January 9, 2013
One year ago in January, 2012, my husband sent a letter of complaint to the Trumbull County Board of Health members exposing corrupt practices of the Environmental Director, Frank Migliozzi. These members are the governing body of the Trumbull County Health Department.
In February, my husband addressed the board at the monthly public meeting during public participation. He went over these same complaints. No one asked any questions or offered any comments. What transpired was a disturbing non-verbal reaction from the Trumbull County Health Commissioner, Dr. James Enyeart. This was captured on video and later posted to our social media site. http://youtu.be/B3erPVdLEZQ
In February, because of the lack of response from the Board of Health and TCHD administration, I began using social media to raise awareness and to bring to light what we uncovered at TCHD. This social media group is on Facebook and is called Trumbull County Septic News. https://www.facebook.com/groups/tcsepticnews/
I posted information and documentation showing lack of enforcement by TCHD where friends or prominent members of Trumbull County were involved. These prominent members included the County Sheriff, Thomas Altiere, and TCHD’s attorney, Robert Kokor. These actions were coined as “Favors for Friends.” https://www.facebook.com/groups/tcsepticnews/photos/.
In March, I addressed the Board of Health during public participation and called for the firing of Health Commissioner James Enyeart, and the environmental director, Frank Migliozzi. http://youtu.be/GPLtSUIl0qo
Just a few days later, a top detective from the Sheriff’s office, Major Tom Stewart, paid a visit to our office asking to speak to my husband. What transpired over the next couple of weeks is haunting.
Stewart had sought out a client of ours that we were negotiating a contractual dispute with. Stewart wanted to pursue criminal charges even though our client did not. Stewart had his instruction from TCHD to push forward anyway. The Thursday before Easter 2012, Stewart contacted my husband to tell him there was a warrant for his arrest. My husband, though in fear for his safety and being stripped of his dignity, turned himself in on that following Friday, April 6. He was officially arrested. The headline and story that followed the next day in our local paper read like that of a scandalous con-artist in legal trouble up to his eyeballs. It has been disastrous to our business.
Let me add that this is the only time in our eight years of business that we have ever had a civil court matter with one of our customers. We have earned the “Best of the Best” award for six consecutive years. And now, a contractual dispute was maliciously being turned into a criminal matter.
A few weeks later, another warrant for my husband’s arrest came. According to witness testimony, the sheriff’s office had contacted this particular homeowner to pursue criminal charges as well. http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/572366/Septic-installer-says-he-is-being-targeted-by-county.html
All baseless charges were eventually dismissed, but what is left is irreparable damage to our business reputation and our finances. What is even more deplorable is that according to Stewart, he didn’t think it was a criminal matter but was being instructed by Kokor to pursue the arrest.
To further demonstrate what TCHD has done in retaliation to our exposing of their practices through the use of social media and exercising our First Amendment rights, they are now seeking to revoke my husband’s installer’s license, claim his surety bond (through what I believe may constitute insurance fraud), and they have posted substantial, one-sided information against my husband on their government website. This includes the arrest article in spite of the case dismissal.
In their effort to revoke my husband’s installer’s license, they initiated an administrative hearing and told us we would be able to call witnesses and provide our own evidence. Upon hearing damaging testimony by their own witnesses who spoke against the health department officials, they abruptly shut down the hearing just a quarter of the way into it, and stated their intention to render a verdict without allowing my husband due process. None of our nine witnesses were able to be called. Several of them included the health department administration and people from the Sheriff’s department. We are waiting for the ruling. If they move forward with taking my husband’s license, it will eliminate our ability to produce an income, provide for our family (we have three young children) and it will halt our federal lawsuit against them.
Our attorney, David Engler, has filed a lawsuit in federal court for conspiracy and corruption. We have our first hearing, a status conference, scheduled for January 30, 2013.
The TCHD administration and Board of Health has “circled the wagons” in an attempt to protect each other and have used their authority, influence and power to attack us.
In addition to their attack and attempt to destroy us, the messenger, the Board of Health has also eliminated public participation from their public monthly meetings to prevent us from asking hard questions. The same type of questions I have put on social media that they continually refuse to answer.
I’ve become politically involved. Many candidates have reached out to me with support. However, the incumbents have not. This area has long been strangled by a Democratic stronghold. Republicans and Independents rarely get elected. Because of this, there is no balance of power.
We NEED help from organizations and national media to get our story out and these officials exposed. Our local paper is soft on our elected officials. Thanks to social media, we have more than 1,100 people following our story, anticipating long overdue change. We are confident that once we are given the time and opportunity to share all our evidence, these officials will be the ones on trial.
Truly, I thank you for your time. I and our Attorney, David Engler, are willing to discuss our story and our case in great detail and with full transparency. Attorney Engler is also dealing with similar issues in the county children services board where several rapes and molestations have taken place without repercussion. He has been threatened twice to get out of our county and to drop our case. He can be reached at 330-402-9290 or via email.
Sincerely,
Deanna Meadows
Cell: 330-240-4585
email
If anyone feels inclined to help, sharing this story until we get national media attention will be appreciated. Also, a fund has been set up to help offset legal expenses. Donations can be made to the: “FIGHT BACK FUND” and mailed to:
FIGHT BACK FUND c/o First Place Bank
4460 Mahoning Ave.
Warren, Ohio 44483-1969
Or DONATE ONLINE at
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=DYNUHZB7DS4US
A clear message will be sent that personal agendas and retaliatory attacks by our government officials will be met with swift and severe action. A government that abuses the power endowed to them by “We the people” and uses our own money against us, will surely be met by the Law of the Land.
