Ohio AG files criminal charges against ex-Campbell chief Rauzan

CAMPBELL

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has filed criminal charges against former Campbell Police Chief Andrew Rauzan related to improper personal use of a law-enforcement database.

Prosecutors filed a bill of information Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

The bill of information is an indication that Rauzan will agree to a plea deal, Rauzan’s attorney Damian Billak said. Rauzan agreed to the four misdemeanor counts of unauthorized use of property.

He is due in common pleas court Aug. 28 for a hearing.

Daniel Kasaris, a special prosecutor with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, began investigating Rauzan last year after an allegation of sexual harassment.

The investigation was at the request of the county prosecutor’s office.

Jill Del Greco, an attorney general’s office spokeswoman, said the criminal charges against Rauzan came to light over the course of the agency’s investigation. She said, however, she could not comment on whether his alleged misuse of a law-enforcement database related directly to the allegation of sexual harassment that prompted the investigation.

A 25-year-old woman reported that the harassment occurred when Rauzan invited her to the police station July 27, 2016, to take care of a warrant for her arrest due to failure to appear on an expired-license-plate charge.

After the woman reported the incident to Mayor Nick Phillips on Sept. 2, the mayor placed Rauzan on paid administrative leave Sept. 6 pending further investigation.

After a preliminary inquiry by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, a division of the attorney general’s office, the mayor fired Rauzan on Nov. 7.

The city agreed in January, however, to retroactively rescind Rauzan’s termination in exchange for his resignation.

Read more about the case in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.