Former Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo has retained on his appeal of federal corruption charges the same attorney who represented him at trial.

Jerome Ballarotto represented Bencivengo throughout last year’s trial, but from the appeal filing in March, it was not clear whether Ballarotto would continue as Bencivengo’s attorney when the former mayor appealed his conviction on five federal corruption charges and a 38-month prison sentence.

Bencivengo claimed he could no longer afford counsel and asked for a lawyer to be appointed for him when he filed his appeal. But a procedural request filed in court for the trial transcript said Ballarotto was representing Bencivengo through the Criminal Justice Act, but Ballarotto said he would not comment on his client’s finances.

Ballarotto also said that Bencivengo has not received a notice from the Bureau of Prisons on where to report to jail. District Judge Ann Thompson pushed back Bencivengo’s report date, originally meant to be April 29, until the government tells Bencivengo where to go.

A jury convicted Bencivengo in November of extortion under color of official right, attempted extortion under color of official right, two violations of the travel act and one charge of money laundering. He resigned shortly thereafter, and Council Vice President Kelly Yaede was selected to step into the office until a special election this fall.

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