Pumper Gets 8 Years for Cuyahoga County Bribery

CUYAHOGA FALLS, OH – Steven W. Pumper, 49, is headed to federal prison for nearly a decade after admitting to a brazen bribery scheme that rotted the core of Cuyahoga County’s public works system. Pumper, the former president and CEO of DAS Construction, received a 97-month sentence from U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi, a punishment reflecting the depth of his corruption.

The sentence isn’t just about lost time, however. Lioi also ordered Pumper to shell out a staggering $2.15 million in restitution. Phillips Health Care is due $1.7 million, while Cuyahoga County itself will receive $186,000. Maple Heights City Schools and Parma City Schools will each get $117,000 and $15,000 respectively – a meager attempt to repair the damage done to these institutions.

Pumper previously pleaded guilty to a nine-count information, a laundry list of offenses including conspiracy to commit bribery of programs receiving federal funds, obstruction of justice, bribery, mail fraud, structuring, and further mail fraud. The investigation, a joint effort by the FBI’s Cleveland office and the IRS – Criminal Investigation, revealed a systematic pattern of payoffs in exchange for favorable treatment on construction projects.

Court documents detail how Pumper greased palms to secure lucrative contracts. He handed $33,000 in cold, hard cash to then-Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, and wasn’t content with money alone. Pumper also lavished Dimora with free home improvements worth tens of thousands of dollars. This wasn’t charity; it was a direct quid pro quo for Dimora’s support on projects crucial to Pumper’s business. The commissioner is already serving a 28-year sentence for his role in the scheme.

The corruption extended beyond Dimora. Pumper funneled a political donation to the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party with the explicit understanding that it would be used to prop up the campaign of Parma School Board member J. Kevin Kelley. Kelley, in return, ensured Pumper’s company landed a $96,000 contract with the school district. Kelley’s sentencing is scheduled for later this month, and he’s likely facing a lengthy prison term of his own.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann C. Rowland and Antoinette T. Bacon prosecuted the case, a clear signal that federal authorities are taking public corruption in Ohio seriously. While Pumper’s sentence won’t undo the damage caused by his actions, it sends a message: in Cuyahoga County, and across the country, bribery doesn’t pay – it lands you in a federal prison cell. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and expose the rot that festers within our public institutions.