YOUNGSTOWN — Special prosecutor David Betras is opposing the expungement of the criminal record of former Mahoning County commissioner Frank Lordi, 77, of Brunswick Road.

Betras, a well-known defense attorney and former Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman, served as special prosecutor in Lordi’s criminal case in 1999.

Betras, who is still on the case, filed a memorandum in October opposing Lordi’s request for expungement, which Lordi filed Aug. 3. Lordi was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 1999 after being convicted at trial of felonies of theft in office and unlawful interest in a public contract and two misdemeanors of conflict of interest.

Overseeing the case in 1999 and now is visiting Judge Mark Wiest from Wayne County. The Ohio Supreme Court assigned Wiest to the expungement case in late October. The next hearing in the case is 11 a.m. Jan. 22 in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

The convictions resulted from Lordi’s time as county commissioner and owner of ABC Fire Extinguisher Co., which he bought in 1997 or 1998. Lordi was a county commissioner from 1993 to 1996.

The charges resulted from Lordi’s interactions with individuals in 1994 or early 1995 regarding those individuals doing business with ABC Fire Extinguisher, according to court documents.

In late 1994, William Kouvas, a local businessman, sought to construct a hotel in Mahoning County and received a $180,000 Community Development Block Grant loan administered by the county commissioners, according to a 2000 appeals court ruling in Lordi’s case.

In Lordi’s capacity as a county commissioner, he also voted in favor of a $100,000 loan from the Mahoning County Revolving Loan Fund for the project. Kouvas went to the Mahoning County Commissioners office in late 1994 or early 1995 to make a presentation to the commissioners in support of his application for the CDBG loan, and Lordi was present.

After the presentation, Lordi told Kouvas “not to forget his brother for fire extinguishers,” the appeals court ruling states. Lordi’s brother, Ronald Lordi, was an employee of ABC.

“Kouvas felt that (Frank Lordi) solicited him to purchase fire extinguishers from ABC,” the ruling states. Kouvas later bought fire extinguishers from ABC and other services beginning in December 1995.

The ruling also discussed an incident in June 1995 involving a visit of the county commissioners to meet with the Goshen Township officials to talk about township roads and other matters.

Lordi spoke to the township clerk, Hilda Spack, about a fire extinguisher the township was using. Frank Lordi “told Spack that if the contract ever came up, he would like a chance to bid on it,” the ruling states.

Another incident involved Lordi’s role in a group called Democrats for Change, whose goal was to change the leadership in the Mahoning County Democratic Party.

Lordi directed two men who worked for the Mahoning County Building Inspection Department to “pick up petitions for Democrats for Change on county time and to do whatever the people on the committee asked them to do,” the ruling states.

Betras’ filing, which also asks for an oral hearing, states that Lordi “used his position and influence as a Mahoning County commissioner as an invitation to commit the offenses in which he was convicted. As an elected official, (Lordi) was entrusted by the public and betrayed the public trust,” Betras stated.

“Conduct by an elected official shall be held to a higher standard. Moreover, (Lordi) has never taken responsibility for his actions,” the filing states.

“For example, on July 30, 2001, (Lordi) filed for ‘shock probation.’ Judge Wiest, sitting by assignment, denied (Lordi’s) motion for shock probation,” Betras stated.

Betras added that Wiest stated in his Aug. 7, 2001, entry that Lordi’s “reaction” to his convictions “has been to blame everyone associated with his prosecution, conviction and sentencing. Given this attitude, he is not a good candidate for probation. He should serve the remaining time on his sentence.”

Betras added that Lordi has “consistently maintained this position publicly for many years. (Lordi) has publicly alleged that there was a ‘cover-up’ in his prosecution.”

Lordi’s attorneys also filed complaints alleging misconduct by jurors and by Betras.

The Betras filing adds that “all complaints were unfounded, and all appeals associated with these complaints were denied.”

Lordi also published a book in 2019, called “Framed Innocence: My Fight for Justice,” in which Lordi blamed a “revenge machine” that “would challenge my very existence,” Betras stated.

Lordi’s Aug. 3 application for expungement, submitted by attorney Matt Blair, states that Lordi qualifies to apply for expungement. The law allows Lordi to apply for expungement one year after “final discharge” of his charges, the filing states. Frank Lordi’s convictions were two fourth-degree felonies and two first-degree misdemeanors.