TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo City Councilman John M. Hobbs III is the subject of an Ohio Inspector General investigation into allegations that he misused a state vehicle to travel to locations not related to his work responsibilities as an inspector with the Ohio cosmetology and barber board.
According to the IG's office, Hobbs is accused of theft of time, misusing or abusing state property or equipment and failing to comply with state or department rules, policies or procedures dating to January 2018.
According to the report, the Office of the Ohio Inspector General asks that the chairman of the Ohio State Cosmetology and Barber Board respond within 60 days with a plan on how the recommendations will be implemented. The Ohio State Cosmetology and Barber Board is to review Hobbs' conduct and determine whether administrative action is warranted.
The Office of the Ohio Inspector General received a complaint June 26, 2020, from the chief legal counsel of the Ohio State Cosmetology and Barber Board (COS) alleging that Hobbs, in his role of inspector, was stopping at locations in his state-issued vehicle during his State of Ohio work time that were not related to his work responsibilities for the state.
Some of the stops included dental appointments and in his role as a girls basketball coach at Bowsher High School.
WTOL 11 has reached out to Hobbs for comment.
Fellow councilman Rob Ludeman commented, "That's too bad. He's a good guy. No other comment. Thanks."
Management personnel from COS reviewed its vehicle tracking tool to obtain Hobbs’ location activities from January 21, 2018, to June 23, 2020, and discovered that Hobbs was stopping at locations associated with his secondary employment, personal business interests and personal appointments.
The report states Hobbs has been employed as a cosmetology/barber inspector by COS for approximately nine years and his primary job duty is to perform inspections of all licensed facilities in his region, consisting of 28 counties in the greater Toledo area. Inspections that Hobbs performs include, but are not limited to: barbershops, cosmetology salons, tanning facilities, nail/manicuring facilities, and aesthetics facilities.
COS supervisory personnel believed there was sufficient evidence of misconduct by Hobbs, after performing a preliminary analysis involving the review of addresses and establishments associated with Hobbs’ vehicle stops. The Ohio State Cosmetology and Barber Board referred the matter to the Office of the Ohio Inspector General for review.
On June 26, 2020, the Office of the Ohio Inspector General met with COS representatives to discuss the referral, the allegation, and the records examined in the preliminary analysis. COS representatives had reviewed the following:
• Hobbs’ signed and submitted timesheets with personal notes attached.
• Vehicle tracking records indicating frequent stops made by Hobbs’ state-issued vehicle to the address at E.L. Bowsher High School, where Hobbs was rumored to have secondary employment.
Records indicating frequent stops made by Hobbs’ state-issued vehicle to addresses at Hobbs’ family-owned barbershops; specifically, “Barber Brothers”11 and “Hobbs Barbershop.”
• Records indicating stops made by Hobbs’ state-issued vehicle to the address at “Dominion Fellowship Church” (Dominion), where Hobbs serves as a pastor.
• Records indicating stops made by Hobbs’ state-issued vehicle to the address at Wildwood Family & Cosmetic Dentistry (Wildwood), allegedly for personal appointments during times Hobbs was being paid to work for the State of Ohio.
• A spreadsheet indicating the dates of all inspection reports submitted by Hobbs and all complaints Hobbs addressed in his position as inspector for COS.
• Relevant emails.
Based upon the information provided by COS during that meeting, the Office of the Ohio Inspector General opened an investigation.
An analysis of records showed that from January 21, 2018, to June 23, 2020, investigators confirmed that during Hobbs’ State of Ohio work hours, he made stops in his state-issued vehicle at the following locations:
• E.L. Bowsher High School, the location of Hobbs’ alleged secondary employment, a total of 44 times.
• “Barber Brothers,” a business owned by Hobbs’ brother, a total of 13 times.
• “Hobbs Barbershop,” a business owned by Hobbs’ father, a total of two times.
• Hobbs’ parents’ residential home, a total of three times.
• Dominion Fellowship Church, where Hobbs serves as a pastor, a total of four times.
• Wildwood Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, allegedly for personal appointments, a total of five times.
Based upon the information provided by COS during this meeting, the Office of the Ohio Inspector General opened an investigation.
The Toledo Public Schools Board of Education confirmed Hobbs’ secondary employment as the head coach of the girls’ varsity basketball team for Bowsher.
During the time period in question for the investigation, it was discovered that for 14 of the 44 stops Hobbs made at Bowsher, Hobbs was engaged in both his secondary employment and his work for the State of Ohio, and was using his state-issued vehicle.