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Man accused of trying to bribe Liberty officers indicted

WARREN — A Youngstown man accused of attempting to bribe Liberty police officers to get his arrest knocked down to a summons was one of 29 people indicted by a Trumbull County grand jury on Wednesday.

Brandon Faunda, 24, of Youngstown Hubbard Road, was indicted on a charge of bribery. He was originally charged with domestic violence and robbery at the time of his Sept. 9 arrest.

According to a police report, Liberty officers were dispatched to the PNC Bank on Belmont Avenue in response to a threat report, where dispatchers said an “elderly customer” was being screamed at in the parking lot by Faunda, her grandson. Dispatchers said Faunda said he was “going to kill her if he doesn’t get $500,” the report states.

Officers located the suspect vehicle, a Ford Taurus, and officers noted that they recognized Faunda from previous calls.

The reporting officer spoke with Faunda’s grandmother, asking her why he was yelling at her. Faunda’s grandmother told the officer that Faunda had been yelling at her all day, adding that he demanded $700 from her, according to the report. The report states that a customer left the bank, expressing the belief that Faunda’s grandmother was being taken advantage of, and added that she should stop giving money to Faunda.

She replied, “Well, he said he’ll kill me,” adding that Faunda told her that “he’s got a gun and he said I’m going to shoot you if you don’t give me that money,” the report states.

She confirmed Faunda made the threat against her, and he was handcuffed. Officers sent Faunda’s grandmother back into the bank to stay with its employees, while officers spoke with Faunda and the Taurus’s two passengers, both women, ordering the latter out of the vehicle.

Officers ran the car’s registration, which revealed a North Jackson resident as its owner.

The report states that because the vehicle did not have proper registration, it was towed away, with officers noting no firearms were found in it. Both women were eventually released from the scene a short time later.

Faunda denied the threat allegations made by his grandmother, saying “I didn’t threaten to kill anybody, sir,” according to the report.

The report states Faunda became agitated with officers throughout the duration of their interaction, saying, “You guys don’t do nothing but (expletive) lives up. I hate y’all. I’m just gonna bail out when I get there anyway.”

The officer cleared the scene and eventually transported Faunda to the Trumbull County jail, where he continued to be agitated. While en route, Faunda said he didn’t threaten anyone at the bank, was telling people to hurry up and that he needed to get to work, the report states.

Faunda continued his earlier behavior, requesting the officer “cut him a break,” adding, “Yeah, that’s what I thought, man. Gotta get your arrest record up. You know, get your rank up. I know how it all works, impress your boss. You don’t care about people. You just care about ranking up, man.”

The report states he continued to say things to the officer, telling him to get a real job and that he didn’t protect and serve — only locking people up for no reason — and asked who he was protecting.

Faunda eventually pleaded with the officer to be released on a criminal summons, telling the officer that he would give him $200 if he did so, repeating that he just wanted to go to work, according to the report.

The officer asked Faunda if he realized it was a crime, telling him he was bribing a public official — which was also caught on his body camera and patrol vehicle’s dashcam footage.

Faunda has been in the Trumbull County jail on a $100,000 bond since his arrest, jail records show.

Others indicted Wednesday who will have arraignments scheduled with the case-assigned judge during their weekly criminal day within the next two weeks are:

• Jason T. O’Malley, 46, Linda Drive NW, Warren, failure to comply with order / signal of police officer.

• Jamie E. Heasley, 46, Hermitage, Pa., two counts forgery and one count identity fraud.

• Maurice L. Bryant, 37, Shady Lane NE, Warren, possession of drugs.

• Louis T. Taylor, 47, Idylwild Street, Warren, aggravated possession of drugs, possession of heroin, failure to comply with order / signal of police officer, having weapons while under disability and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.

• Mark P. Brush, 47, Sunnyfield Avenue, Warren, two counts harassment with a bodily substance, assault and domestic violence.

• Danielle E. Lichty, 35, Peace Street NW, Warren, possession of heroin, possession of fentanyl-related compound and aggravated possession of drugs.

• Joshua R. Dickens, 19, Stanton Avenue, Niles, burglary, grand theft and theft from a person in a protected class.

• Nathan J. Thomas, 44, Park Road, Leavittsburg, improperly handling firearm in a motor vehicle, two counts OVI and illegal use / possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Dontay L. Miller, 18, East Wilson Avenue, Girard, carrying a concealed weapon.

• John Laughery Jr., 60, Bane Street SW, Warren, burglary.

• Greg A. Perkins, 44, Champion Avenue East, Warren, two counts domestic violence.

• Ryan R. Repko, 38, Youngstown Kingsville Road, Fowler, possession of cocaine.

• Trovon Bryant, 34, Larchmont Avenue NE, Warren, possession of fentanyl-related compound and possession of cocaine.

• John J. Podleyon, 46, Mercer, Pa., carrying a concealed weapon.

• Rodger Raub, 43, Tuttle Street, Girard, aggravated possession of drugs, assault, vandalism and obstructing official business.

• Sarah J. Prater, 39, Main Street SW, Warren, receiving stolen property.

• Emanuel Medina, 44, Nelson Mosier Road, Leavittsburg, receiving stolen property.

• Shawn M. Stambolia, 44, Churchill-Hubbard Road, Liberty, violating a protection order and obstructing official business.

• Caleb C. Moon, 35, Crestview Avenue SE, Warren, possession of a fentanyl-related compound.

• Ryan M. Rafferty-Powell, 35, Southern Boulevard NW, Warren, felonious assault and possession of a deadly weapon while under detention.

• Christopher A. Russell Jr., 33, Glenwood Street, Vienna, felonious assault, failure to comply with order / signal of police officer and two counts OVI.

• Christopher A. Russell Sr., 57, Dakota Avenue, Niles, failure to comply with order / signal of police officer.

• Jonathan L. Wynn, 20, Idylwild Street NE, Warren, two counts failure to comply with order / signal of police officer, having weapons while under disability, improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, carrying concealed weapons and possession of cocaine.

• Kelvaun J. O’Neal, 29, Oak Knoll Avenue SE, Warren, two counts having weapons while under disability, and one count each improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle and carrying a concealed weapon.

• Marlon L. Manson, 51, Lansdowne Avenue NW, Warren, aggravated possession of drugs.

• Joseph C. Haynes, 62, Parkman, Warren, possession of cocaine.

• There also was one person secretly indicted on unknown charges.

The following misdemeanor case was remanded to a lower court:

• Styler McKinney, 31, Spell Road, Kent, aggravated menacing and criminal damaging / endangering.

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