A deputy in March noticed a small amount of cash and other property missing from a temporary storage location near the entrance to the building at 41 N. Perry St. in downtown Dayton that houses Dayton Municipal Court and Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, according to the sheriff’s office.
The storage area houses items that are left behind at the weapons detection area, and normally those items are placed into the property room for safe keeping. Security video of the area reportedly showed Barnes appear to take money and other property from temporary storage, the sheriff’s office reported. A supervisor was notified, and the sheriff’s office Special Investigations Unit was assigned to investigate.
Barnes has been a sheriff’s office employee since 1996 and a deputy since 2004. He was placed administrative leave March 15 but has since resigned.
Keith Stockman, 24, of Miamisburg was indicted May 24 for one count of theft in office. Common Pleas Judge Timothy O’Connell on Tuesday granted diversion through the prosecutor’s office diversion program on the charge of theft in office. The case is stayed until Stockman successfully completes the program.
Stockman was hired as a corrections officer March 3, 2021, and resigned March 11, 2024, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said.
While working for the sheriff’s office, he took paid time off from his job at the jail for military leave. However, a supervisor doing routine checks and balances of leave time discovered that he was not actually on military assignment during times for which he was paid, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office and sheriff’s office.
The thefts totaled just under $5,000, and reportedly involved multiple instances between April 1, 2023, and March 31.
The diversion program is for first-time, non-violent offenders who must admit their guilt, pay full restitution, complete community service, maintain full-time verifiable employment and not re-offend, said Greg Flannagan, prosecutor’s office spokesman. Those who successfully complete the program, which can take up to two years, will have their cases dismissed without a felony conviction on their record, he said.
About the Author
