YOUNGSTOWN
David J. Venerose Jr., 42, of Sheridan Road, has pleaded guilty to one count of passing bad rent checks for his former Boardman bar and one count of perjury for lying under oath concerning an elderly woman he was caring for who has since died.
The bad checks charge, to which he pleaded guilty Monday, pertains to $8,600 in rent payments to his landlord for the Iron Shamrock bar, 8414 Market St.
The perjury charge pertains to a lie he told in a probate- court hearing concerning Geraldine Burke.
Both charges are felonies.
The prosecution is recommending probation for Venerose if he makes $10,750 in restitution to Burke’s estate before sentencing, and thereafter remains current on payments toward a total of $67,560 in legal fees and restitution he was ordered by the probate court to make to the estate.
“The court’s not going to be interested in any rationale, or reasons, or alibis or excuses of why the terms of this agreement are not met,” Judge Lou A. D’Apolito, of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, warned Venerose.
The prosecution left the matter of rent restitution to the landlord to be handled in civil proceedings.
In the plea deal, Jeffrey Davis, an assistant county prosecutor, agreed to drop two additional perjury counts stemming from two other lies Venerose reportedly told in the same probate court hearing.
“If he doesn’t pay the restitution by the sentencing, our recommendation [for probation] is out the door,” Davis said.
“We’ll ask for prison” or for reinstatement of the two dropped perjury counts, if Venerose doesn’t make the $10,750 in restitution before sentencing, Davis added.
Sentencing will be at a later date after a pre- sentence investigation.
Judge D’Apolito could put Venerose on probation or sentence him to up to 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine on the bad checks charge and up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine on the perjury charge.
Venerose remains free on $10,000 bond pending sentencing.
Comments
Venerose belongs in prison for the full 18 months for abusing an elderly person.
Stealing from this woman who was incapable of managing her own finances, takes a real scumbag.
By giving him time to arrange finances means he will only be scamming or stealing from another person to cover his previous crimes.
a judge should have considered his previous bankruptcy filing, and how he's able to dodge and
evade all creditors..
The only hope he has now is with his mommy
bailing him out as she has continued to do over the years.
I don't think his boyfriend Chris will come to bail him out either.
He should join Bubba in a cell and be able to listen to his Liberace albums all day.
People do dumb things in life and get in trouble but don't deseve it. Some do it by accident and some not knowingly do it, either. David knew what he was doing and did this mutiple times. Signing bad checks, stealing from the elderly, lying to the legal system etc...and all we do it say pay back some expenses and its OK? Common...how is someone going2 to learn their lesson? I believe some jail time is warranted.. When people know what their doing and break the law many times, they should pay the price. He's not 16, 18, 21 years old. He's a man and a man should pay the price of loosing part of his life by being behind bars. David I beleive is involved with Our Lady of Mount Carmel church...what are they saying? This is OK....come help the church still? Laws were broken many times here...the punishment is pay back money and that OK....we forgive you in crap. The judge should do his job and sentence this man to some jail time...period!!
People do dumb things in life and get in trouble but don't deseve it. Some do it by accident and some not knowingly do it, either. David knew what he was doing and did this mutiple times. Signing bad checks, stealing from the elderly, lying to the legal system etc...and all we do it say pay back some expenses and its OK? Common...how is someone going2 to learn their lesson? I believe some jail time is warranted.. When people know what their doing and break the law many times, they should pay the price. He's not 16, 18, 21 years old. He's a man and a man should pay the price of loosing part of his life by being behind bars. David I beleive is involved with Our Lady of Mount Carmel church...what are they saying? This is OK....come help the church still? Laws were broken many times here...the punishment is pay back money and that OK....we forgive you in crap. The judge should do his job and sentence this man to some jail time...period!!
This goon has been preying on society for over 20 years. He's been a very sneaky deliberate liar and seems to always wrap himself in a Catholic coat of protection while projecting a saint like image to the public. JAIL IS NECESSARY. PURE AND SIMPLE. No exceptions.
I feel that this crook has enough friends in high places to get this deal. It is typical of Mahoning Valley revolving door justice.This won't change as long as the valley remains a single party haven!