Ohio sheriff accused of stealing drugs, tampering with records

Sandusky County Sheriff Kyle Overmyer has been indicted on 43 counts involving drugs, theft and tampering with records following an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office announced tonight.

Overmyer, 42, is to be arraigned Wednesday. A county grand jury returned the true bill Tuesday afternoon on charges that include 38 felony counts:

• 12 counts of tampering with records, felonies of the third degree
• 12 counts of deception to obtain a dangerous drug, felonies of the fourth degree
• Three counts of deception to obtain a dangerous drug, felonies of the fifth degree
• Six counts of theft in office, felonies of the fourth degree
• Four counts of theft, felonies of the fourth degree
• One count of theft, a felony of the fifth degree
• Five counts of misdemeanor filing false financial disclosure reports

County Prosecutor Thomas L. Stierwalt asked BCI to investigate Overmyer and BCI opened its case in September 2015.

Stierwalt asked for the investigation after local police chiefs in the county expressed concerns regarding alleged unusual behavior by Overmyer in prescription drug disposal drop box collections. The scope of the investigation quickly expanded into other allegations of wrongdoing.

The charges accuse Overmyer of improperly using and tampering with records concerning his office’s Furtherance of Justice (FOJ) funds.

The charges also accuse him of deceiving physicians and pharmacists to obtain prescription pain medication. The theft charges accuse Overmyer of improperly taking medications from area prescription drug disposal drop boxes.

Sandusky, in northern Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie, is midway between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east.