicted in Marchionda Probe
- Oct. 2, 2017 | Marchionda, Companies Indicted on 192 Criminal Counts
Pictured at top: Attorney John McCaffery and his client, Dominic Marchionda, in the courtroom during Marchionda’s sentencing Thursday morning.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
