FREMONT, OH (WTOL) - An Erie County judged sentenced former Sandusky County Sheriff Kyle Overmyer to four years in prison Tuesday.
Judge Patricia Cosgrove says Overmyer abused his position as sheriff after stealing from taxpayers, stealing drugs from police departments
and smearing the names of those who discovered the truth.
"I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry for what I've done," said Overmyer. "I accept fully responsibility today, and I do have remorse, Ms. O'Brien, I really do," he later continued.
But his apology was not heartfelt, according to Judge Cosgrove and Carol O'Brien, the prosecuting attorney.
Before the sentencing, O'Brien gave the judge insight into phone calls Overmyer made from jail, where he wasn't so sorry.
"Those phone calls made just a few days ago, indicate you don't have any remorse," said Judge Cosgrove. "You're selfish; you're self-absorbed,"
Cosgrove sentenced Overmyer to four years in prison, three years parole, and he has to pay back $24,000 to Sandusky County.
Four police chiefs, sitting behind Overmyer during the hearing, gave statements before the judge.
Clyde Police Chief Bruce Gower called Overmyer the "worst kind of criminal - one with a badge."
Chief Gower says concerns that Overmyer was stealing drugs from several local police department drug take-back boxes started a year and a half ago.
Since that discovery, Gower says their names were smeared by Overmyer and his supporters. Now that Overmyer is sentenced, the chiefs are finally speaking out.
"We saw the criminal acts and our prosecutor didn't want to do anything with the criminal acts, and we kept pushing and pushing and pushing until finally they appointed Carol, and the job was done," Gower said.
Gibonsburg Police Chief Paul Whitaker said the former sheriff betrayed people's trust. "We get paid to be the public's advocate, and in this situation a ranking law enforcement office was accused of doing something wrong," said Whitaker. "The police chiefs saw that there were things wrong with that and rather than cover it up, we took him to task on it."
Overmyer faced a minimum sentence of probation and a maximum of 14.5 years in prison.
Both Chief Whitaker and Chief Gower said they are satisfied with Overmyer's punishment.
