A former Shelby police officer was indicted by the Richland County Grand Jury this month for charges related to his termination from the police department.
Craig Stover, 47, was indicted for one count of forgery, one count of tampering with records, and one count of misuse of the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (OHLEG) information network, according to Assistant Prosecutor Dan Benoit. Stover could serve up to five years in jail if found guilty on all three charges.
Stover was terminated from the Shelby Police Department in September 2012 due to a violation of department policy. Benoit said the investigation into Stover’s actions began in January 2014 with a submission of a document to the Ohio Attorney General.
“They believed that document was forged, so they made contact with local law enforcement, which kicked off the entire investigation,” said Benoit. “It appears this had something to do with (Stover) trying to maintain his law enforcement license, but that’s just an allegation at this point.”
Benoit would not comment on the exact nature of the forged document, a fifth-degree felony. He stated the course of the investigation led law enforcement officials back to Stover as the person who is alleged to have created the document, as well as looking into Stover’s OHLEG searches. Benoit said it is alleged Stover was using the information network for personal use, another fifth-degree felony. Stover’s third charge, tampering with records, is a third-degree felony.
The Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway allows Ohio law enforcement agencies to share criminal justice data efficiently and securely. It provides law enforcement with data on criminal histories, evidence submissions, missing children, gangs, protection orders and a myriad of other topics, as well as dozens of investigative tools and training applications. The web-based platform has more than 30,000 users.
Shelby Police Chief Charlie Roub said Shelby police had been investigating Stover’s use of OHLEG for quite some time.
“It’s information that not everybody is privy to, and the state is very cautious about that,” said Roub. “We have an agreement we’ll use this information for criminal justice purposes, it’s not used outside the law enforcement scope. If we allowed people to do that we’d be in a bad place with the state, so if we come across an individual not living up to those standards we have a responsibility to take action.”
Roub said it appears Stover had allegedly been using OHLEG for his own personal gain and to help people outside of law enforcement after his termination with the Shelby Police Department.
“Even though it was after the fact, he still did it and he’s still responsible for that and he still should be punished for it,” said Roub.
Stover was arrested and booked at the Richland County Jail on March 13 with a $2,500 bond. He was released the same day on a personal recognizance bond, meaning he has given his word and signature to show up to his court date as well as a reduced bond fee. According to personnel at the jail, personal recognizance bonds are given after taking into account prior arrest records, whether the person is a flight risk, and the severity of the crime.
Benoit said Stover is still in the earliest stages of his trials, and will soon begin the first of his pre-trial hearings.
“So if we come across an individual not living up to those standards we have a responsibility to take action,” said Chief Charlie Roub.
