Democrats headed to jail - It doesn’t pay to act as if you’re above the law
Leroy N. Soetoro
217re/
It doesn�t pay to act as if you�re above the law
The arrogance of the Mahoning Valley�s corrupt political class is
legendary.
Local folks have seen it for decades � and some even contribute to it by
warmly welcoming convicted felons back to the fold � but it was
apparently a mystery to much of the outside world.
And that, at least in part, explains why former Trumbull County
Commissioner James Tsagaris thought the house-arrest rules set by a
federal judge didn�t apply to him. And it may also explain why the judge
finally reacted harshly to Tsagaris� transgressions.
U.S. District Court Judge Sara Lioi, who was too kind to Tsagaris in
August when she spared him any jail time, dropped the hammer on him
Thursday.
Judge Lioi, who was overly impressed in August when the 75-year-old
Tsagaris appeared in her courtroom nicely dressed, polite, even
deferential, seemed surprised that the same man took the gift of freedom
she gave him and abused it.
Tsagaris pleaded guilty to two counts of honest-services mail fraud for
receiving a $36,551 unsecured �loan� that carried no interest and no
repayment schedule from an unnamed businessman. He could have been sent
to a federal penitentiary for up to two years, but Lioi gave him
probation and placed him under house arrest. He was given permission to
go to work, doctors appointments and church.
Doing as he pleased
Instead, he took to hanging out at McDonald�s, visiting a cigar shop run
by a long-time friend and supporter and grocery shopping with his
sister.
Those are not the actions of a man who feels chastised for his
wrongdoing. It is the behavior of an unrepentant crooked politician who
felt as comfortable about accepting $36,551 from a man who did business
with the county as he did about ignoring the provisions of his house
arrest.
It mirrors the arrogance shown by former Mahoning County Common Pleas
Judge Maureen Cronin. She accepted a similar loan from the same unnamed
businessman, whose company had cases pending in Cronin�s court.
It should be remembered that these are elected officials who were in
office while dozens of other Mahoning Valley politicians and hangers-on
were caught up in a major crackdown on corruption and mob influence in
the area. Did they think that no one was watching anymore? Or did they
think that they were above the law?
Well, Tsagaris, anyway, now knows otherwise. Perhaps some of those 32
people who wrote glowing letters of recommendation for Tsagaris in
August (including a retired judge) should have taken him aside and
impressed on him the importance of following the terms of his probation
to the letter. By not doing so, he not only showed contempt for the law
and the judge, he betrayed those supporters who vouched for him.
Judge Lioi, who passed up the opportunity to sent Tsagaris to the
slammer for 18 months to two years in August, listened to the
prosecutor�s recommendation that Tsagaris be sent to prison for three to
nine months and be allowed to report after the holidays. The judge
apparently ascribes to the adage, fool me once, shame on you; fool me
twice, shame on me. She gave him the full nine months and told him to be
ready to report within 10 days.
Meanwhile, he remains under house arrest. Tsagaris would be wise not to
step out for coffee or a cigar in the meantime.
--
Nancy Pelosi, Democrat criminal, accessory before and after the fact to
Rangel's tax evasion.