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Updated at 9:26 p.m.

Parma Mayor Dean DePiero was accused of giving something to Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo in exchange for Russo's help clearing an opponent from the mayor's race in 2003.

DePiero was not charged with a crime or even mentioned by name in the criminal charges filed Friday against four men, including former Parma school board President and onetime DePiero rival J. Kevin Kelley.

But the series of events laid out in the charges match DePiero's 2003 race for Parma mayor.

DePiero adamantly denied doing anything wrong."I was never afraid to run against anyone, especially Kevin Kelley," DePiero said. "Everything he says is a total fabrication, and I'm still trying to get my head around it."

Prosecutors said Russo promised Kelley a raise in his county job if he dropped out of the race, eventually won by DePiero.

Russo increased Kelley's salary from $58,000 to $75,000 months before the Democratic primary while reducing his hours from 35 to 30 a week, prosecutors said.

"Kelley's opponent gave a thing of value to a relative" of Russo in return for getting Kelley out of the race, prosecutors said.

Although the document does not describe what DePiero gave to Russo, DePiero hired Russo's son, Vince Russo, as executive assistant upon taking office in January 2004. Vince Russo, who worked on DePiero's campaign, earned about $30,000 before he resigned seven months later.

"His hiring had nothing to do with Kelley," said DePiero, who described Vince Russo as a hard worker and honest.

Vince Russo is not identified by name in the charges filed Friday. He and his consulting company, Vincore, have been named in several search warrants and grand jury subpoenas.

DePiero, who initially had two other opponents in the primary, seemed shocked by the charge.

"Jesus f - - - ing Christ," he groaned when read the prosecutor's description. "This is unbelievable."

DePiero said Kelley, who never formally announced a mayor bid, dropped out because "he had no chance."

DePiero ultimately faced no opposition in the primary. He defeated Councilwoman Debbie Lime, who ran as an independent in the November election.