A federal jury in Akron already convicted Dimora of dozens of charges of racketeering and corruption.  Those charges were tied to trips, home improvements, sex and other bribes worth roughly $200,000. He faced a second trial this fall, in which contractor Michael Forlani is accused of bribing Dimora and other public officials.

In moving to dismiss Dimora as a defendant in the second case, the U.S. attorneys say that they are balancing the resources required for a second trial against the interests of justice and, quote, “the government believes the equities tip in favor of dimissing Defendant Dimora.”  

But the motion to dismiss the second case against Dimora also includes notice that prosecutors will push for a tougher sentence in the first case than federal guidelines call for. Dimora already is facing more than 20 years in prison.

Meanwhile, Dimora’s  lawyers filed a new motion this week asking that he be released from prison until his sentencing on July 25^th. They say he fell two weeks ago, and prison doctors discovered what might be a cancerous growth on his throat when they examined him.