Report: Columbus police employment investigation expands

An investigation into allegations of ghost employment at the Columbus Police Department is expanding to include former Police Chief Jon Rohde, according to a report from WRTV-6.

You can find the station’s report here.

According to an investigation by the TV station, Rohde moonlighted at a security job at Columbus Regional Hospital on a schedule that overlapped with the 8 to 5 administrative hours of the Columbus Police Department on more than 130 occasions.

Former officers Daniel Meister and Ronald May are facing similar allegations and have been charged with theft, ghost employment and official misconduct.

The station also reported that Rohde moonlighted as a mediator for the Indiana Office of Court Services, mostly during normal administrative hours. The office of police chief is a salaried position, not hourly.

The TV station is reporting that Indiana State Police, the Indiana State Board of Accounts and special prosecutors confirmed to the station that they are investigating allegations into the department’s record keeping and police pay.

Rohde stepped down as police chief last November, taking a position as a captain in the department while he ran for Superior Court judge. He won that race and is due to be sworn in today.

Former Columbus Mayor Kristen Brown was one of the subjects interviewed for the TV station’s report and compiled records on Rohde’s working hours and side jobs.