Criminal charge against former Poland township employee dismissed

Staff report

STRUTHERS

A criminal charge was dismissed Tuesday against a former Poland Township employee who was accused of stealing from the township.

Raymond Beatty, 28, had faced a misdemeanor theft charge in Struthers Municipal Court after township police investigated a tip Beatty had stolen road grindings while working in the road department.

Township trustees voted unanimously in October to fire Beatty after a township investigation found him “guilty of misconduct in the form of malfeasance.” Malfeasance refers to wrongdoing by a public official.

According to a police report, the initial tip alleged road grindings were transported to Beatty’s residence by “an unknown, private company.”

The Vindicator could not reach the prosecutor’s office Tuesday, but 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner, reported that “prosecutors say there were no clearly stated policies on the use of the slag, and therefore Beatty could not have known what he was doing was wrong.”

Trustees, through board chairman Bob Lidle, responded to news of the charge being dismissed.

“The decision to vacate the charges in court [Tuesday] were made solely by the prosecutor without input from the board,” Lidle said. “The board, however, stands by its decision in terminating Mr. Beatty following an investigation that determined, at the very least, he committed acts of misconduct in the form of malfeasance in connection with the use of township property.”