Vincent R. Zumpano, Bribery, OH 2001

Steubenville, OH – A scheme to illegally influence air quality decisions in eastern Ohio culminated in the sentencing of several individuals, including former North Ohio Valley Air Authority (NOVAA) employee Vincent R. Zumpano, in 2001. The case, investigated by federal authorities, revealed a pattern of unlawful gratuities totaling $169,750 paid to key figures within NOVAA in 1994, in exchange for favorable rulings.

Zumpano, along with Patsy DeLuca – the then-director of NOVAA – and Richard Canestraro, who later succeeded DeLuca as director, were implicated in the bribery scheme. The payments were funneled through Ronald DeLuca, Patsy DeLuca’s son, from a local businessman whose identity remains somewhat obscured in court records. The arrangement aimed to compromise the integrity of NOVAA’s regulatory oversight, potentially impacting air quality standards in the region.

The investigation began to unfold in late 1999 with charges filed against Zumpano on October 8th. He was charged with two counts of accepting unlawful gratuities, violating 18 U.S.C. 201(c)(1)(B), and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, a violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. Zumpano quickly entered a guilty plea to all charges. Shortly thereafter, Patsy and Ronald DeLuca were also charged with accepting unlawful gratuities and also pled guilty. A related charge was also filed against another individual, Fabiano, for filing a false corporate tax return (26 U.S.C. 7206(1)), and he also entered a guilty plea.

Sentencing occurred throughout early 2000 and 2001. Fabiano received 24 months of probation, a $50 special assessment, and a $500 fine for his tax crime. Canestraro, charged with accepting unlawful gratuities, received a 12-month and one-day prison sentence, followed by 12 months of supervised release, a $100 assessment, and a $10,000 fine. Ronald DeLuca was sentenced to six months of home confinement as part of a three-year probation period, alongside a $10,000 federal fine. Patsy DeLuca faced a harsher penalty of four months incarceration, four months home confinement, 24 months supervised release, and a $10,000 fine.

Zumpano received the most significant prison sentence of the group: 15 months incarceration, followed by 24 months of supervised release, a $200 assessment, and an $8,000 federal fine. The case highlights the vulnerability of regulatory agencies to corruption and the lengths to which individuals will go to influence decisions for personal or business gain. The relatively light sentences, however, have drawn some criticism over the years, with some questioning whether they adequately reflect the severity of the offense and the potential environmental impact of compromised regulatory oversight.

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Key Facts

Defendant: Vincent R. Zumpano, Patsy DeLuca, Richard Canestraro, Ronald DeLuca
Location: Steubenville, Ohio
Year: 2001 (bribery occurred in 1994, sentencing in 2000-2001)
Crime: Bribery of public officials, conspiracy
Amount of Bribes: $169,750
Statutes Violated: 18 U.S.C. 371, 18 U.S.C. 201(c)(1)(B), 26 U.S.C. 7206(1)
Penalties: Sentences ranged from probation and fines to 15 months incarceration, plus supervised release and assessments.

GrimyTimes will continue to follow up on cases of public corruption and environmental malfeasance.

Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database

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