MANSFIELD - A 61-year-old man arrested by Mansfield police early Friday after being found in a pickup with three money bags, two women, suspected drugs and drug paraphernalia and a $100 counterfeit bill told officers he was Ashland University's treasurer.
The man, Rickey L. Thompson, of County Road 1095, Ashland, has been charged with forgery, a fifth-degree felony. He also was found to have a suspended driver's license. He was scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning.
The money bags were full of cash and checks with receipts attached totaling $36,308 returning to Ashland University.
Thompson was arraigned in Mansfield Municipal Court Friday and Magistrate Phil Naumoff ordered a $5,000 cash and personal recognizance bond.
Officers stopped the vehicle at 2:44 a.m. Friday on Burns Street after seeing the pickup leaving a high drug area with expired plates.
One of the women was arrested on two warrants.
Thompson appeared to be under the influence of alcohol/drugs, according to the Mansfield police report. When officers searched his items, Thompson's money clip had several exposed $100 bills. The one on top had several foreign markings on it and proved to be counterfeit, according to the police report. Thompson was arrested.
A second woman had a brown napkin stuffed in her bra and was asked to remove the napkin. In doing so, she dropped a small number of white rocks, suspected to be crack cocaine, onto the ground and into the storm drain. The rocks that could be retrieved from the ground were collected and she admitted to police it was crack cocaine, according to the police report. She said it was not hers but would not say whose it was, according to the police report.
The pickup was then towed and during the inventory of the vehicle, three money bags were found on the back floorboard, according to police.
Thompson told officers he worked for Ashland University as the treasurer and was supposed to deposit the money in the bank and had not done so yet. He was asked to provide proof of his employment with Ashland University, but was not able to do so, according to the police report.
A man named Rick Thompson is listed as an AU financial officer on the Ohio Association of College and University Business Officers website. A person reached by phone at AU said she was not able to disclose Rick Thompson's title at the university.
In a small compartment inside the bed of the truck, investigators found an eyeglass case that contained various items of drug paraphernalia and syringes, according to the report. One of the women claimed ownership of the items, saying Thompson must have grabbed them off of her porch and put them there for her. All three were transported to the Richland County Jail.
The cash and other property was submitted to the forensic section of the police department.
AU spokesman Steve Hannan in an email late Friday afternoon, provided this statement:
"On Sept. 21, Ashland University was made aware of the arrest of one of its employees on charges of forgery. Various media outlets have reported that this individual identified himself as the University's "treasurer." While this individual was employed in Ashland University's Business Office, he did not have the title of treasurer. The individual identified is no longer employed with Ashland University and in respecting ongoing criminal and internal investigations, the university will not comment further on the matter."
lwhitmir@nncogannett.com
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Twitter: @LWhitmir
