Former Highland Heights mayor admits to stealing $160,000 from Ohio Rep. Dave Joyce's campaign

CHARDON, Ohio — Former Highland Heights Mayor Scott Coleman admitted in court Thursday that he embezzled $160,000 from U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce’s (R) campaign when he worked as the Northeast Ohio congressman’s campaign treasurer.

Coleman, 58, pleaded guilty to a grand theft charge, a fourth-degree felony that carries a penalty of up to 1 1/2 years in prison. Geauga County Prosecutor James Flaiz said the former eastern suburban mayor stole the money from the Bainbridge Township Republican’s re-election operation over a three-year period.

The disgraced campaign official’s wife and four adult children looked on Coleman listened and answered a series of questions posed by Common Pleas Judge David Ondrey during the hearing.

Prior to his plea, Coleman gave Flaiz a check made out to Joyce’s campaign for $341,983.06 for the amount he stole as well as the cost Joyce’s campaign bore in investigative fees and actions it took to correct campaign filings.

Read more: https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2019/08/former-highland-heights-mayor-admits-to-stealing-150000-from-ohio-rep-dave-joyces-campaign.html