http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/09/federal_prosecutors_charge_aud.htmlCLEVELAND, Ohio -- Federal prosecutors charged County Auditor Frank Russo in a 21-count information filed this morning in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.
Russo, 60, of Bratenahl, resigned early today. He is expected to plead guilty to bribery and obstruction charges, according to sources, based on an agreement that would resolve all issues related to both the longtime Democratic politician and his son, Vince.
Although the plea agreement has not been made public, it will include a substantial sentence for Russo that could have been cut in half had he agreed to cooperate with the government against others, according to a source familiar with the deal.
The deal will likely call for Russo to spend 20 or more years in prison, according to sources. That very well could mean Russo will spend the rest of his life behind bars for his refusal to turn on others.
Neither Frank nor Vince Russo will be required to testify against any other defendant or be questioned at all in connection with the probe.
Source with knowledge of the agreement say that the deal spares Frank Russo's daughter and his domestic partner, Michael Calabrese, from prosecution, if the government had plans to charge them.
Vince Russo was charged with bribing a Maple Heights schools official and former Maple Heights school board member with free television sets. The agreement with his father dictates the sentence Vince will receive. He had previously pleaded not guilty.
Unlike previous plea agreements in the probe, the one between prosecutors and Russo cannot be altered if initially approved by a judge.
The charges against the auditor recount many allegations made against him in documents outlining charges and plea deals of others caught up in the investigation.
One of the new figures to come out of today's charges is former Cuyahoga County Sheriff Gerald McFaul. He is implicated in a scheme to get Jerry Skuhrovec a job as an appraiser in the sheriff's office. He worked part time in the auditor's office.
The case will be randomly assigned to one of the judges in the Northern District. Based on previous assignments, that judge will transfer the case to Judge Kate O'Malley, who has been handling the bulk of the cases, unless Judge John Adams receives the assignment. Adams has chosen not to transfer corruption probe cases to O'Malley.
The charges against Frank Russo come more than two years after federal agents launched what would become the biggest crackdown on public corruption in Cuyahoga County history.
The investigation began July 28, 2008, when agents raided the homes and offices of Russo and Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora.
The resulting investigation upset the balance of power in county politics and led to unprecedented reform of county government. It also prompted dozens of public officials and private contractors to open up to federal prosecutors about corrupt practices that have been going on for years.
