Police and court briefs

Mentor man accused of assaulting officer

A Mentor man is facing multiple felonies in Mentor Municipal Court in connection to a Sept. 6 incident.

Joseph M. Lombardo, 55, of 6852 Chablis Court, is charged with first-degree felony assault to a peace officer, court records show. He is also charged with fourth-degree felony resisting arrest and fifthdegree felony obstructing official business,

Lombardo received no bond, his arraignment papers said.

His preliminary hearing is Sept. 13. If convicted, he faces up to 17 years behind bars.

Euclid woman gets jail time for fraud

A Euclid woman must reimburse the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation more than $25,000 after pleading guilty to Ohio workers compensation fraud.

According to a news release from agency, the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation learned that Clarice L. Ward, 40, was not attending her physical therapy appointments for her workplace injury and that the BWC-contracted company managing her care couldn’t reach her.

As BWC investigated her case, the agency received an anonymous tip that Ward was working at Final Score Bar in Willowick while collecting disability benefits.

“Ms. Ward would not cooperate with our investigators, so we interviewed her former employer and obtained evidence proving her fraudulent activity,” said Jim Wernecke, director of BWC’s special investigations department.

Ward pleaded guilty Sept. 4 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, where the judge sentence her to six months in prison, suspended for five years of community control, and ordered her to pay BWC $26,578 in restitution.

Painesville man accused of trafficking

A Painesville man accused of trafficking methamphetamine, based upon the Lake County Narcotics Agency investigation, was arraigned in Painesville Municipal Court on September 7, records there show,

Michael W. Nichols, Jr., 43, of 43 Newell St., is charged with third-degree felony trafficking methamphetamine in an amount greater than 3 grams but less than 15, according to court files.

Nichols is being held on a $7,500/ 10 percent cash or surety bond pending a Sept. 17 preliminary hearing.

If convicted he faces up to five years behind bars.