Recordpub.com - Ex-mayor of Ravenna to be released today

By Diane Smith

Record-Courier staff writer

After two and a half years in federal and state prisons, Ravenna’s former mayor will be released from prison today.

The 14-month prison sentence of Paul Jones expires today. He was jailed for activities involving his son’s landscaping business and Jones’ involvement with the business during his tenure as mayor.

Jones, 58, served his state sentence at Ross Correctional Institution. He was admitted to the facility on July 7, 2008, after serving 16 months in federal prison.

His lawyer, Terry Kane of Ravenna, said Jones does not plan to come back to Ravenna. After he leaves prison, he will return to Bradenton, Fla., where he moved with his family in 2005 shortly after resigning as mayor.

Jones served as Ravenna mayor from 1976 to 1982, when he left office to serve six terms as a state representative. He became Ravenna mayor again from 1996 to 2005, when he left office mid-term.

About a year later, following months of speculation, Jones was indicted on federal charges including three counts of filing false tax returns and five counts of mail fraud. Jones pleaded guilty in January 2007 to all of the charges and was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison by Judge Peter C. Economus of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio in Youngstown.

Jones also was ordered to pay restitution, including taxes owed and penalties, on $162,287 of income from 2001-03, which Jones had failed to report to the IRS.

A week after his sentencing in federal court, a Bill of Information against Jones was filed in Portage County Common Pleas Court charging Jones with three counts each of having an unlawful interest in a public contract, filing incomplete or false tax returns and four counts of filing false financial disclosure statements, all felonies.

He pleaded guilty to all 10 charges at an April 9, 2007, hearing in Portage County Common Pleas Judge John Enlow’s courtroom, and was sentenced the same day to 14 months in state prison. Enlow ordered that sentence be served consecutive to the federal sentence rather than concurrently.

18.	Posted by MARCISDAD September 6, 2009
	This would have been another story Marci would have covered. I remember a couple of years ago Marci and the photographer went to Hopkins airport to see Jones get off the plane from Florida. The plane was delayed a couple of hours, so she called me and I met her for lunch. It is a sad feeling to look at the Record-Courier site and not see her articles. I would like to ask the Marci fans among you all to visit the story of March 20, 2009 that starts with the title"Record-Courier reporter among victims...". There have been a few comments added by me and other people, and I would like to see a few more comments and opinions. Thanks.

17.	Posted by user1 September 4, 2009
	Are you registered to vote? Are you a legal citizen of the United States of America? I suggest we all do our jobs (not just to make our hard earned paycheck). Let's get all the information we can attain, arm ourselves with knowledge, and do our best together to rid ourselves of everything that is corrupt in government. I am not happy with our government, but unfortunately, we let it happen...here, to us, in our townships, villages, cities, counties, and state. Now the difficult part is going to make them take our voices seriously because we have been silent for so long it's as if we don't even count or matter any more. Please before the next election...get information, find out what the candidates are willing to try to accomplish, ask their name, tell them your name, follow their records of voting, convictions...etc. Become the Pittbull of your own backyard. It's apparent we can't trust them to guard us any longer. To put it nicely...watch yourself...make sure they have your best interests at heart and not their own. I pray everyday for this country and our soldiers. I remember a time when you gave up something for your country..."Don't you know there's a war going on????"

15.	Posted by fnslft3471 September 3, 2009
	TO wbw and herk, you obviously don't know the rest of the story, Firewood indictments (service Dir took fall , Wastewater chemicals and kickback( Dept head to the fall, the Columbus healthcare scandal that cause him to lose that office. He bullied hundreds of people, and broke more laws than most could imagine, He is lucky, to have served such little time. So many people were fooled by his propaganda. He is a crook and a bully! What about his #1 assistant that is still on the city payroll.... He was there every day helping the bully...

10.	Posted by STREETSBORO RESIDENT September 3, 2009
	SIMPLEMATTER, YOU ARE CORRECT, BUT I SURE DIDNT VOTE FOR SMEILES. I WISH THE RC WOULD HAVE KEPT IT FRONT PAGE UNTIL THE ELECTION BUT NOOO THEY ONLY HAD IT IN THERE 1 TIME. THE RC NEEDS TO DO A BETTER JOB AT REPORTING THE ---IMPORTANT ARTICLES ----- AND KEEP THEM IN THE NEWS MORE OFTEN. I HATE 1 TIME PRINTED ARTICLES.... HERE THAT RC - REPORT ON THE STREETSBORO SCHOOL LEVY THAT IS COMING UP, WHAT A JOKE - THEY WANT 5.3 MILLION FOR A DEFICIT OF 1.6 MILLION HMMMMMM WELL DO ANOTHER REPORT AND KEEP IT IN THE NEWS PLEASE.... KEEP US INFORMED.