Mahoning County Official Charged with Honest Services Mail Fraud

A criminal information was filed today charging Lisa A. Antonini, age 41, of Youngstown, Ohio, with one count of honest services mail fraud, said David Sierleja, Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The information charges that Antonini, while serving as a Mahoning County Treasurer and Chairwoman of the Mahoning County Democratic Party, accepted $3,000 cash from an area businessman and, in exchange, supported the businessman’s interests and would take official action on his behalf if opportunities arose.

The information further charges that Antonini concealed this from the citizens of Mahoning County by failing to disclose it in connection with her Ohio Campaign Finance Report and her annual Ohio Ethics Commission Financial Disclosure Statement.

“The citizens of Mahoning County suffer when elected officials violate the public trust,” Sierleja said. “When someone is alleged to have violated that trust, we will investigate and prosecute those involved and work to restore confidence in the system. Today’s filing demonstrates our commitment to investigating and prosecuting allegations of corruption in the Mahoning Valley.”

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 United States Attorney Justin J. Roberts, following an investigation by the Youngstown office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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.