Butler police chief indicted
by grand jury
MANSFIELD — A special
Richland County grand jury returned indictments Tuesday against the Butler
police chief after a yearlong investigation by the Richland County Sheriff’s
Office.
Bob Ball, who also serves as
a county coroner’s investigator, was indicted on five counts of unauthorized
use of property and three counts of forging identification cards.
Allegations of possible
misconduct were brought to light in April 2011 when a Butler resident filed a
theft report with the sheriff’s office stating the county coroner’s cruiser was
seen in the village many times over the last several years.
On the same day the report
was file, Richland County Sheriff Steve Sheldon recused himself from the misuse
of property investigation as well as any investigation of alleged campaign
violations by Ball, who ran for mayor of Mansfield in 2011.
Later that month, Ball was
placed on a paid administrative leave. He was told in January the leave would
continue pending the outcome of the sheriff’s investigation