Attempts to reach Schneider for comment Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Schneider was arrested Nov. 12 after allegedly walking out of the Meijer store at 7390 Tylersville Road the night before without paying for $175.67 worth of merchandise. Among the items taken by Schneider were three steaks, avocados, two packages of mini cheeses, Parmesan cheese, a toothbrush, two Disney child’s dresses, a child’s outfit, a Hello Kitty blanket, lipstick, tampons, two packs of Hello Kitty press-on nails, a stuffed cat doll and a Disney bubble bath set, according to a West Chester Twp. police report.
Gmoser said as soon as he learned of the incident, he immediately called Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters to ask for a special prosecutor to handle the case. He said he then placed Schneider, who made an annual salary of $54,000, on administrative leave.
In addition to calling in Deters, Gmoser said he conducted his own investigation to make sure he wasn’t having a “knee-jerk” reaction to something that might have been an honest mistake on Schneider’s part.
“I think the conduct of my office, and the handling of the case was exactly what the public would have demanded of me as a county employer,” Gmoser said. “It was handled exactly as it should have been.”
Gmoser said he didn’t know why Schneider was stealing and that it wasn’t his place to inquire about specifics after calling in the special prosecutor.
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