Montgomery County deputy accused of taking cash, property from court building

Apr. 25—A Montgomery County Sheriff's deputy is facing charges after he was accused of taking money and some "small property" from temporary storage at the Dayton Municipal Court/Montgomery County Common Pleas Court building.

Gerald Barnes, 48, was indicted Thursday by a Montgomery County grand jury on one count of theft in office, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of misdemeanor theft.

Barnes has been an employee of the sheriff's office since 1996 and a deputy since 2004.

According to a release from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, the charges reach back to an incident in March, when a deputy noticed a small amount of cash and other property missing from a temporary storage location near the entrance to the court building.

The sheriff's office said that the storage area houses items that are left behind at the weapons detection area, and normally those items would be placed into the property room for safe keeping.

The deputy checked closed circuit video of the area and saw Barnes appeared to have taken the money and other property from temporary storage, the release said. A supervisor was notified, the Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Unit was assigned to investigate, and Barnes was placed on administrative leave while charges were presented to a grand jury.

An internal investigation will also end when the criminal case concludes, the sheriff's office said, adding that Barnes is currently on unpaid leave and can't act as a law enforcement officer.

Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said, "These allegations are obviously troubling and situations like this tarnish the trust of both citizens and fellow law enforcement officers."

A summons was issued for Barnes to be in the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court to be arraigned May 9.