Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora Pleaded Not Guilty to These Charges of Bribery

Cuyahoga county commissioner Jimmy Dimora pleaded not guilty to these charges of bribery and corruption this week. September 18, 2010

1. Bribery: Charges Dimora with taking gifts and payments, from November 2007 to January 2009, in exchange for helping to reinstate funding for Kevin Kelly's Alternatives Agency, a non-profit providing post-incarceration services. Kelly paid for a trip to Las Vegas for Dimora and Russo, using money belonging to Alternatives Agency, who paid Kelly an extra consulting fee to cover the trip. The trip was from April 6-8, 2008 and the county commissioners voted the additional funding for the Agency on April 17, 2008.

2. Bribery: Charges Dimora obtained travel from Cleveland to Las Vegas and a dinner costing $826 at Delmonicos, in return for the funding for Kelly's Alternatives Agency described above.

3. Bribery:Charges Dimora with soliciting, demanding and accepting bribes -- including a refrigerator delivered to Dimora's home, cash toward purchase of a Rolex watch, cash and chips worth $9500 for gambling and travel in Las Vegas, and women hired for $1000 and sent to Dimora's hotel room -- from Ferris Kleem's Blaze Construction, in exchange for hiring Blaze to handle county construction business.

That business included a bid to build a pedestrian bridge in Berea, work on the taxi way at HopkinsAirport, and work on the Juvenile JusticeCenter. Blaze Construction also won a Snow Road resurface bid in May, 2008, by being the low bidder at $2.9 million; the county ultimately paid Blaze $3.5 million for the Snow Road project after approving Blaze's change orders. There's a quote from a conversation between Dimora and Russo in which Russo says, "I tell all these guys - go in low and just add a thing or two on as you go along ... but they don't listen."

There's also a record of a conversation in which Dimora agrees to Kleem's request to assign a specific inspector to the Snow Road project.

4. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting, demanding and accepting cash, entertainment in Las Vegas, and a discount on a Rolex watch from Kleem, in exchange for helping Kleem's company get work on the Coe Lake Nature Trail and Bridge in Berea, in 2006 and 2007.

5. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting, demanding, and accepting cash, meals, suites in Las Vegas, gambling chips and discounts on jewelry and appliances from Kleem in exchange for influencing the county to award Kleem construction business including contracts for work on the Juvenile Justice Center, the Snow Road project and other projects in 2007 and 2008.

6. Bribery: Similar to 4 and 5 but extends back to 2005 and adds a discounted television.

7. Bribery: Charges Dimora with receiving free limousine service, use of condo at the Stonebridge development, and services from prostitutes, paid for and provided by Kevin Payne. Extends back to 2003 and the decision to locate the county engineer's office at Stonebridge development, west of the CuyahogaRiver; also covers union contracts and items related to County Engineer/Sanitary Engineering Division.

8. Extortion: Charges Dimora with obstructing commerce by extortion from February 2003 to May 2008, specific to the limousine, entertainment, and condominium that Kevin Payne provided.

9. Bribery - Mail fraud: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting gifts from sheriff's appraiser Jerry Skuhrovec including food, entertainment, and sponsorship of a political fundraiser, in exchange for employment.Charges that Dimora helped arrange hiring Skuhrovec for a $50,000 job, with pension and healthcare benefits, in the Auditor's office. Quotes Dimora saying to Jerry Skuhrovec about what he'll owe in exchange, "More than food, Jer, but I'll explain that to you when we're not on the phone."

10. Bribery - conspiracy: Similar to Count 9 but under a different law -- Hobbs Act. Charges Dimora with obtaining and attempting to obtain property not due to him from Jerry Skuhrovec.

11.Charges Skuhrovec, not Dimora.

12. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting sexual favors from a woman in exchange for finding her a job with pension and benefits in 2008.

13. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting home improvement goods and services -- granite countertops -- from John Valentin and Salva Stone, in exchange for help with an immigration issue for a friend of Valentin's; Valentin did not bill Dimora, but Dimora paid $250 to Valentin by check upon learning that FBI was investigating other bribery issues.

14. Bribery: Similar to 13 but does not mention Dimora's payment.

13. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting home improvement goods and services -- granite countertops -- from John Valentin and Salva Stone, in exchange for help with an immigration issue for a friend of Valentin's; Valentin did not bill Dimora, but Dimora paid $250 to Valentin by check upon learning that FBI was investigating other bribery issues.

14. Bribery: Similar to 13 but does not mention Dimora's payment.

15. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting work at Dimora's residence from Zavarella and his company ZBC in exchange for Dimora helping to obtain teaching jobs for a relative of Zavarela's in 2006 and 2007. Later, Dimora paid a check for $500 for Zavarella's work, and subsequently Zavarella issued an invoice for $6687.

6. Bribery: Similar to 15 without mentioning the payment or the invoice.

17. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting home improvements, sports memorabilia, and financial assistance from Neiheiser and Reliance Mechanical in exchange for Dimora making it possible for Neiheiser and Reliance Mechanical to win a contract for work at the Juvenile JusticeCenter although they had not initially been the lowest bidder. Includes Dimora's phonecall to Ed FitzGerald, Lakewood mayor running for county executive, regarding the Lakewood ice skating rink which Neiheiser later leased. FitzGerald has not been implicated in any wrongdoing.

18. Bribery: Similar to 17 without mentioning the check or quoting any conversations.

19. Wire Fraud: Similar to 16, lists use of telephones and charge is filed under a different law.

20. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting home improvements, $33,000 in cash, meals, and entertainment from 2004 to 2008, from Steve Pumper, DAS, Green-Source and others, in exchange for award of county construction projects. Charges Dimora received $33,000 in cash in exchange for clearing up delays related to sale of a parking garage to the county. Charges Dimora with receiving $27,225 of work "above and beyond amounts Dimora paid" for construction at Dimora's home from DAS -- construction of a grill area, barbecue shelter, patio floor, and roof. DAS received millions in County construction contracts on which Dimora voted.

21. Bribery: Similar to 20, specifies projects receiving Federal funds over $10,000.

22. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting bribes from Steve Pumper and Green-Source in exchange for county business including the Juvenile JusticeCenter project.

23. Extortion: Similar to 20, charges Dimora with obstructing and delaying commerce by extortion for personal gain of free and discounted remodeling work, meals, sports tickets and entertainment from Pumper, DAS and others.

24. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting commissions from Pumper and Green-Source.

25. Charges Judge Bridget McCafferty, not Dimora.

26. Obstruction of justice: Charges Dimora and others with obstructing the corruption investigation.

27. Destruction, alteration, or falsification of records: Charges Dimora and others with covering up facts related to the bribery investigation.

28. Bribery: Charges Dimora with soliciting and accepting discounted home improvements, meals, entertainment, political donations and fundraising services, and with concealing bribes.