WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren OhioLawsuit filed against the Trumbull County engineer

Lawsuit filed against the Trumbull County engineer

WARREN, Ohio - An attorney is calling on the Trumbull County Engineer to resign.

In a letter to the media, attorney Subodh Chandra calls for the "immediate resignation" and demands a "truly independent " criminal investigation into Trumbull County's engineer.

The letter claims engineer David DeChristofaro concedes his testimony to the State Board of Personnel Review was false in the firing of an employee who had worked for the engineers office for almost ten years.

When David DeChristofaro took office, he fired Nicole Klingerman and four others citing a lack of funds and work. The county engineer stated the employee fired was non classified, however it was determined she is protected by civil service laws.

And now Chandra claims DeChristofaro's own attorney, Charles Richards, states "... counsel has become aware of other facts which makes the 'no funds, no work' defense inapplicable and inappropriate in this matter ..."

Attorney Chandra claims DeChristofaro conspired to fire employees who supported his opponent in the 2008 election and then lied to cover it up.

DeChristofaro would not talk to 21 News on camera citing pending lawsuits and referred us to his attorney Charles Richards. Richards has not returned our call for comment.

DeChristofaro does say he will not resign and adds since he took office he has saved taxpayers more than a half million dollars a year by not replacing nine people who retired.

Chandra, the attorney demanding a criminal investigation, is the same one who previously requested a criminal investigation in 2008 that failed to get DeChristofaro kicked off the ballot. That investigation found no wrongdoing.

Trumbull County prosecutor Dennis Watkins says if attorney Chandra believes a crime has been committed, he can contact an investigatory agency, such as a police department, sheriff's department, BCI or the FBI.