Trial of Sebring judge to begin earlier

AKRON, Ohio - At the requests of a former judge in Mahoning County's Sebring court and her husband, a federal judge has moved up the date of their trials on federal crimes.

Fifty-year-old Vettori-Caraballo and Ismael Caraballo have been granted a motion filed in U.S. District Court asking their trials, which had been set to begin on Monday, March 4, to start Friday, March 1 instead.

According to their motion, their defense attorney Gerald Ingram has a prior commitment beginning March 9, and they question whether a trial can be completed by then.

Vettori-Caraballo was indicted late last year by a federal grand jury alleging that she stole at least $100,000 from a former client. She and her husband are also charged with one count of filing a false tax return and have rejected offers for plea agreements.

In October, Vettori-Caraballo was suspended from the bench while she was being investigated for allegations that in early 2016 she took between $100,000 and $328,000 in cash that was in the home of her deceased client.

Vettori-Caraballo also drafted Robert Sampson's will, on November 20, 2015, Vettori-Caraballo filled an application in Mahoning County Probate Court to administer Sampson's estate. The application stated that Sampson died without a will.

Robert Sampson died in 2015, and his closest living relative was his sister, Dolores Falgiani. Vettori-Caraballo helped Falgiani prepare Sampson's will.

According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, sometime in October or November 2015, Falgiani stated that she had several shoeboxes fo cash stored at her residence. Falgiani was found dead in her apartment on March 10, 2016.

Authorities say that Vettori-Caraballo reported having found cash in Falgiani's residence and depositing the $20,000 into the estate. According to the indictment, Vettori-Caraballo filed a notice fo newly discovered assets with the court and each time failed to disclose the cash she allegedly had stolen.

Vettori-Caraballo allegedly made 22 deposits of cash into five different banks within four weeks to avoid regulations that require banks to report cash transactions over $10,000 to the IRS, according to the indictment.

Vettori-Caraballo is also named in a civil action case in probate court on behalf of the victim's family.
A proposed settlement has been offered up in that case, in regards to two other defendants.

Vettori-Caraballo was elected to become the Sebring Court Judge in Mahoning County Court #3 in 2002, and she was reelected in 2006 and 2012.

Full Article & Source:
Trial of Sebring judge to begin earlier

See Also:
UPDATE | Mahoning County judge charged with stealing

Mahoning County judge charged with stealing over $96K from client