Former Butler County auditor Roger Reynolds will be sentenced Friday

The fate of former Butler County auditor Roger Reynolds will be decided Friday.

A jury found Reynolds guilty of one count of unlawful interest in a public contract, a fourth-degree felony, in December. Reynolds was acquitted of four other charges related to public corruption.

The charge was related to a suggestion Reynolds made to Lakota Local Schools officials about building a private golf academy at Four Bridges County Club with tax money the school district received from the auditor's office.

It's illegal for a public official to authorize or influence a public contract that either the official, a family member or a business associate has an interest in. Reynolds was a member of the country club and his daughter played for the high school golf team at the time.

Reynolds' sentencing hearing will be held at 10 a.m. on March 31 in the Butler County Courthouse.

What's happened since the conviction?

Visiting Judge Daniel Hogan denied Reynolds' motion for acquittal and a motion for a new trial.

Reynolds' attorney Chad Ziepfel had argued in a court document that the prosecution had suppressed evidence that would have resulted in a not guilty verdict, including emails that would have contradicted testimony during the trial and identified additional witnesses.

Hogan wrote in his decision filed on March 17 that one of the emails contains no relevant information to the case and the other contains information that was provided to Reynolds in an audio recording.

What kind of sentence could Reynolds face?

Reynolds could face up to a year and a half in prison and a $5,000 fine.

The Ohio sentencing guidelines mandate "community control sanctions" like house arrest or community service for a nonviolent fourth-degree felony without a prior felony conviction. However, the judge can impose prison time if the offense is related to a public office.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost asked that the judge impose prison time in court documents. Ziepfel asked for community control sanctions.

Dozens of people wrote letters to Hogan about the sentencing, most family and friends of Reynoldsasking for leniency.

Who's the auditor now?

Convicted felons cannot hold an office of "trust, honor or profit" under Ohio law, so Reynolds was unable to continue serving as auditor after his conviction.

The Butler County Republican Party appointed Reynolds as auditor in 2008, after Kay Rogers, the previous Butler County auditor, plead guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud and resigned.

This time, the party appointed Nancy Nix, who previously served as the county's treasurer, to the position. The auditor salary is $113,258 for 2023, though Nix will receive a reduced amount based on her time in office for the year.

Erin Glynn is the watchdog reporter for Butler, Warren and Clermont counties through the Report For America program. The Enquirer needs local donors to help fund her grant-funded position. If you want to support Glynn's work, you can donate to her Report For America position at this website or email her editor Carl Weiser at cweiser@enquirer.com to find out how you can help fund her work. 

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Roger Reynolds: Butler County auditor to be sentenced