An Auglaize County Grand Jury has indicted Wapakoneta mayor Thomas Stinebaugh on public corruption charges related to business dealings that he conducted while mayor.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Friday, Stinebaugh is facing 8 counts of having an unlawful interest in a public contract. 8 counts of conflict of interest and 1 count of theft in office.
The charges stem from allegations that between 2016 and 2019 in his capacity as mayor, Stinebaugh entered into contracts with family members and a business partner.
He is also accused of having the city pay for a sewer line on a property that his private company was developing.
Yost says suspension proceedings will be initiated for Stinebaugh under an Ohio Revised Code which allows the termination of a public official who has been charged with a felony when it relates to the performance of the official's duties.
Stinebaugh declined an on-camera interview with Your Hometown Stations, but did share that he is currently looking to hire an attorney, and further states that he believes he has done nothing wrong, and is looking forward to clearing his name.
Wapakoneta Director of Public Service and Safety states that the city is currently looking into the next steps of proceedings if the mayor is suspended. A timetable on when a suspension would be coming is unknown at this time.
Media Release from Ohio Attorney General's Office: (WAPAKONETA, Ohio) — An Auglaize County grand jury has indicted Wapakoneta Mayor Thomas Stinebaugh on public corruption charges related to business dealings that he conducted while in his elected position, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.
Stinebaugh was indicted on eight counts of having an unlawful interest in a public contract, a felony of the fourth degree; eight counts of conflict of interest, a misdemeanor of the first degree; and one count of theft in office, a felony of the third degree.
“This case is a textbook example of public corruption: the leveraging of a public position to gain improper personal benefits,” Yost said. “The taxpayers of Auglaize County deserve better and we’re going to ensure that no one is above the rule of law.”
The charges stem from allegations that in his capacity as mayor, Stinebaugh entered into contracts with family members and a business partner. Additionally, he is accused of having the city pay for a sewer line on a property that his private company was developing. These incidents occurred between 2016 and 2019.
Suspension proceedings will be initiated for Stinebaugh under Ohio Revised Code 3.16, which authorizes the suspension of a public official who has been charged with a felony in a state or federal court when the felony relates to the performance of the official’s duties.
The case was investigated by the Ohio Ethics Commission and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section is prosecuting the case.
