One charge dismissed as Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds’ criminal trial begins

The trial is slated to last two weeks but could go longer, Visiting Judge Daniel Hogan told a courtroom full of prospective jurors in the super courtroom at the Butler County Government Services Center.

Monday afternoon, jury selection continued.

Reynolds was first indicted in February following a months-long Butler County Sheriff’s Office investigation that began, in part, when he was sued in a civil case. The BCSO began investigating Reynolds after receiving complaints about his development dealings and efforts to help his father.

The bribery charge is a third-degree felony. It carries a potential sentence of nine months to three years and a fine up to $10,000. The other three felonies are fourth degree for unlawful interest in a public contract. Those carry penalties of six to nine months.

Reynolds was originally indicted by a grand jury on Feb. 9, 2022 for bribery, two counts of unlawful interest in a public contract and misdemeanor charges of unlawful use of authority and conflict of interest. The charges stem from allegations that Reynolds used his public office to further his own interests.

In July, just weeks before Reynolds’ trial was scheduled to begin, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment that included a fourth felony charge of unlawful interest in a public contract.

The conflict of interest charge that was dismissed alleged Reynolds offered a $1,000 campaign contribution to a West Chester Twp. trustee’s campaign during a discussion of whether the trustee would be for or against Tax Increment Financing that would provide public funds for infrastructure along Hamilton-Mason Road. That would ultimately allow for the further development of property belonging to Reynolds’ father.

Defense attorney Chad Ziepfel entered not guilty pleas and has made it clear in statements that his client has committed no crime.

Reynolds has maintained he is the victim of a political witch hunt by the state to punish him for challenging a state-mandated property value hike.

Reynolds, 53, was appointed county auditor in April 2008. He was elected to complete the full term as auditor in November 2008 and subsequently was re-elected to full, four-year terms in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.

The charges relate to Reynolds allegedly using his position to facilitate the sale of his father’s property in West Chester Twp.

Prosecutors allege the bribery crime happened Nov. 8, 2019, and on or about Sept. 17, 2021, when Reynolds, an elected official, “approached a developer attempting to gain approval for a development project and offered to sell the development company his father’s land for $500,000, 2-3 acres of land valued at $21,000 by the Butler County Auditor’s Office, and requested the developer employ him as a consultant at a fee of $200,000 to guide the development project through local governmental requirements,” according to the bill of particulars filed.

A second felony charge of unlawful interest in a public contract is tied to events that allegedly happened between April 6, 2021, and Aug. 31, 2021, when Reynolds used his office to influence a public contract.

Specifically, Reynolds is accused of influencing governmental officials to secure approval of a Tax Increment Financing proposal to provide public funding from three government entities for infrastructure and improvements to Hamilton-Mason Road. Those would benefit himself or a member of his family by providing public funds that would enhance the ability to develop property owned by his family, according to court documents.

The felony charge added in July stems from his alleged actions in January 2017 and also involves family members, and Reynolds as a member of the golf club, where he also lives, according to court documents and the sheriff.

Prosecutors allege Reynolds attempted to get Lakota Local Schools to use money it would be receiving to build an expanded facility at the country club that could be used by the school.

In September 2017, Reynolds’ office returned $2 million to all taxing districts and $459,498 to Lakota. The fees are monies the auditor’s office receives from the state for calculating and distributing real estate taxes from levies to local governments. The auditor’s office doesn’t need all the fees to operate.