The FBI is investigating the August 2008 raid on the Wickliffe home of former Lorain Police Officer Joseph Montelon, according to a letter sent to U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette from Assistant U.S. Attorney General Thomas Perez.

The letter, forwarded to Montelon by LaTourette, said that the investigation was spurred by a complaint filed by Montelon over the raid, which was designed to find evidence the convicted sex offender was responsible for a string of anonymous letter blasting the Lorain Police Department and Lorain Police Chief Cel Rivera.

“We have asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation to gather additional information regarding the circumstances of Mr. Montelon’s complaint,” Perez wrote in his letter, which was sent last month.

Montelon’s attorney, Terry Gilbert, released the letter to the media today.

According to an affidavit used to obtain the warrant, police considered the letters threatening. Lorain police, who were joined in the raid by Wickliffe police, the FBI and then-Lorain County Sheriff’s Capt. Rich Resendez, were also searching for evidence on who was supplying Montelon with internal information about the Lorain Police Department.

The investigation into Montelon has been reviewed by federal prosecutors and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office without charges being filed. The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office is now conducting its own review to determine if charges should be filed against Montelon.

Montelon has also sued Rivera and the city of Lorain in federal court over the raid. Rivera has filed a counterclaim against Montelon accusing him of defamation.

Gilbert said the review of the raid appears to be separate from the investigation the U.S. Department of Justice is conducting into allegations of excessive force by members of the Lorain Police Department. That investigation, launched in November 2008, is considered a civil probe.

Although the Justice Department hasn’t said what prompted the civil investigation of the Lorain Police Department, it’s widely believed it was sparked by complaints forwarded to Washington by Lorain City Council members Anne Molnar and Mitch Fallis.

Read Thursday’s Chronicle for more on this story.

Letters from Rep. Steve LaTourette and Assistant U.S. Attorney General Thomas Perez:

Download the letters.

ELYRIA — The pains of traveling the pothole-marred thoroughfare known as West River Road North soon will be a thing of the past.

But motorists first will have to get through this year, when the more than $4.3 million improvement project gets under way. It will be the biggest project the city undertakes this year.

In 2009, the city made a quick fix of the road by placing a 1-inch overlay on the road from Stoney Brook to the city limit for about $40,000. The temporary fix was done while the city applied for funding through the Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency.

City Engineer Mukund Moghe said the particulars of the project and several others will be explained Thursday at an Engineering Department open house. Moghe said there will be so many projects this year that holding a meeting for residents seemed like a good idea. Most will be water main and sewer projects, but there will be quite a few road projects.

The city plans to begin construction on 18 projects this year and three next year. The estimated cost for this year’s projects is about $23.45 million.

In addition to West River Road North, the city plans to resurface Gulf Road from Cleveland Street to Hilliard Road and Abbe Road North from state Route 57 to Loyola Drive. The Ohio Department of Transportation is handling the Abbe Road North project.

City Council on Monday approved the streets that will be resurfaced under the 2011 street resurfacing program. The list includes one street from each ward that was ranked as being in desperate need of repair.
But for some, those streets are not enough.

Councilman Larry Tanner, D-1st Ward, said he would like more streets to be done in more wards, and he said he believes that is what residents want to see, too.

“I probably have at least five streets in my ward that really need it,” he said. “But I at least know the Eastern Heights area is having their water main replaced this summer and they will have some resurfacing work in the project. I guess you can say I got lucky this year.”

Moghe said he will touch on projects that will be completed by other agencies such as the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Turnpike.

Information boards will be displayed detailing the plans, costs and timetable of each project and there will be a question-and-answer period.

Elyria road projects

The Elyria Engineering Department will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday to discuss upcoming projects. Residents are encouraged to attend to hear about how each project will affect travel. The meeting will be in City Council Chambers in City Hall, 131 Court St.

Street improvement projects

• West River Road North
• Brooklyn Street
• Gulf Road
• Abbe Road North

Sewer projects

• Cascade siphon removal and bottleneck elimination project
• Turner Street area project
• Overbrook Road area project
• Pinewood Drive area project
• Mussey Avenue area project
• Sewer extension projects
• Various wastewater pollution control plant projects

Water main projects

• Middle Avenue from 16th Street to Second Street
• West side
• Furnace Street area
• South side
• Eastern Heights area
• St. Jude area

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.

Download the report.

HENRIETTA TWP. — Lorain County Commissioner Lori Kokoski was present during a fight late last night between her current boyfriend and a man she used to see.

Kokoski

The ex, Sam Birach, called 911 around 1:20 a.m. to report being attacked. He was treated for an injury to his hand and released from the hospital, county sheriff’s Capt. James Drozdowski said.

At some point during the fight, Kokoski said, Birach’s finger was bitten, but she didn’t believe he was seriously injured and doesn’t think her current boyfriend, Ron Massimiani, intended to bite Birach.

Kokoski said she and Massimiani went to Birach’s home on Vermilion Road around 11 p.m. after Birach sent her the latest in a string of what she described as harassing text messages and e-mails.

She said she got the text around 10:35 p.m. while Massimiano was visiting her at her Lorain home. When she told him who the text was from, she said Massimiano became upset and they went out to his truck to talk about it.

While in the truck, she said Massimiano decided to drive over there and drove off. Kokoski said she was in her pajamas and slippers and had no intention of going to Birach’s house.

When they arrived, she said Massimiani went to the door and knocked and she saw the door open, while she stayed in the car. Kokoski said she heard arguing and then what sounded like a scuffle and went inside to break it up. When she got inside, she said, Birach was on top of Massimiani punching him in the side.

She said when Massimiani stood up, Birach was still hanging on him and the two fell over into a pedestal-style table.

After that, she said, she and Massimiani, who was punched in the face, left. Massimiani is a former employee of county Engineer Ken Carney.

Drozdowski said the investigation is being handled by detectives and a full report is not yet complete. Kokoski said she and Massimiani were interviewed this afternoon by detectives.

Read Saturday’s Chronicle for more on this story.

ELYRIA — Dallas and Therese Jones pleaded guilty today to endangering children and drug charges in connection with the March 2010 death of Jesse Crum Jr. (more…)