Former Ohio sheriff pleads guilty to theft in office
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A former sheriff of Meigs County has pleaded guilty to using public funds for personal use, according to Ohio Auditor Keith Faber's office.
Keith Wood pleaded guilty a felony count of theft in office on Sept. 7 in Meigs County Common Pleas Court and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and three years of community control. He also must pay $5,000 of restitution, which includes stolen funds and audit costs.
According to the Meigs Independent Press, Wood had faced additional felony charges including telecommunications fraud, misuse of credit cards and a misdemeanor count of soliciting or accepting improper compensation. Those were dropped in the plea agreement.
Violating the terms of his sentence could lead to up to 12 months in jail. Wood is barred from serving in public office.
The auditor's Special Investigations Unit began investigating Wood in August 2022, after receiving a complaint from Meigs County Prosecutor James Stanley about the potential misuse of money from the Law Enforcement Trust Fund.
Investigators determined that Wood used ATM machines to withdraw cash from the fund at different locations in Ohio and West Virginia.
dnarciso@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former Meigs County Ohio Sheriff guilty of theft in office
