News Briefs
Court Withdraws Contempt Order
Geauga County Juvenile Court Judge Tim Grendell has withdrawn an Aug. 2 summons and order requiring two county employees to appear in his courtroom and show why they should not be held in contempt of court for allegedly violating one of his order issued in a child support case.
The matter drew attention last Thursday when Geauga County Commissioners OK’d the appointment of legal counsel to represent Paul Reinman, assistant director of Geauga County Department of Job and Family Services, and Katherine Wiles, a 75-year-old caseworker.
But on Aug. 11, Grendell converted the Aug. 14 show cause hearing to a motions/status hearing.
According to JFS Director Craig Swenson, the court found JFS and its employees in compliance with a July 26 order and withdrew the Aug. 2 summons and orders.
Applicants Sought for Russell Township Park District
Russell Township resident volunteers interested in serving on the probate court-appointed Russell Township Park District Board of Commissioners are asked to contact Kimberly Laurie, budget/fiscal director and county liaison for the Geauga County Probate/Juvenile Court, at 440-279-1868 or klaurie@geaugacourts.org.
There currently is one position open and a second position may be up for consideration in December.
In addition to being a township resident, applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
Warren Woman Pleads Guilty in Theft Ring
A former Warren defense attorney who served eight years in a federal prison for trying to hire a hit man to kill her estranged husband has pleaded guilty to a charge of receiving stolen property in Geauga County.
Maridee Costanzo, 59, was arrested in May in connection with the theft of more than $100,000 worth of antiques and historic artifacts stolen property from a Parkman Township home.
She faces up to 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine when Judge Carolyn Paschke sentenced her at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 17 in Geauga County Common Pleas Court.
Costanzo was arrested following the execution of search warrant at her Genesee Avenue NE home.
Prior to execution of the search warrant, investigators conducted numerous interviews, surveillance operations, narcotics buys and undercover purchases of stolen property across three separate counties, recovering a large portion of the property stolen during the burglary, said Lt. John Hiscox, public information officer for the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office.
As a result of the investigation, investigators were able to identify and arrest Patrick Cameron, of Kent, Paul LaRose, of Rome, and Mariann Harris, of Rome.
Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz said Costanzo was a minor player in the theft ring.
One of the persons investigators believe was involved in the theft of the antiques was staying in Costanzo’s home, he said.
“She has a drug problem and one of the people involved in the thefts, who was her dealer, was staying in her house,” Flaiz said.
Flaiz said some of the stolen items found were in Costanzo’s possession and did not belong to her house guest.
“She knew the items were stolen,” he said.
Cameron, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of grand theft in July. Paschke sentenced him to 10 months in prison, according to court records, and ordered him to pay $10,000 in restitution for the theft.
LaRose was charged with theft and breaking and entering. He pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, on Aug. 11.
Paschke sentenced LaRose to three years of community control, including six month in jail and six months in NEOCAP, according to court records. He also was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the victim.
Harris was charged with grand theft and breaking and entering. A jury trial is scheduled in Paschke’s courtroom on Dec. 19.
