Former Meigs County Sheriff Keith Wood has reimbursed $9,160 following allegations of misusing public funds for personal expenses. The Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) revealed details of the case in a recent special audit report, resulting in Wood’s conviction on a felony count of theft in office.
The SIU initiated an investigation in August 2022 after receiving information from Meigs County Prosecutor James Stanley about potential misuse of money from the Law Enforcement Trust Fund. Subsequent confirmation by the SIU revealed that Wood withdrew cash from ATMs in Ohio and West Virginia, utilizing the funds for personal expenses, including food, fuel, and lottery tickets with no legitimate public purpose.
In September 2023, Wood pleaded guilty in Meigs County Common Pleas as part of a plea deal, leading to a sentence of 100 hours of community service and three years of community control. Any violation of these terms could result in a maximum of 12 months in jail, and Wood is prohibited from holding public office.
As part of the resolution, Wood repaid $4,965.79 to the Law Enforcement Trust Fund and an additional $4,194.21 to the Meigs County general fund. The full report detailing the case is available online at ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx.
The SIU, since 2019, has contributed to 117 convictions, amounting to over $8.2 million in restitution. The unit encourages the submission of tips on suspected fraud, which can be done anonymously online or through the SIU’s fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).
