Former PUCO Chairman Indicted In Bribery Scheme

(ONN) – A federal grand jury has indicted the former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio who is accused of bribery and embezzlement crimes.

Samuel Randazzo is charged with 11 counts, including wire fraud and making illegal monetary transactions.

He resigned from being chairman in November 2020 after being accused of receiving more than four million dollars from First Energy in exchange for giving the company special treatment.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

The long-awaited indictment marks the latest development in what has been labeled the largest corruption case in Ohio history.

A jury convicted former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges, ex-chair of the Ohio Republican Party, of racketeering in April for their roles in the scheme.

Householder was sentenced to 20 years in prison and Borges five years.