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Extrudex charged with concealing data from OSHA

YOUNGSTOWN — An aluminum manufacturing company with a factory in North Jackson was indicted in federal court on charges of deliberately concealing knowledge of a felony in connection to a conspiracy to obstruct justice related to an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The indictment alleges that from April 1, 2016, through Jan. 1, 2018, Extrudex, through its employees, worked to conceal felony obstruction of justice offenses from management in Canada and further failed to inform law enforcement of the commission of these offenses.

The charges are a result of an investigation in 2018 that the company sought to falsify and cover up information needed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigator looking into the 2012 death of employee John Tomlin Jr.

Tomlin Jr. 21, was killed Oct. 30, 2012, during an incident at Extrudex Aluminum, 12051 Mahoning Ave., in which two metal racks stacked on top of each other, weighing between 4,000 and 5,000 pounds, tipped over onto him and another 19-year-old employee. The two men were pushing the racks on a roller conveyor system, according to a police report.

Brian L. Carder, 62, of Stow, and Paul Love, 57, of Lake Milton, each were charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and obstruction of proceedings in October. Love also is charged with one count of making false statements to law enforcement.

Each man pleaded not guilty and were released on bond. They were ordered not to have contact with Extrudex and to surrender their passports and travel documents.

OSHA began its investigation on Oct. 31, 2012, and learned of multiple emails concerning safety issues with the roller system.

Carder and Love devised a plan to provide false statements to the OSHA investigator, the indictment states. They persuaded employees — by suggesting their jobs might be in jeopardy — to draft statements recanting previous emails about safety issues, according to the indictment.

The conspiracy charges are based on Carder and Love working to provide false information to the OSHA investigator by convincing employees to draft false statements and provide previous emails about safety issues with the racks and rollers. Also during an interview with OSHA , Love gave false information about safety issues.

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