WILMINGTON — New Vienna’s former police chief received a prison sentence and had his community control revoked.
Clinton Brown, 51, will have to serve over two years in prison after pleading guilty of violating his parole, with 146 days of credit given.
Brown was originally sentenced by Judge Linton Lewis in Clinton County Common Pleas Court in December. Brown pled guilty to one count of theft in office and one of two charges of deception to obtain dangerous drugs — all felony 4 offenses — in September 2019. An additional drug charge was dismissed.
Judge Lewis sentenced Brown to 17 months in prison for each of the original two charges.
According to court records, four motions to revoke Brown’s community control were filed on Jan. 6, June 29, Aug. 26, and Aug. 27. Brown was booked into the Clinton County Jail on Aug. 27.
Prosecutor Katie Wilkin advised Judge Linton Lewis that Brown had tested positive for narcotics in each of the complaints — including meth and morphine.
“If these were just the positive tests, I think that’s a different situation,” said Wilkin. “Each time (Brown) came in to test, he denies it, it has to be sent up to the labs, it has to come back to confirm. Only once it’s confirmed did this individual come forward to tell the truth.”
Wilkin referenced Brown’s original charges of theft in office as to why the hearings were taking place. She indicated that Brown did admit to being under the influence in the first revoke motion.
As part of the plea agreement, Brown would be decertified as a law enforcement officer and will have to pay $5,776.07 in restitution to the Village of New Vienna.
When asked if he had anything to say, Brown indicated he had been seeking mental health treatment and was diagnosed with severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Brown resigned in December 2017 after he admitted to misusing money raised through a GoFundMe account to purchase a police dog and to cover related expenses.
Between Jan. 21 and June 26, 2017, donors gave $14,020 to the New Vienna Police Department K9 Fund he set up in his name. According to the Ohio Auditor’s office, which conducted an investigation at Mayor Kathi Stone’s request, village financial losses were $5,776. This included a $2,600 bill for a vehicle cage for a K-9 police cruiser and $700 owed to a K-9 handler training company.
Katie Wilkin of the Clinton County Prosecutor’s Office had advised at one point Brown had gone to 17 different doctors “within days of each other” to obtain “extreme amounts” of the same drug — hydrocodone.
