Vincent Russo Indicted on Four Counts

The United States Attorney’s Office 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 federal grand jury indicted Vincent Russo, age 31, of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, in connection with the Cuyahoga County public corruption investigation.

The indictment charges Russo with one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, one count of Hobbs Act conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The schemes involve contracts awarded to clients of Russo’s company, Vincore LLC, by Maple Heights City Schools (MHCS).

Russo is accused of delivering two televisions to the home of former MHCS board member Santina Klimkowski in December 2007 and instructing Klimkowski to deliver one of the televisions to MHCS Treasurer Christopher D. Krause. The televisions were bribes in return for contracts being awarded to a company that employed Russo’s company, Vincore LLC, as a consultant, according to the charges.

One of the televisions, a 46-inch Sharp Aquos Liquid Crystal television, was obtained by an agent of Business 14.

On or about Aug. 3, 2008, about six days after federal agents searched the offices of Vincore LLC, Cuyahoga County offices and other businesses, Russo told Klimkowski to “get rid” of the television Russo had given her and instructed her to tell Krause to “get rid of” the television Russo had given to Klimkowski to give Krause, according to the charges.

The following were charged previously in connection with the Cuyahoga County corruption investigation:

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. Attorney Nancy L. Kelley and Assistant U.S. Attorney 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 Indictment 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.