Testimony in sheriff's corruption trial cites improper issuance of CHLs to friends

Suspended Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly (D), who in December 2013 made headlines for refusing to renew some current concealed handgun license-holders (CHLs) over what the state Attorney General said was a misreading of the law, is currently on trial, having been indicted last year on 25 counts involving alleged corruption in his office.

Ironically, news from the trial involves not the CHLs he wrongly refused to renew, but CHLs witnesses have testified were improperly issued by the Sheriff - all without payment and some without the proper background checks.

From the Athens News:

The prosecution was the first to question [Sheriff's Capt. Bryan] Cooper, with Assistant State Attorney General James Roberts asking him about his experience with concealed carry (CCW) permits.

...The state presented him with several applications for CCW permits, including one from the then-girlfriend of Kelly's stepson, and another from Rodney Wayne Wright, who also testified Friday. The prosecution asked Cooper if anything was missing from the records. He confirmed they did not include background checks, and the documents showed fees were not collected. At the top of the documents, which were both projected for jurors, "OK'd per 501" was written, which indicates it approved by Kelly.

Cooper testified that an inquiry by himself into Sheriff's Office files revealed a total of 55 applications had been issued with no payment, with him recognizing "up to 10" of them as having "a personal relationship" with Kelly.

...Melissa Riley, a former concealed carry permit processor for the Sheriff's Office from 2010 to 2014, testified to the same process for applications Friday morning, likewise confirming the specific applications shared by prosecutors were approved by Kelly without payment, fingerprinting or background check.

In the weeks before his indictment on corruption charges last year, Kelly made news in Ohio for having refused to renew CHLs issued by his predecessor based on what Attorney General Mike DeWine was quoted as saying was an incorrect interpretation of the law. It was also reported at the time that the Athens County prosecutor's office had told the sheriff that he was wrong.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.