Gregory A. White, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, together with Jose A. Gonzalez, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cleveland Field Office; C. Frank Figliuzzi, Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Michael McGrath, Chief, Cleveland Division of Police, announced today that Peter C. Zappola of 128 Windsor Circle, Aurora, Ohio, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment for bribing a public official employed by the Cleveland Water Department. The Court ordered Zappola to pay restitution to the City of Cleveland in the amount of $216,000. Following his incarceration, Zappola will be placed on supervised release for two years.

This sentence follows Zappola’s plea of guilty to the charge of conspiracy to bribe a public official in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Zappola admitted to bribing a Water Department official, Norman Gore, in return for orders Gore placed with Zappola, a salesperson who worked with various businesses in the plumbing supply industry. In a one-year period, Zappola received approximately $54,000 in commissions from orders placed by Gore. In addition, Zappola admitted to conspiring with Gore to have the Water Department purchase $10,000 worth of valves from Zappola. Once delivered from Zappola’s company, Gore then gave these same valves back to Zappola from Harvard Yard’s inventory. Zappola paid Gore $3,000 and then resold the valves to another company. In total, Zappola’s conduct caused a $216,000 loss to the City of Cleveland.

United States Attorney Gregory White said this of the sentence imposed today, “Zappola’s conduct is offensive to the people of Cleveland. With this sentencing, the City of Cleveland moved one step closer to ensuring its procurement process is free from corruption and self-dealing.”

Today’s sentencing follows the convictions of three former City of Cleveland Water Division employees and six Water Division contractors:

(1) Norman Gore, General Storekeeper at the Water Division, was convicted on

April 25, 2005 and sentenced to 60 months incarceration. He was ordered to pay $1,337,597.20 restitution to the City of Cleveland;

(2) James Stallworth, Warehouse Manager at the Water Division, was convicted on November 18, 2004. Stallworth was sentenced to a 33 month term of imprisonment and ordered to pay $793,000 restitution to the City of Cleveland;

(3) Kenneth McNeil, Head Storekeeper at the Water Division, was convicted on November 17, 2004 and sentenced to 3 years probation. He was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to the City of Cleveland.

(4) Joseph B. Sturman, President and Owner of Victory White Metal Company, was convicted on November 22, 2004 and sentenced to 24 months incarceration, fined $10,000 and ordered to pay $1,156,853 restitution to the City of Cleveland. Sturman agreed to forfeit $584,705 in illegal proceeds;

(5) Samuel Petrony, Head of the Water Division at Victory White Metal Co., was convicted on November 29, 2004 and sentenced to 41 months incarceration and ordered to pay $1,949,853 restitution to the City of Cleveland;

(6) Arnold Kaufman, President of Woodhill Supply Co., was convicted on January 5, 2005 and was sentenced to 21 months incarceration and a $5,000 fine. Kaufman was ordered to pay $180,744.21 in restitution to the City of Cleveland, and Kaufman agreed to forfeit $90,372.10 in illegal proceeds;

(7) Michael Semlar, Salesperson at Woodhill Supply Co., was convicted on March 22, 2005. Semlar was sentenced to a 21 month term of imprisonment and ordered to pay the City of Cleveland $180,744.21 in restitution.

(8) Sebastian Morabito, Owner of Morabito Trucking, was convicted on January 25, 2007. Morabito was sentenced to a 24 month term of imprisonment and a $25,000 fine. He was ordered to pay the City of Cleveland $75,000 restitution.

(9) James Oppermann, Owner of Richmond Valve and Pipe, was convicted on

April 10, 2007 and sentenced to 6 months home confinement without electronic monitoring and $37,000 in restitution to the City of Cleveland.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ann C. Rowland and Antoinette Thomas Bacon.