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Complaint: Vienna sergeant took two rifles from police department
VIENNA
Police Sgt. Michael Sheehy, 32, took two AR-15 rifles from the Vienna Police Department without the department’s consent, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Girard Municipal Court.
The two guns are worth $2,400, according to the complaint filed by township Lt. Brian Darbey.
Sheehy, the Mathews schools resource officer, also used a “lockout kit” from the department to break into a police vehicle and remove $700 from the vehicle, the complaint states.
Sheehy was arrested Monday night on charges of theft in office, theft and possessing criminal tools. He had been on leave from Mathews schools during a monthlong Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation probe.
The Trumbull County jail released Sheehy Tuesday afternoon after his $15,000 cash bond was paid. He is scheduled to return to court Feb. 13 for a preliminary hearing.
In a separate matter, Vienna schools Superintendent Russell McQuaide reported allegations to Vienna Police Chief Bob Ludt after he learned of them shortly before Christmas break.
McQuaide said the allegations don’t involve a student, but he can’t disclose more details because it’s a pending case. He did, however, clarify the criminal complaint has nothing to do with the school allegations.
Ludt had no comment on the investigation Tuesday.
BCI told The Vindicator it can’t comment on the investigation as the criminal prosecution is pending.
The Vienna Police Department has provided substitute police officers for the district’s buildings.
Sheehy’s personnel file does not include a letter placing Sheehy on administrative leave due to the BCI probe into his work as a school resource officer. The Vindicator submitted a public record request for the letter Thursday.
Linda McCullough, township fiscal officer, told The Vindicator on Tuesday that the township attorney advised there was no letter because Sheehy was verbally placed on leave, and that the township doesn’t have to produce the record since it does not exist.
Phil Pegg, township administrator, said in an email: “We are not required to create a document for a verbal administrative leave. Officer Sheehy has taken vacation for his time off.”
Sheehy had been the Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer for the district before becoming resource officer last September. At that time, the board agreed to contract with the township and pay nearly $37,000 of the officer’s salary, board President Tarin Brown said.