Appeals court upholds ex-Ohio sheriff corruption conviction
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – An appeals court has upheld the conviction of a former Ohio sheriff imprisoned for public corruption.
Ex-Athens County Sheriff Patrick Kelly was accused of pocketing cash by selling county vehicles to a salvage yard and spending public money on clothes and meals. He was sentenced to seven years in prison.
His attorney argued there was insufficient evidence to convict Kelly on several charges, including theft and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Defense attorney Scott Wood also questioned instructions to the jury and alleged the court wrongly found Kelly guilty of contempt.
The Fourth Ohio District Court of Appeals rejected those arguments in a unanimous ruling last week, saying there was sufficient evidence to support the convictions.