Special Audit Includes Findings for Recovery of $103,606.31 Against Former Blendon Township Administrator

Press Release •Ohio Auditor of State

COLUMBUS - Findings for recovery of $103,606.31 were issued Tuesday against a former Blendon Township administrator over improper compensation and misuse of a township credit card, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced.

Bryan Rhoads has repaid about $561 of the total, leaving an outstanding balance of $103,045.50, according to a special audit released by the Auditor of State's Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

The full report is available online at https://ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx.

SIU launched its investigation in August 2022 over allegations that Rhoads had received unauthorized compensation and made unauthorized purchases using the township's credit card.

Rhoads was hired in September 2002 and worked in various unpaid, part-time, and full-time positions until his resignation in May 2022.

SIU determined that Rhoads was overpaid $89,143.14 between 2016 and 2022 and received $9,476.80 in payments for unused vacation he had not earned. Auditors also identified 64 improper credit card transactions by Rhoads totaling $4,986.37 for personal purchases, including clothing, clothes cleaning, and delivered food.

SIU presented the findings of its investigation to the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office, which declined to pursue criminal charges.

###

The Auditor of State's Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.