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Tues. 10:15 a.m.: Youngstown corruption probe witness pleads guilty

YOUNGSTOWN — A key witness in the corruption cases against former Youngstown Mayor Charles Sammarone, ex-city Finance Director David Bozanich and developer Dominic Marchionda pleaded guilty moments ago in Mahoning Common Pleas Court to five felonies.

Raymond Briya, a former MS Consultants Inc. chief financial officer, was charged last month in a bill of information with two counts of attempted bribery as well as one count each of tampering with records, grand theft and obstructing justice related to the probe.

Briya, who is cooperating with prosecutors, will be sentenced at a later date, likely after the cases against the defendants are resolved.

Prosecutors this morning recommended no prison time for Briya, provided he cooperates fully in his testimony.

A 101-count indictment was unsealed Aug. 20, 2018, accusing Sammarone, Bozanich, Marchionda and 10 of the latter’s companies of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, bribery, aggravated theft and tampering with records. They’ve all pleaded not guilty.

For more on this story read Wednesday’s Vindicator edition of the Tribune Chronicle.

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