CLEVELAND, Ohio - Opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday morning as two local attorneys go on trial for allegedly taking part in a plot to extort money from local convenience store operator Charles Muth.

Jury selection was completed Friday in U.S. District Court in Cleveland for attorney Neal Atway, 48, of Youngstown and attorney Scott Cochran, 44, of Austintown.

Both men are charged with extortion, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements to investigators.

.Last February, the six count indictment was handed up by a federal grand jury against Atway, Cochran and Mohd Rawhneh, 55, of Boardman.

Rawhneh operates the Tiger's Den Drive Thru in Howland, the Hanoverton One Stop in Hanoverton, the 7 & 30 Superette and Ohio Food Mart in East Liverpool, as well as two other stores in Ravenna and Kent.

Investigators say that Rawhneh, Atway, and Cochran conspired to extort money or other items of value from Charles Muth.

In December 2011, someone in a passing car fired a shot at a Boardman residence occupied by Rawhneh's wife. Muth was identified as an occupant of that car. The subsequent investigation into that allegation led to the discovery of more than 100 marijuana plants at Muth's Canfield home.

Muth was eventually convicted of federal charges. But federal investigators say as Muth was waiting to be sentenced, his attorney Neal Atway and Rawhneh led Muth to believe that unless Rawhneh received money and property from Muth, Rawhneh would appear at Muth's sentencing and give testimony that could increase Muth's sentence.

The indictment alleges that although attorneys Atway and Cochran purportedly represented Muth, they helped formulate the means by which Rawhneh would obtain money and property from Muth.

At one point, Muth allegedly gave Rawhneh part ownership in one of his stores, and gave attorney Atway $18,000 dollars with the understanding that the cash would be given to Rawhneh.

Rawhneh has already pleaded guilty to charges of aiding and abetting, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to tamper with a witness, victim or an informant. He's scheduled to be sentenced in March.

Defense lawyers have suggested that attorney Atway was simply doing his job by representing Muth and negotiating an alleged civil settlement on his behalf.

The defense also contends that during the course of the case, there have been numerous instances where certain of the Government's evidence has either been altered or has inexplicably vanished.