After former Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly was found guilty of 18 charges, he will be sentenced in court Friday.
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Former Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly will appear in the Athens County Common Pleas Court Friday for sentencing after being found guilty on 18 of 25 charges against him last month.
Kelly could face more than 27 years in prison for his crimes, according to a previous Post report.
His nearly three-week-long trial started in late January. A verdict was reached after almost 16 hours of jury deliberation ending Feb. 12.
Since then, Kelly has been held without bond at the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail after Visiting Judge Patricia A. Cosgrove declared him a flight risk.
Kelly was found guilty on:
- 12 counts of theft in office (fifth degree felony)
- one count of perjury (third degree felony)
- one count of failure to keep a cash book (unclassified felony)
- three counts of theft (first degree misdemeanor)
- one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity (second degree felony)
The primary allegation in Kelly’s case was that he mishandled public funds.
He was indicted in January 2014 after more than a year of investigation from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
In March, Kelly was removed from office and replaced with current Sheriff Rodney Smith.
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