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ODNR Having Troubles?

rrr

Senior Member
5,065
0
Does anyone know why this is? It was in today's paper (but the old bastard of a 'report' just uses their old news releases to make up this 'column')

Five Division of Wildlife administrators sidelined seven months by an ongoing criminal prosecution were reinstated Nov. 19. Chief David Graham, Assistant Chief Randy Miller, Executive Administrator James Lehman, Human Resources Manager Michelle Ward-Tackett and District 5 Manager Todd Haines were returned to their positions from paid administrative leave despite an appeal of their criminal cases by the Brown County Prosecutors Office.
"With deer gun season coming up (Nov. 29) and the transition between administrations ramping up, I wanted David Graham and his team back," said Sean Logan, DNR director.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I believe that's in regards to the out of state wildlife officer shannanigans that went on last year. Out of stater came up here to hunt with his buddy, an Ohio wildlife officer, and didn't get a hunting license... they said that it was apparently a "courtesy" thing, like a gentleman's agreement among wildlife officers, but unfortunately the Brown County Prosecutor's office thought otherwise. They got a bug up their ass about it and went right to the top of the DOW. Since the administrators knew about it, but didn't discipline the Ohio wildlife officer, the court is/was trying to bring them down.
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
I believe that's in regards to the out of state wildlife officer shannanigans that went on last year. Out of stater came up here to hunt with his buddy, an Ohio wildlife officer, and didn't get a hunting license... they said that it was apparently a "courtesy" thing, like a gentleman's agreement among wildlife officers, but unfortunately the Brown County Prosecutor's office thought otherwise. They got a bug up their ass about it and went right to the top of the DOW. Since the administrators knew about it, but didn't discipline the Ohio wildlife officer, the court is/was trying to bring them down.


If I remember right the out of stater was also a WO in his home state and used the ODNR buddies addy as his thus bypassing the out of state licenses and expense and only paying for a residents license and tags. The others that got caught up was people in the office that knew what the ODNR WO and his out of state WO buddy was doing and never reported it.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Yep.. The Ohio WO allowed a NR to use his home address to buy a resident license instead of a NR.

His boss found out and covered it up.

The Prosecutors office filed charges for "providing false information to a license bureau" Willfully falsifying documents etc... ANd charged the bosses that found out and covered it up with "Obstructing justice" and Aiding and Abetting"

The prosecutors office suspended the charges while they worked on getting more evidence.

The ODNR reinstates them this long later..

It's all a big load of crap... Nobody is above the law except the law themselves...

IMO one of two things should be done here.. They should be charged and punished under the full extent of the law. Just like any of us would be.. Or the law should be struck from the books where nobody can be charged with it again....
 

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,708
191
Mahoning Co.
They got paid while they were off work and the ODNR had to pay someone to do their jobs. I heard on the radio that all that cost the ODNR something like $250,000, sounds a little low to me.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
They got paid while they were off work and the ODNR had to pay someone to do their jobs. I heard on the radio that all that cost the ODNR something like $250,000, sounds a little low to me.

They should be in court and in the unemployment line.. It's blatantly obvious they broke the law.
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
They got paid while they were off work and the ODNR had to pay someone to do their jobs. I heard on the radio that all that cost the ODNR something like $250,000, sounds a little low to me.



Salary and Benefits
Approximate
Civil Service Title Annual Salary
Wildlife Officer Cadet $33,000
Wildlife Officer/Investigator $38,000-$52,000

I would bet some of the office leaders make closer to 75k + a year.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/9/pdf/pub071.pdf
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
How did I miss this? When did this start?

Beentown

It happened a couple years ago but just surfaced last spring after their superiors covered up a crime for years and someone tipped off the county prosecutors office.