RAVENNA, Ohio-- A former small-town Ohio police chief, who developed an outsize Facebook following for blunt, humorous commentary about the criminals he called "mopes," has been convicted of four misdemeanors.
A Portage County judge on Monday told former Brimfield Township Police Chief David Oliver that he's become a "mope" himself.
At the height of his Internet popularity, Oliver wrote a book titled, "No Mopes Allowed," a reference to the criminals he's encountered over the years.
He had more than 177,000 followers on Facebook, placing his small department second in popularity, right behind New York City.
"You've become the mope you wrote about in your book," Portage County Common Pleas Judge Laurie Pittman said before sentencing Oliver to two years of probation. He was also fined $300.
Oliver was visibly reluctant as he pleaded no contest to counts including attempted theft in office and simple assault involving a female officer who accused him of sexual harassment.
Oliver was sentenced to pay court costs and surrender his certificate to be an officer. His attorney blamed small-town politics and said Oliver entered the pleas to give his family closure.
The female officer, Crystal Casterline, recounted her allegations and told the judge that coming forward cost her more than it has Oliver. She said the chief bullied her and gave her almost daily hugs despite her demands that he stop.
"To his 177,000 Facebook followers, he was the model police chief, father, husband and man. But inside the station, he was a sadistic, manipulative sociopath," Casterline told the crowded courtroom.
Her lawsuit against the chief and Brimfield Township is pending.
Oliver downplayed his actions and blamed tense union talks and Casterline's pending layoff as reasons behind his downfall. He was facing a no-confidence vote when he resigned a year ago.
"This whole thing befuddles me," Oliver told the court. "I've never seen anything like it."