PDA

View Full Version : Boxes Loaded Into U-Haul After Raid On County Offices




WarDog
07-28-2008, 07:49 PM
This is Dennis Kucinich's district.


CLEVELAND -- The FBI and the IRS launched a joint investigation into the Cuyahoga County government that resulted in several raids being conducted on Monday.

Search warrants were served at 10 locations, including the Cuyahoga County Administration Building, homes and businesses, and more than 100 agents were involved.

A NewsChannel5 source said this is the biggest federal raid in the city since the 1970s, when federal agents took down the Cleveland mob.

FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said he can't comment on anything being search or seized, but said Monday's activity stems from a long-term public corruption probe.

Wilson also said that no arrest warrants have been issued and that county employees are cooperating with the investigation.

FBI agents raided the county administration building and were going through files and stopping employees showing up for work downtown Monday. The third and fourth floors of the county building were closed. That is home to the auditor and several commissioners.

In the late afternoon, agents began bringing out several boxes and loading them into a U-Haul truck.

NewsChopper5 spotted several agents at the home of County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora in Independence. Jim McCafferty, the county administrator, said that when agents arrived at the county administration building at Ontario and Lakeside avenues, they asked for Dimora's office.

"Jimmy Dimora is my friend and colleague, and I fervently hope and pray that when all is said and done, this is a mere tempest in a teapot," Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones said in a statement.

Dimora is a key player in local politics. He served as mayor of Bedford Heights from 1981 to 1998. He was then elected as county commissioner and was re-elected in 2002.

He also serves as chairman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party.

The county commissioner's office released a statement Monday afternoon, saying it plans to cooperate fully with the investigation.

Six cars were also at County Auditor Frank Russo's home in Mayfield Village.

Two federal cars were at the Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office near the Superior Avenue Viaduct. FBI agents were seen entering the building.

Agents had no comment on what they may have found at the Engineer's office.

A search was being conducted at an information services center. About 80 people are employed at the center, which does computer work for various county agencies. Staffers were told they could go home because they wouldn't be able to work.

The investigation spread to the son of Frank Russo. Agents raided Vince Russo's office at Burke Lakefront Airport. He runs the consulting firm Vincore Corp.

The FBI said that agents searched Doan Pyramid Electric in Bedford Heights Monday as part of the investigation.

Agents also searched DAS Construction Co. in Garfield Heights.

Cleveland FBI head Frank Figliuzzi said the affidavit supporting the search warrants are sealed, so he couldn't provide details.

County commissioners Peter Lawson Jones and Tim Hagan issued the following statement:

"The Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners is fully cooperating with the FBI adnd IRS regarding the search warrants served this morning. We will cooperate with any other law enforcement agencies that may become involved in this investigation. We will make additional statements as further developments occur and we receive additional verified information. The offices of Cuyahoga County government are open for business and will remain so."

The commissioners also scheduled a news conference for Tuesday morning.

http://www.newsnet5.com/politics/17013097/detail.html

nobody's_hero
07-29-2008, 03:38 AM
I wonder what the hell they were looking for.