Probation ends early for former Trumbull engineer

Staff report

WARREN

A visiting judge has ended the probation of former Trumbull County Engineer David DeChristofaro.

DeChristofaro, 55, of Niles, who pleaded guilty in July 2011 to felony theft and misdemeanor conflict of interest, was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution and $7,400 for the cost of a criminal investigation.

His attorney filed a motion in January asking Visiting Judge Richard Reinbold of Stark County, sitting by assignment of the Ohio Supreme Court, to be released from his two-year probation 18 months early.

Judge Reinbold approved an order that released DeChristofaro from probation June 11 — one year early.

DeChristofaro was convicted of having his staff do political and personal tasks for him on county time.

DeChristofaro, who became county engineer in January 2009, resigned in July 2011, as part of a plea agreement worked out with prosecutors.

The county’s insurance carrier has paid out-of-court settlements totaling $490,000 to resolve civil complaints filed against DeChristofaro for laying people off at the county engineer’s office just after he became county engineer.

A civil suit filed by another county engineer’s employee DeChristofaro laid off, Nicole Klingeman, is still pending in federal court with a trial date of Nov. 26.