Former Ohio Mayor Charged with Public Corruption and Gambling

OHIO — Former Niles Mayor Ralph Infante, 61, has been indicted by a Trumbull County grand jury. Infante, who served as mayor of Niles from 1992-2016, was indicted on 56 counts related to public corruption and gambling.

Infante lost his re-election bid last year after serving as mayor of Niles for 24 years. He had run unopposed for 16 years. The city's wellness center was once named the Mayor Ralph A. Infante Wellness Center. Now the city's website simply reads "Niles Wellness Center."

The ongoing criminal investigation into Infante, of Niles, likely led to him losing his re-election bid (and the naming rights to the community wellness center).

The indictment alleges that as mayor, Infante accepted bribes and other favors to favor certain parties politically. He is also accused of operating an illegal gambling enterprise out of ITAM #39, a bar he operated in Girard. In all, he is accused of receiving nearly $200,000 in unreported cash, income and gifts.

Two other people were named in the indictment. Infante's wife, Judy, is accused of helping her husband tamper with records, and city employee Scott Shafer, 51, of Niles, allegedly sold city property for cash without returning the funds to the city auditor. He also used city property and equipment for personal reasons for more than a decade, the indictment says.

“Today’s indictment and the investigation regarding the City of Niles are the latest efforts my office has undertaken to help fight corruption in the Mahoning Valley. The Oakhill investigation has been completed, yielding significant successes, including guilty pleas and guilty verdicts for high-ranking county officials, candidates, and judges," said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine in a statement. "While some matters like Oakhill are now done (and we anticipate no further indictments in Oakhill), we will continue to help local governments, when requested, investigate and prosecute wrongdoing, just like we have done in Niles and elsewhere around Ohio.”

A list of the various charges faced by all three defendants is below:

Ralph Infante was indicted on 56 counts:

• One count of Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, a felony of the first degree
• 17 counts of Tampering with Records, felonies of the third degree
• Two counts of Gambling, misdemeanors of the first degree
• Two counts of Operating a Gambling House, misdemeanors of the first degree
• Five counts of Money Laundering, felonies of the third degree
• Three counts of Theft in Office, felonies of the third degree
• One count of Theft, a felony of the fifth degree
• Four counts of Bribery, felonies of the third degree
• Two counts of Possessing Criminal Tools, felonies of the fifth degree
• Ten counts of Soliciting Improper Compensation, misdemeanors of the first degree
• One count of Unlawful Interest in a Public Contract, a felony of the fourth degree
• Seven counts of Filing a False Disclosure Statement, misdemeanors of the first degree
• One count of Obstruction of Justice, a felony of the fifth degree
• One count of falsification, a misdemeanor of the first degree

Judy Infante, 67, of Niles, was indicted on the following counts

• One count of Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, a felony of the first degree
• Nine counts of Tampering with Records, felonies of the third degree
• One Count of Theft, a felony of the fifth degree

Scott Shaffer, 51, of Niles, was indicted on the following counts:

• Two counts of Theft in Office, felonies of the third degree

ITAM #39, a business located at 1762 North State Street in Girard, was indicted on the following counts

• One count of Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity, a felony of the first degree
• Two counts of Gambling, misdemeanors of the first degree
• Two counts of Operating a Gambling house, misdemeanors of the first degree
• Two counts of Possessing Criminal Tools, felonies of the fifth degree

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