Former Prosecutor Charged with Bribery
A former Assistant City Attorney of Warren, Ohio, Nicholas Graham, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on bribery charges. Image credit: screenshot from video by WKBM.com.
Nicholas Graham, 52, from Warren, Ohio, and Brian Votino, 52, from Niles, Ohio, were both indicted on charges related to conspiracy and wire fraud, as well as Hobbs Act extortion, according to a DOJ press release. Graham was a prosecutor for the City of Warren, Ohio, in the Warren Municipal Court, and Votino was on trial in two criminal cases in that same court.
In addition to working as a prosecutor, Graham owned a convenience store, Buckeye Beverage, in Niles between June 2019 and February 2024, according to the indictment and Graham’s LinkedIn page. Votino allegedly owned an auto repair shop and dealership, Main Street Enterprises, also in Niles.
Reducing DUI and Drug Charges for Bribes
Votino had two cases pending in the Warren Municipal Court, where Graham worked, according to the indictment. One of the cases was a misdemeanor DUI charge, and the other case was a felony drug possession charge.
On Oct. 1, 2019, Graham and Votino allegedly began communicating through an unindicted co-conspirator. The co-conspirator allegedly brokered a meeting between Graham and Votino so that Votino could look at a bumper on Graham’s truck.
Based on messages detailed in the indictment, Votino allegedly looked at the bumper on Oct. 3, 2019. Afterward, Graham reportedly told the co-conspirator that he didn’t want to say anything to Votino himself but wanted the co-conspirator to tell Votino not to mention their dealings to his defense attorney. Graham also told the co-conspirator to instruct Votino to create a bill for the car repair to use as a cover to indicate that he was paid.
Later that month, Votino and Graham made plans for Votino to look at a golf cart, according to the indictment, and on Jan. 9, 2020, Votino was to appear in court. Before the court date, Graham started advocating for Votino’s felony drug possession charge to be lowered to a misdemeanor. He continued to argue for the defense even during the hearing, asking for a 180-day suspended sentence and two years of probation.
Graham also argued to reduce Votino’s misdemeanor DUI to a lesser reckless driving charge, giving him a 27-day suspended sentence and a retroactively suspended license of a year from the date of the incident.
Fired from the Court
Graham was terminated from Warren Municipal Court after 21 years in September 2022, after a scandal involving a fight during his son’s 19th birthday, as reported by Tribune Chronicle.
Graham’s arrest warrant was issued on Sept. 20, and he was arrested on Sept. 24. Graham and Votino could each get 45 years in prison if convicted on all counts, according to the DOJ press release.
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