Thursday, August 5th, 2021
Wapak mayor pleads not guilty to charges
By Sydney Albert
WAPAKONETA - After Wapakoneta Mayor Thomas Stinebaugh entered a not guilty plea to 17 felony corruption charges on Tuesday, he was ordered to surrender the deed to his residence and his passport as part of his bond.
Stinebaugh, 61, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty in Auglaize County Commons Pleas Court to eight counts of unlawful interest in a public contract, a fourth-degree felony; one count of theft while in office, a third-degree felony; and eight counts of conflict of interest, a first-degree misdemeanor.
He was indicted in July for allegedly entering into illegal contracts with family members and a business partner while serving as mayor. He is also accused of having the city of Wapakoneta pay for a sewer line on a property being developed by his own company. The alleged activities leading to criminal charges occurred between 2016 and 2019, according to his indictment.
His bond was set at $100,000, subject to a $20,000 payment option.
In lieu of posting the 20% payment, Stinebaugh was ordered to surrender the deed to his residence to the Auglaize County Clerk of Courts office for collateral.
The conditions of his bond also require him to surrender his passport to the Clerk of Courts. He also is not to leave the county unless given permission by the court. Stinebaugh has been granted permission to travel to Franklin and Hamilton counties to meet with his attorneys.
A telephone status conference has been scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Sept. 16.
Stinebaugh was elected mayor of Wapakoneta in 2015 and won a second term in 2019.
The case was investigated by the Ohio Ethics Commission and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The Ohio Attorney General's Special Prosecutions Section is prosecuting the case.
