3 Portage cities from disbanded drug task force sue sheriff for missing funds

Three of Portage County's cities are attempting to recover funds they say were wrongfully withheld from them by the county sheriff when a drug task force they were all members of disbanded more than two years ago.

Kent, Ravenna and Streetsboro have joined forces in a civil complaint, filed in Portage County Court of Common Pleas in November, naming the county and Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski as co-defendants.

The defendants have denied the claims and are asking the court to dismiss the case.

A March 8 pretrial to initiate discovery in the matter is scheduled.

The Portage County Drug Task Force disbanded when Zuchowski, less than a year after taking office, announced in November 2021 that he was pulling the sheriff's office out, according to the complaint.

The task force was formed in the late 1980s and included officers from the Aurora, Garrettsville, Ravenna, Kent, Streetsboro, and Windham police departments, the Portage County Sheriff’s Office and the Portage County Prosecutor’s Office. The force was involved in investigating drug-related crimes and making numerous subsequent arrests throughout the years.

Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci, who served as a non-voting task force board member and its legal counsel, said the task force could not continue operating without the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office now has its own internal drug and violent crime unit.

The cities are asking the court to order an accounting of all task force funds held by the sheriff's office at the time it withdrew from the task force. They are demanding a "fair share" of funds, as well as equipment held by the task force.

Funds include member fees and fines and forfeitures received in drug cases the plaintiffs were involved in as task force members, which the cities allege continued to be held by the sheriff's office after the task force disbanded.

The complaint also claims that according to the task force's policies and procedures manual, "a member who voluntarily leaves the task force forfeits any equipment donated to or titled to the task force, and any fair share fees it paid and any share or distribution of drug fines."

The cities say they met with the sheriff's office in February 2023 in an attempt to settle the matter but could not. They further allege that a letter was sent to the sheriff's office demanding a fair distribution, but the demands have been "ignored."

In a response filed by the prosecutor's office, which is defending the county and Zuchowski, the defendants are denying the allegations, including that they ignored the letter.

The defense is also denying a claim that Vigluicci did not account for property and funds held by the task force.

The response further states that the cities failed to adequately make a case for relief, the court lacks jurisdiction in the matter, the cities waited too long in filing a complaint and remedies outside of court have not been exhausted.

The defendants have twice requested that the court dismiss the case.

The case initially went before Judge Laurie J. Pittman, but she has recused herself and requested that the Ohio Supreme Court appoint a judge from outside Portage County.

Retired Judge Janet Burnside is now handling the case as a visiting judge.

Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Portage County cities sue sheriff for missing drug task force funds