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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > November > 12
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Trial date set in Fox, Schuler ‘public corruption’ case after not guilty pleas
A long-time Butler County politician and a Columbus-area attorney both pleaded not guilty in federal court Thursday, Nov. 12, to charges U.S. authorities are calling “public corruption.”
Michael Fox — former state lawmaker, Butler County commissioner and Children Services director — did not appear in court for the arraignment after filing a waiver.
“(He’s) as well as can be expected,” defense attorney Ralph Kohnen said when asked about Fox’s health. Fox has medical problems and showed up to his initial appearance on Oct. 29 in a wheelchair.
Kohnen declined any further comment after entering Fox’s plea of not guilty before Magistrate Judge Timothy Hogan in federal court in Cincinnati.
Robert C. Schuler also entered a plea of not guilty.
“He’s presumed innocent, so we’ll just have to work through the case,” said Kevin Conners, Schuler’s attorney.
The case now goes to U.S. Judge Sandra Beckwith with a trial date set for Dec. 22, though the defendants may ask for a time extension to prepare their case.
Beckwith also presided over the trial of Orlando Carter, former owner of the Dynus Corp. fiber optics firm who was found guilty of bank fraud earlier this year for taking out an illicit multi-million dollar loan in the county’s name with help from a county official. Carter is still awaiting sentencing.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says the same public corruption investigation that led to the Fox indictment netted Carter, along with former Butler County auditor Kay Rogers and two Dynus employees — all three of whom pleaded guilty to bank fraud charges last year.
The U.S. Attorneys Office leveled an eight-count indictment last month against Fox and Schuler, charging them with conspiring to improperly benefit from a $2.75 million fiber optics contract with the county.
Federal authorities say they found that Schuler, a Columbus-area attorney and owner of the fiber optics firm NORMAP, wired Fox $460,000 while his company profited off a contract with the county.
The indictment alleges they profited from the deal and failed to properly report the income. It also accuses Fox of not properly reporting income he was receiving from other companies doing business with the county, and accuses Schuler of lying to a grand jury.
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Fox to plead not guilty through (high powered) lawyer
Longtime Butler County politician Michael A. Fox appears poised to fight federal corruption charges, according to court records.
And he’s doing so with an attorney who is a heavy hitter in both legal and political circles.
Fox — former state lawmaker, county commissioner and Children Services director — filed a waiver Tuesday, Nov. 10, stating he won’t appear at an arraignment in federal court today.
The waiver says he will enter a plea of not guilty through his attorney, Ralph Kohnen.
Kohnen has called the charges against Fox “over-reaching” and political.
Before joining the massive Cincinnati-based Taft, Stettinius and Hollister law firm, Kohnen was deputy chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Cincinnati, running the office’s criminal side. This followed 11 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, according to the firm’s Web site.
Kohnen is also son of former Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman Ralph Kohnen, and told the Cincinnati Business Courier in 2007 that his long-term plans may include politics.
Co-defendant Robert C. Schuler is still scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Timothy Hogan in federal court in Cincinnati today, according to court records.
The U.S. Attorneys Office leveled an eight-count indictment last month against Fox and Schuler, charging them with conspiring to improperly benefit from a $2.75 million fiber optics contract with the county.
Federal authorities say they found that Schuler, a Columbus-area attorney and owner of the fiber optics firm NORMAP, wired Fox $460,000 while his company profited off a contract with the county.
The indictment alleges they profited from the deal and failed to properly report the income. It also accuses Fox of not properly reporting income he was receiving from other companies doing business with the county, and accuses Schuler of lying to a grand jury.
Schuler’s attorney, Kevin Conners of Columbus, has not commented on the charges against his client.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: NORMAP
