Wife of former Niles Mayor pleads no contest in public corruption case
After more than two years of legal battles and investigations, the wife of former Mayor of Niles has pleaded guilty in court.
WARREN, Ohio - After more than two years of legal battles and investigations, the wife of former Mayor of Niles has pleaded no contest to criminal charges in court.
After several hours of behind doors conversations between attorneys for Ralph and Judy Infante and prosecutors, both sides have announced that a plea agreement has been reached, but only for one of the defendants.
Infante, who served as mayor of Niles for 24 years, was originally charged with 56 criminal charges including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activities, theft in office, money laundering, bribery, tampering with records, gambling, and operating a gambling house.
His wife, Judy Infante, was also charged with engaging in corrupt activities, tampering with records, and theft.
In a late afternoon announcement, it was announced that Judy Infante had agreed to a plea agreement in which she would plead no contest to amended charges.
Judy Infante pleaded no contest to amended charges of filing false information.
As a result, she could face up to two years in prison plus fines. She was also mandated to file amended tax returns. She is scheduled to be sentenced on may 15th.
The initial indictment alleged a pattern of criminal activity covered all the years Infante served as mayor of Niles.
It also alleges that he operated an illegal gambling enterprise out of his business, the ITAM #39 Club in Girard.
The Ohio Attorney General's office, which spearheaded the case against the two, alleged the couple deposited nearly $200,000 over a seven year period into a local bank and didn't claim it as income
The state also claimed that Infante ran a gambling operation that bet on the Super Bowl, March Madness, NCAA basketball and some College Bowl games. And that the profits he collected were also never reported.
The state says Infante tried to cover up his alleged crimes by tampering with records. A few examples: gifts of cash in Christmas cards, a payment of $41,099 in cash income, and $8,000 worth of NCAA football championship game tickets from a local businessman.
The Christmas card cash only stopped after Infante lost re-election in 2015. One of the cards was later found by agents- torn up and in the trash at Infante's home.
In addition, the state says Infante kept handwritten receipts from his illegal sports betting operation in cigar boxes. Investigators claim he netted just under $60,000 from 1992 to 2015.
Over and over the state alleges Infante conducted an illegal gambling business, hid the money, destroyed evidence and failed to report the income. The operation was run from his Niles home and the ITAM club in Girard.
Allegations in the document also characterize Infante as using his position as Mayor to sell city jobs, do favors for friends and take money in return.
One example: a contractor performed thousands of dollars of work on Infante's home. In return, its alleged Infante hired the contractor's friend.
It's also alleged that Infante allowed a Niles business to skirt $40,000 in permit fees. And the Eastwood Field in Niles received free water for 14 years -- a $60,000 loss in revenue to the city of Niles.
Among the tampering with record charges, the state alleges Infante improperly awarded a bid for city work to a long-time friend, over the objections of Niles City Council.
Late last week, Infante's attorney asked a judge to move the trial out of Trumbull County because of pre-trial publicity. The trial against Infante was scheduled to begin on Monday, April 23rd.