Any and all support is greatly appreciated and needed when citizens with limited means go against a giant with deep pockets supplied by unlimited taxpayer dollars.
The Dirty Little Secret about Leftists is this; buried beneath all of the Left’s supposed hatred for bullying is a passionate LOVE for bullying–the use of power to force those who disagree to SHUT UP, back down or face crushing consequences up to and including loss of reputation, career destruction, and even death. The Left’s anti-bullying stance is an enormous LIE. It is a purposeful lie. It is a lie designed to disguise the fact that leftists are the greatest group of bullies in American history.”
-Ben Shapiro, Bullies-How the Left’s Culture of Fear and Intimidation SILENCE’S AMERICA.
Way to go on turning this into a right vs. left thing you stupid asshole. YOU are the problem with American politics more than anything.
You employ typical leftist tactics: no debate, just name calling. Obviously you don’t have a real response.
Except that as Deanna Meadows points out: “This area has long been strangled by a Democratic stronghold”. Not only that, but the whole country has been badly affected by a corrupt, divisive, hostile, socialist megalomaniac in the White House. Congratulations, you got what you voted for.
Asshole.
Except that as Deanna Meadows points out: “This area has long been strangled by a Democratic stronghold”. Not only that, but the whole country has been badly affected by a corrupt, divisive, hostile, socialist megalomaniac in the White House. Congratulations, you got what you voted for. Stupid asshole.
Do not try to turn this into a political argument, because that is not what this is. There are both Democrats and Republicans, as well as those of other political affiliations, who are corrupt and abuse their power. To try and turn this all on “the left”, Mary O’Malley, is complete and utter bullshit, and all you are doing is trying to further divide people along lines.
Back on topic, now, I hope you find the help you need, because these people do not sound like they should be holding public jobs of trust.
There are good (and not so good) people in both parties. Please don’t take this as a left vs. right issue, though I appreciate the comments and interest. I only mentioned the Democrat’s stronghold because it has left an imbalance of power. I’m certain there are areas where entrenched Republicans have allowed their officials run amok as well.
My suggestion would be a Jury trial – and don’t let these pieces of shit try and scare you with a bunch of bullshit scenarios. If you are not guilty of any of the charges, have a lawyer with common sense and can present yourselves as innocent victims (which sounds like you are) & bring them young-ins to the trial – No Jury will convict you of any charges, you can then sue these Communists Bastards for damages .
There is a wave – a fuse lit of citizens sick and tired of the corruption that exists in all levels of Government
“When The Root Is Strong There Is No Need To Fear The Wind”
Sonny
Thanks Sonny. We have no fear when looking at or dealing with these people. We will not be intimidated. This has not been easy by any stretch. It has wreaked havoc on us in many ways as you can imagine, but we will not stop until justice is served upon them.
We are firmly rooted. Woe to them.
Do you have a record of the proceedings at the administrative hearing for licensure?
You may be able to file a suit in the county court ordering the any results of the hearing be set aside for failure of due process, or for material bias on the part of the administrators. This being in addition to the federal suit; county cases are often alot cheaper in terms of court costs, and may go a long way in gumming up their apparent collusion.
You may also want to check http://www.ruleoflawradio.com and give their radio show a call. They are based out of Texas (so different statutes than Ohio), but are well schooled in leveraging the legal system to overcome corruption. They are also good at making politics overly cumbersome for local boss hog types – encouraging them to back off even when a court order is tough to come by. I haven’t filed suit with their guidance myself, so cannot speak from direct experience. But their basic information is second to none (always have a witness, record everything, strategies for avoiding orders to stop recordings, online tools for turning your cell phone into a direct-to-web storage device, so a recording cannot be deleted off your phone, and so on).
Thanks for the info Matthew. We do have a record of the proceedings. Final briefs are being submitted this week. The administrative hearing officer, Ronald Alexander, out of Stow, Ohio, will then make his determination based on the fraction of unsubstantiated evidence in spite of his denial of further testimony, and prohibition of due process. (He said more than once that he serves at the pleasure of the board).
Our attorney, David Engler, motioned to dismiss due to the lack of due process, but the BOH attorney, Jack Pierson, out of Akron, said that we weren’t denied due process because we were able to cross examine their witnesses. Not sure where he earned his law degree.
Anyway, the Board of Health can either accept or reject Alexander’s decision. It’s dangerous ground for this board to do (and has done), knowing that we are suing them in federal court.
Not to mention that the “evidence” was brought forth by the same administration that we are suing in federal court. Their arrogance hasn’t allowed them to stop digging the hole.
I’m going to check out the resource you provided. I appreciate your advice. Thanks.
Hi Deanna,
i will email this to all my friends on the internet. and ask them to also send it to their friends. 50 can turn into 200/300. and that would just be a start of it going viral.
William
Great! Thanks William. I really appreciate it.
Deana,
Call the FBI in Akron: (330) 535-6156
Perhaps they can help you with your corruption case.
Thanks Linda. I spoke with the Cleveland office earlier last year and they told me I had to go through Youngstown. I spoke with Y-town and have not heard anything back. Do you think that is good news or does that mean it hit a dead file??
Here’s a quick podcast from an interview our attorney David Engler did with Cincy radio host Brian Thomas. http://www.55krc.com/player/?station=WKRC-AM&program_name=podcast&program_id=55krcMornings.xml&mid=22814041