Plea Agreement Calls For Restitution To Boardman
      Township Government
     
      BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      After a year of lingering in the court system, a former Boardman Township mechanic, who originally entered a plea of not guilty to two, felony-4 counts of theft in office, has entered a plea of not guilty to one count of felony-3 theft in office.
      According to a plea agreement in the matter, Michael Carkido, 52, of 2068 Bishop Woods Ct., will appear in the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court of Judge Maureen Sweeney on Oct. 14 for sentencing.
      The plea agreement says that Carkido faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine and notes that prison is not “presumed necessary” or mandatory.
      The plea agreement says the prosecutor in the case, Atty. Patrick Fening, has agreed to recommend community control (probation) with a specific condition of payment of $60,000 in restitution to Boardman Township “or another amount if the parties agree at sentencing.” Counsel for Carkido is Atty. Ron Yarwood.
      Judge Sweeney has ordered a pre-sentence investigation to be prepared by the Community Corrections Association.
      Carkido was employed by Boardman Township for the 23 years as a fleet manager/technician in charge of maintaining and repairing the township’s fleet of some 50 police vehicles.
      Allegations of misappropriated public monies were first brought to light on Mar. 5, 2025 when two tires that had been purchased from the Goodyear Auto Service Center, 418 Boardman-Canfield Rd., on Feb. 25 were found at the Boardman Road Department garage.
      According to a search warrant affidavit, the tires were purchased using a township credit card.
      “These are performance tires and made for vehicles like Cadillacs. Boardman Township does not have any Cadillacs in its current fleet,” said the search warrant document.
      The discovery of the tires led to an internal audit into purchasing records for police department parts and equipment from Jan., 2024 through Mar., 2025.
      Allegations of theft in office were investigated by Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department investigator James Ciotti.
      “There are numerous irregularities of parts purchased which would not be usable for any vehicles currently in the Boardman Township Police Department fleet,” Ciotti said in an affidavit.
      The affidavit noted an internal audit had been conducted that included invoices from the Goodyear Auto Service Center, copies of orders from Amazon.com, First National Bank credit card statements in the name of Boardman Township, as well as Auto Zone purchases and invoices from Jan. 1, 2024 thru Mar., 2025.
      According to the affidavit, there were numerous items purchased on Amazon including two computers, as well as a web cam, and Texas Instrument graphing calculator “that are not a property at Boardman Township.”
      The investigation also included a check on a vehicle driven by Carkido’s son that was in the parking lot of the Mahoning County Joint Vocational School that “has lights on the side mirrors similar to...parts purchased from Amazon on Jan. 15 that were delivered to Boardman Township: Attn: Michael Carkido.”
      The affidavit says that a review of Auto Zone records “indicated [purchases for] auto parts like oil filters, brake pads and brake rotors for vehicles that included Subaru, Kia and Audis. None of these parts are compatible with any vehicles currently being maintained in the Boardman Township Police Fleet.”
      Officer Ciotti said through the course of his investigation, “Michael Carkido has a ‘side business’ where he repairs vehicles. This includes routine maintenance issues---oil changes, filters and tires. Carkido has been observed at the township garage changing tires...”
      In addition, a search warrant executed for Carkido’s home indicated public monies could have been used for private use for a variety of items such as a charging station for an iphone, wall shelves for bedroom and kitchen decor, a Gen Pro desk, additional shelving items and a computer program.
      On Mar. 10, 2025 Carkido was placed on a paid administrative leave from his position that paid him an annual salary of $74,528.
      Carkido’s home was searched by law enforcement on a search warrant approved by Common Pleas Judge Anthony D’Apolito on Mar. 27, 2025.
      “The court, having carefully reviewed the affidavit, finds, based upon the totality of the circumstance, there is evidence of criminal conduct concealed at 2068 Bishop Woods Ct.,” the judge said.