Two More Go Down as Guilty in Cuyahoga County Corruption Probe

By Julie Kent. Published on 07/02/2009 - 11:02am

J. Kevin Kelley, a former employee of the Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office, pleaded guilty to eleven corruption charges on Wednesday, including bribery, mail fraud, theft, conspiracy and tax fraud. On Thursday, two more people under federal investigation for corruption in Cuyahoga County also pleaded guilty. His former co-worker at the engineer's office, Kevin Payne, also pleaded guilty on Wednesday. On Thursday, Daniel Gallagher, also a former employee of the engineer's office, entered guilty pleas to various conspiracy, theft, bribery and tax evasion charges under a plea agreement. Businessman Brian Schuman of Bedford also pleaded guilty to conspiracy on Thursday.

No sentencing dates have yet been set for Schuman or Gallagher.

Kelley, Payne, Gallagher, and Schuman also have pleaded guilty in an FBI investigation of alleged bribes paid to elected officials in return for steering contracts. So far no elected officials have been charged. County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora says he is innocent of any wrongdoing.

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Comments

Submitted by Steve Renko (not verified) on July 2, 2009 - 11:12am
#1

It's good to know that officials will get caught sooner or later. In the meantime the quality of life for the tax payer is decreasing. Something is missing in Cuyahoga county. It's not the river, it is naturally crooked. It must be something in the county offices, poor air ciculation that changes the officials brain cells into murky thought patterns.