Cleveland Executive Charged in Connection with Public Corruption Investigation
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 20, 2009 |
William J. Edwards, First Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Ohio, C. Frank Figliuzzi, Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Division of the FBI, and Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, today announced that a one-count Information was filed charging Salva Stone Design owner John Valentin, age 62, of Cleveland, Ohio, in connection with the Cuyahoga County public corruption investigation.
The Information charges Valentin with a bribery conspiracy that involved providing discounted home improvements and materials to Public Official 1 (“PO1”) and in return, PO1 assisting Valentin’s friend with a tourist visa application. According to the Information, in or around 2007, Stone Design installed granite in PO1’s indoor kitchen, outdoor kitchen, and master bathroom. Stone Design did not bill PO1 for the work, and PO1 never paid for the work. Then in or around Spring of 2008, Stone Design installed a sink basin and countertop in PO1’s bathroom. Again, Stone Design did not bill PO1 for the work, and PO1 never paid for the work. The Information alleges that after FBI agents interviewed Steve Wayne Pumper on May 23, 2008 about bribing Cleveland Building Inspector Bobby G. Cuevas and sought his cooperation in an investigation of municipal public corruption, Pumper and a friend agreed that the friend would notify PO1 that Pumper had been confronted by the FBI. On May 23, 2008, PO1 wrote a $600 personal check to Pumper’s company, DAS Construction in the amount of $600 and a $250 check to Valentin’s company.
The following individuals were charged previously in connection with the Cuyahoga County corruption investigation:
| DEFENDANT | ROLE | DATE CHARGED | CASE STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Kevin Kelley | Former Geographic Information Systems project manager, Cuyahoga County Engineer’s Office Former President, Parma City School District Board of Education, Principal, J. Kevin Kelley Consulting, LLC | 6/12/2009 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 7/1/2009 |
| Kevin F. Payne | Retired Chief of Staff, Engineer’s Office, Cuyahoga County | 6/12/2009 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 7/1/2009 |
| Daniel P. Gallagher | Retired Chief of Staff, Engineer’s Office, Cuyahoga County Principal, The Eagle Group | 6/12/2009 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 7/2/2009 |
| Brian Schuman | Former co-executive director, Alternatives Agency | 6/12/2009 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 7/2/2009 |
| Steven Wayne Pumper | Chief Executive Officer, DAS Construction | 7/8/2009 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 7/17/2009 $3,644.00 payment toward restitution 11/9/2009 |
| Dennis Dooley | Principal Office Assistant, Cuyahoga County Auditor’s Office | 7/22/2009 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 9/9/2009 |
| John J. Carroll | Former Vice President of Facilities and Construction Services | 8/6/09 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 9/9/2009 |
| Nilesh R. Patel | Former Vice President of East West Construction Company | 8/6/09 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 9/9/2009 |
| Anthony C. Sinagra | Former Mayor of Lakewood, Former Member of the Ohio State Senate, Principal of AC Sinagra & Associates | 8/13/09 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 8/31/09 |
| Santina Klimkowski | Former elected member of the Maple Heights School Board of Education from 1981 to 2005 Former Department of Appraisal Specialist, Auditor’s Office | 9/18/09 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 10/2/09 |
| Timothy Armstrong | Attorney, Sole Practitioner | 9/18/09 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 9/29/09 |
| Bruce Zaccagnini | Partner, Belcuy Partners | 9/18/09 | Awaiting Sentencing Guilty Plea 10/1/09 $500,000 payment toward restitution 11/2/09 |
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann C. Rowland and Antoinette T. Bacon, following investigation by the Cleveland office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The investigation is ongoing.
An Information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.