Former Member of Port Authority Board Indicted

Robert M. Peto, a former member of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, was indicted for violating the Hobbs Act, law enforcement officials said today.

Peto, 58, lives in Gates Mills, Ohio. He served as a member of the Port Authority Board between December 2004 through in or around August 2012, according to the indictment.

Peto obtained property not due to him or his Port Authority office including free and discounted home improvements and materials, entertainment, and a financial benefit related to a vehicle acquisition, according to the indictment.

The property and objects were provided by Michael Forlani and/or Doan Pyramid LLC and Neteam AVI, companies in which Forlani had an ownership interest, according to the indictment.

“The indictment of Bob Peto exposes yet another individual who chose to violate the public’s trust in exchange for personal gain,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland office. “Corruption—in this case taking bribes and utilizing his position as a board member for the Port Authority—must not be tolerated.”

The conduct took place between 2004 and October 2, 2007, according to the indictment.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Antoinette T. Bacon and Nancy L. Kelley following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Cuyahoga County corruption investigation is ongoing.