Former police officer gets five years of community control for role in ammunition scheme

Jon Baker, The Times-Reporter
·4 min read
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Jeffrey A. Stearns, left, prays with his pastor before Stearns' sentencing hearing, Friday, April 19 at the Tuscarawas County Courthouse.
Jeffrey A. Stearns, left, prays with his pastor before Stearns' sentencing hearing, Friday, April 19 at the Tuscarawas County Courthouse.

NEW PHILADELPHIA ‒ A former police officer has been sentenced to five years of community control for his role in a scheme involving the purchase of ammunition.

At a hearing Friday in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court, Jeffrey A. Stearns, 48, of Port Washington, a former Bolivar police officer and a former Sugarcreek officer, was ordered to perform 150 hours of community service. He must also reimburse the village of Bolivar $881.50 for an audit it performed in the case and reimburse the state of Ohio $2,050 for an audit it performed. He can have no public employment for five years.

More on Stearns: Former police officer in Bolivar and Sugarcreek pleads guilty; 8 felony charges dropped

The Auditor of State’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) launched an investigation in February 2022 after receiving information about an officer using Bolivar’s tax-exempt status and law enforcement discounts to purchase ammunition.

SIU determined that, during the coronavirus pandemic when the private sale of ammunition was scarce, Stearns falsified documents to complete the ammunition purchase, allegedly for use by the Bolivar Police Department. The rounds, however, were picked up by his co-defendant, William G. Timberlake, 51, of Bolivar, owner of G&R Tactical in Strasburg, and the Bolivar department had no knowledge of the transactions and received no ammunition for use by its officers.

Stearns and Timberlake had been charged with one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a second-degree felony; one count of theft in office, a third-degree felony; one count of complicity in the commission of an offense, a third-degree felony; one count of money laundering, a third-degree felony; one count of telecommunications fraud, a fifth-degree felony; and two counts of unlawful transaction in weapons, a third-degree felony.

Stearns pleaded guilty in February to one count of telecommunications fraud, a fifth-degree felony.

Timberlake, who pleaded guilty to one count of attempted telecommunications fraud, a first-degree misdemeanor, has been sentenced to 90 days in jail, ordered to serve 90 days of home confinement, perform 75 hours of community service, fined $1,000 and ordered to serve two years of probation.

Stearns' side of the story

Attorney Matthew P. Mullen, center, addresses Judge Michael Ernest during the sentencing hearing of Jeffrey A. Stearns, left, Friday, at the Tuscarawas County Courthouse. Seated at right is Special Prosecutor Thomas Anger, representing the Ohio Auditor of State.
Attorney Matthew P. Mullen, center, addresses Judge Michael Ernest during the sentencing hearing of Jeffrey A. Stearns, left, Friday, at the Tuscarawas County Courthouse. Seated at right is Special Prosecutor Thomas Anger, representing the Ohio Auditor of State.

At the hearing, Stearns' attorney, Matthew P. Mullen, told Judge Michael Ernest he wanted to tell his client's side of the story in the case. He noted Stearns did not steal from the village of Bolivar. "The village of Bolivar was not out one cent in this particular series of events," he said.

He added that Stearns did not profit by what happened. Instead, Mullen laid the blame on what happened on Timberlake.

Jeff Stutzman, former mayor of Sugarcreek, and Mayor Tom Gardner of Port Washington also spoke on behalf of Stearns.

Stutzman said he hired Stearns as a police officer and noted he heard nothing but great things about Stearns. "I still believe it was a great hire, and I think it's a shame that we did lose him," Stutzman said.

"Looking back on it, I think he just got into the wrong situation with the wrong people."

Tom Gardner, left, mayor of Port Washington, speaks in support of Jeffrey Stearns during his sentencing on Friday. Seated at right is former mayor of Sugarcreek, Jeff Stutzman, whom also spoke on behalf of Stearns.
Tom Gardner, left, mayor of Port Washington, speaks in support of Jeffrey Stearns during his sentencing on Friday. Seated at right is former mayor of Sugarcreek, Jeff Stutzman, whom also spoke on behalf of Stearns.

Gardner said he has known Stearns for about 20 years. Stearns was a police officer in Port Washington at one time, eventually rising to the position of police chief.

"When he worked, he had great ethics in his work," Gardner said. He added, "He was respected and is still respected. What a great man he is."

He noted that he was grooming Stearns to someday be mayor of Port Washington. "That's how I feel about him."

'I'm a broken shell'

Jeffrey Stearns reads a statement during his sentencing hearing before Judge Michael Ernest Friday, at the Tuscarawas County Courthouse.
Jeffrey Stearns reads a statement during his sentencing hearing before Judge Michael Ernest Friday, at the Tuscarawas County Courthouse.

Stearns was in tears as he addressed Judge Ernest. "Because of this ordeal, I've lost nearly everything. I lost my career, I lost my retirement, I've lost my freedoms, I've lost many people that I thought were my friends, I've lost my dignity, I've lost my identity of who I am as a man. I'm a broken shell of a once good, decent, trusting man. I will forever be labeled a criminal, a felon. I will carry that burden and the stigma that comes with it for the rest of my life."

Judge Ernest, in imposing the sentence, said Stearns had nothing to gain in the case, but he did risk losing public trust. "That is what happened here."

He said public employees have to be held to a higher standard.

Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Former police officer sentenced in ammunition purchase scheme