Dimora says he had been drinking when he bought Beanie Wells jersey

Gov't. says guilty contractor reimbursed him

Jimmy Dimora and Attorney Andrea Whitaker

Photographer: WEWS
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Posted: 01/27/2012

By: Ellen McGregor, newsnet5.com

AKRON, Ohio - A Beanie Wells jersey, discussion of a day-trip to Atlantic City on a private jet, Crown Royal on the rocks, county bids on projects worth millions, poker parties and more. It all came up in the federal trial of former Cuyahoga County Commssioner Jimmy Dimora Friday.

Prosecutors said Dimora bought the Wells jersey at an auction for Cornerstone of Hope in 2008 for $3,600. His wife Lori put it on her charge card. The jury saw a picture of the jersey, which was framed in Dimora's house. The FBI took the picture when agents raided Dimora's home.

On a wiretap with Michael Forlani , of Doan Pyramid Electric, Dimora joked about the purchase.

"It was Crown on the rocks," Dimora said twice. Crown Royal was known to be Dimora's drink of choice.

"I gotta have a (expletive) fundraiser to pay this (expletive) jersey off," Dimora said.

Several weeks after the auction, William Neiheiser, formerly part-owner of Reliance Mechanical, wrote a check for $3,600 to Lori Dimora.

During this time, Neiheiser subitted a bid for construction work at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Justice
Center. He lost the bid for HVAC work because his bid was about $2 million higher than the lowest bid.

Dimora's defense team pointed out to the jury that the former commissioner did not vote for Neiheiser's bid. Dimora voted for the lowest bid, which was not made by Reliance Mechanical.

But Neiheiser was also working on other projects ideas in the county, including the Winterhurst Ice Rink, now called Serpentini Arena.

Dimora called former Lakewood mayor Ed FitzGerald, and told him he had a friend with a proposal for the rink. That friend was Neiheiser. Apparently, FitzGerald had not returned Neiheiser's calls.

FitzGerald told Dimora to have Neiheiser bring his proposal to the office. Neiheiser did seal the deal with Lakewood, and today Serpentini Arena is run by Iceland USA, an limited liability company with investors in addition to Neiheiser.

FitzGerald, who is now county executive, was not charged.

Defense attorneys pointed out Dimora made the call to FitzGerald as Neiheiser sat right next to him. Dimora's attorneys pointed out that means they were friends. The defense is trying to convince the jury the jersey was a gift, and not something of value received in exchange for influence on official county business.

Prosecutors also played wiretaps of Dimora, Russo and others, considering an offer by Neiheiser to fly them and others by private jet to Atlantic City for a day trip.

"If we weren’t going to Vegas, I would definitely go," Russo said on the recorded call. "Tell him to get a limo" and they could drive to either Pennsylvania or West Virginia for a day-long gambling trip.

In the end, Dimora and Russo decided to skip the idea since they were headed to Las Vegas in a few weeks.

Government prosecutors did not try to connect Neiheiser to Dimora's home improvements.

FBI Special Agent Michael Massie testified agents raided Reliance Mechanical, and "could not produce any invoices for anything given to Dimora, nor could they find any payments Dimora made to Reliance "for things of value.

Neiheiser pleaded guilty to federal charges, but not directly connected to Dimora. He made a plea deal with federal prosecutors on four counts of bribery and wire fraud in connection with MetroHealth Medical Center and CMHA projects that received federal grants.

Neiheiser is serving a three-year term in Morgantown, West Virginia, because he agreed to cooperate with the federal corruption probe.

Earlier in the day on Friday, the jury heard testimony of witnesses from Journeyman Plumbers Union, UA Local 55, former central services director for the county, Jay Ross, and the cross examination of a federal agent who walked the jury through wiretaps involving Robert Rybak played in court on Thursday.

The maintenance manager for Local 55 also gave some brief testimony about working at Dimora's Independence home, and cleaning up after poker parties at the union hall, attended by Dimora, Russo and others.

Initially, Kevin Filko, who is not a union member, said he was not truthful to the FBI "basically because I feel like a stool pigeon."

But he contacted federal prosecutors before the lunch break, and was the first new witness on the stand after lunch on Friday.

Dimora and co-defendant Michael Gabor both say the are innocent of all charges.

Court proceedings resume Monday at 8:30 a.m.