Youngstown Developer and Former City Finance Director Plead Guilty in Corruption Investigation

(YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio) — A businessman and several of his holdings pleaded guilty today in a public corruption scheme that funneled city of Youngstown dollars to his development projects. The former city of Youngstown finance director also pleaded guilty today.

Dominic Marchionda pleaded guilty in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to four counts of tampering with records (F-3).

Marchionda is the president of Rubino Construction, Inc. The entity pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized use of property (F-3).

Marchionda is also a member of U.S. Campus Suites LLC. The company pleaded guilty to one count of receiving stolen property (F-4).

As a condition of the plea agreement, Marchionda must remove himself from management responsibilities at Rubino Construction, Inc.; Wick Properties, LLC; Erie Terminal Place, LLC; and the NYO Property Group. Additionally, Marchionda agreed to pay $25,000 at the time of sentencing for the cost of prosecution.

David Bozanich, the city of Youngstown’s former finance director, also pleaded guilty today to one count of Acceptable of a Bribe by a Public Official (F-3), one count of Tampering with Records (F-3) and two counts of Unlawful Compensation to a Public Official (M-1).

Sentencing in the cases is scheduled for September 3, 2020.

The plea agreements are the latest part of an ongoing investigation into corruption in Youngstown. Marchionda, as well as Charles Sammarone, the city’s former mayor, and David Bozanich, the city’s former finance director, were indicted in August 2018 on public corruption charges. Sammarone pleaded guilty to two felonies on March 16, 2020.

The cases were investigated by the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office.

The Special Prosecutions section of AG Yost’s office prosecuted the case.