Kelley says he spent school district money on Dimora graduation party, planned Dimora sex trysts

AKRON, Ohio - J. Kevin Kelley on Monday afternoon told jurors he took $3,000 from a contractor's fund for Parma City School District to pay toward a graduation party bill for Jimmy Dimora’s son.  He also walked jurors through casino gambling trips, poker parties and sexual trysts he coordinated for Dimora, co-defendant Michael Gabor and others.

“I was a conduit between Mr. Payne and Mr. Dimora on many issues,” Kelley said, referring to then-chief of staff for the county engineer’s office, Kevin Payne, who is now deceased.

Kelley testified the catering tab for Dimora’s son’s graduation party was around $9,000. But Dimora thought it was too high and sent Kelley to talk to officials from Stancato's Italian Restaurant to have the bill lowered.

Caterers lowered the bill to around $6,000, Kelley said, but Dimora still felt the price was too high and wanted it cheaper. Kelley testified he then paid $3,000 toward the remaining $6,000, using a fund created by  contractor Johnson Controls for promotional and public relations expenses for the Parma City School District.

Kelley told jurors he spent around $20,000 for dinners and other expenses for Dimora between 2003 and 2008. When asked if Dimora ever bought him dinner Kelley replied, “Never.” Kelley said Dimora did on one occasion pay for a prostitute to service Kelley.

When asked why he so often paid for dinners, casino trips and other expenses for Dimora, Kelley said, “I just felt it was expected of me to pay.”

Federal prosecutor Antoinette Bacon walked Kelley, Dimora’s “buddy”-turned-federal-snitch, through a series of casino trips, Flats condo visits and sexual trysts with prostitutes by Dimora and co-defendant Michael Gabor. Kelley told jurors he paid one of the prostitutes $400.

“The commissioner and Mr. Gabor would partake in the services of Miss Johnson. I paid for Commissioner Dimora and Mr. Gabor paid for himself,” Kelley said.

Kelley testified that limos were often sent by Payne to Cleveland Hopkins Airport to pick up now-deceased prostitute Allyson Peterson, referred to often in the trial as “Glitter Pussy.” Peterson was living in Florida at the time, but was flown to Cleveland to provide sexual services for Dimora, Kelley said.

“There were so many times the dates are blurry to me,” Kelley said when asked by prosecutor Bacon how many times Peterson was picked up at the airport.

When asked by Bacon how many times he and Kevin Payne paid for prostitutes for Dimora between 2003 and 2008, Kelley replied, “At least two dozen times.”

Kelley told jurors he once saw Dimora at a Cleveland Indians' loge where Kelley dropped off two prostitutes who would later perform sex for Dimora at the condo.

“I remember him smoking Cuban cigars and drinking Crown Royal on the rocks,” Kelley said, referring to Dimora’s favorite drink.

Kelley testified that defendant Michael Gabor, who also worked in Russo’s office, worked only two to three hours a week.

Later in the afternoon, Kelley explained how he took money as a consultant from a county halfway house contractor, the Alternatives Agency, in exchange for lobbying Dimora and Russo to restore funds for their services that had been cut from the county budget.

The county eventually restored $250,000 for the work release program that funded the halfway house.

When asked by prosecutor Bacon if the restoration would have happened without Dimora and Russo intervening, Kelley said: “Not only don’t I think it wouldn’t have happened quickly, I think it would not have happened at all without their help.”

Kelley told jurors he “took bribes, steered contracts to certain contractors” and, used the money to get serviced by prostitutes and to help buy a car.

“I had to tell my wife about my activities regarding prostitutes,” Kelley said, which along with having to tell his three older kids were the most difficult outcomes of his illegal acts.

Short and portly, Kelley wore glasses and dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and red tie. He spoke very confidently in a matter-of-fact manner and looked directly at jurors when answering many prosecution questions.

Kelley, age 42, told jurors he takes 21 pills per day for medical conditions including depression, insomnia, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and that he is bipolar and has an enlarged liver. Kelley has a wife and six children including one child with special needs.

He said he worked more than 18 years in county government and that his annual salary in the county engineer's office was around $145,000. Kelley said Kevin Payne’s salary was about $170,000 per year.

Dimora and Gabor have maintained their innocence of all federal charges.

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