The wife of former Niles Mayor Ralph Infante was given her punishment today for helping her husband in a scheme that sent him to prison for ten years.

Judith Infante was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to one-year probation and 50 hours of community service after pleading no contest earlier for filing false tax returns.

She could have faced up to two years in prison plus fines. She was also mandated to file amended tax returns.  

The 69-year-old wife of the former mayor was originally charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, tampering with records and theft as part of a 56 count indictment handed up in August against her husband and former water department worker Scott Shaffer.

Shaffer eventually agreed to testify against Infante.

Former Mayor Infante was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of 22 charges.

He will also have to pay more than $51,000 for the cost of the investigation to the Ohio Attorney General's Office and the Ohio Auditor's Office.

Infante, 62, who reigned as mayor for 24 years was convicted on charges of tampering with records, gambling, operating a gambling house, theft in office, having unlawful interest in a public contract, falsification and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.

Some of those closest to Infante over his 24 years as the Niles Mayor testified that he allegedly accepted bribes in order to give people jobs with the city.

They also claimed that he accepted gifts such as national championship tickets from millionaire mall developer Anthony Cafaro, Sr. that he never reported on his financial disclosure forms as required when running for office.

A co-defendant in the case, former Niles Auditor Charles Nader was placed on probation for three years after pleading guilty to one count of theft in office and two counts of misrepresentation by a public employee.

His charges involved utilizing the city computer to generate invoices for his tax business.

Visiting Judge Patricia Cosgrove decided to suspend any jail time for Nader and give him three years of post-release control or what's commonly referred to as probation, a $2,500 fine that will be paid back to the Niles general fund, court costs, plus 200 hours of community service.

Nader is also ordered not to hold a government job during the time of his probation and is to have no contact with any of the co-defendants in the public corruption case.