Ex-employee of engineer gets prison for office theft
Jan 2021, LISBON, OH – Melissa K. Brennen, the longtime employee of the county engineer’s office caught stealing tax map money, was sentenced to six months in prison Monday morning by county Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton.
Brennen pleaded guilty in September to theft in office, a fourth-degree felony, after $2,940 was found to be missing from deposits made through the office between May 1 and Nov. 8 in 2019.
Assistant County Prosecutor Ryan Weikart had asked for a nine-month prison term.
Brennen’s defense attorney, Edward J. Hartwig, argued she led a law-abiding life for more than 40 years and has already been punished, not just with the loss of her job at the county engineer’s office, but also with the loss of another job after a background check was completed.
Hartwig further pointed out that if she had a similar secretarial job in any office that was not a public office, such as a dental office, she would not be charged with theft in office at all.
“There is some merit to Hartwig’s claim. Convictions for stealing from the public purse often result in heavier sentences.”
William Hiltz
He provided the court with several letters supporting her and detailing Brennen’s volunteer work.
Brennen’s mother, Cheryl Brennen, told Bickerton her daughter has never been in any trouble her entire life and has been a big part of the family and a volunteer.
“I take full responsibility for my actions,” Brennen said prior to sentencing. “I apologize to anyone who I have hurt.”
But Bickerton pointed out it was not that Brennen’s conscious got the best of her and she stopped on her own, nor did it appear that she needed the money, which came from the residents of the county.
Additionally, Bickerton said there are questions about whether the thefts were actually happening prior to the dates known. According to Bickerton, there was no recommendation from the engineer’s office about the sentencing of Brennen.
Bickerton said the decision to sentence Brennen to prison was not an easy one, because she believes the people who said Brennen is a good person.
“You are a good person,” Bickerton said, “but you made a mistake.”
Brennen was ordered to pay restitution and the attorneys were both asked to file briefs about whether Brennen should be ordered to pay for the special audit which had to be conducted after the money was found missing.
