Lodwick fired from police department

YOUNGSTOWN — A city police detective sergeant who has been in the Mahoning County jail for more than a week has been fired.

The department announced today that Robert Lodwick, a 13-year veteran, was fired Friday.

Lodwick, 40, is in the jail since his arrest, after he was called off the road early June 7 for the charges of importuning and illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material, both felonies.

He waived a preliminary hearing last week and is in the jail in lieu of $50,000 bond on each charge. The county prosecutor’s office has asked for a special investigator to be appointed to his case because several cases that Lodwick handled while a member of the department’s Family Services Unit are pending.

Lodwick is accused of inappropriate behavior with a 14-year-old female juvenile whose case he investigated while he was a member of the FSU. Earlier this year, he was promoted to detective sergeant and assigned a slot as a patrol supervisor on midnight turn.

Chief Rod Foley told Lodwick in a letter that he was being fired for violating 13 standards of the department’s codes of conduct, including conduct unbecoming an officer, failure of good behavior, neglect of duty and abuse of position.

For the complete story, read Tuesday/s Vindicator and Vindy.com