By on January 15th, 2013. This post currently has no responses.

Former Member of Port Authority Board Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison

Robert M. Peto, a former member of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, was sentenced to more than four years in prison today after previously pleading guilty to violating the Hobbs Act, law enforcement officials said today.

Peto, 58, lives in Gates Mills, Ohio. He served as a member of the Port Authority Board between December 2004 through in or around August 2012, according to court documents.

Peto obtained property not due to him or his Port Authority office including free and discounted home improvements and materials, entertainment, and a financial benefit related to a vehicle acquisition, according to court documents.

The property and objects were provided by Michael Forlani and/or Doan Pyramid LLC and Neteam, AVI, companies in which Forlani had an ownership interest, according to court documents.

“This sentence shows the high cost to those who would violate the public’s trust in exchange for personal gain,” said Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office. “Corruption—in this case taking bribes and utilizing his position as a board member for the Port Authority—will not be tolerated.”

The conduct took place between 2004 and October 2, 2007, according to court documents.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Antoinette T. Bacon and Nancy L. Kelley following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor, and Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation.