Former Ohio Sheriff indicted months after resignation

POMEROY, Ohio (WSAZ) - Former Meigs County, Ohio Sheriff Keith Wood has been indicted on charges stemming from his time in office for allegedly withdrawing public funds for personal use.

According to an indictment filed in Meigs County Common Pleas Court, a grand jury returned a five-count indictment on Wood.

The indictment includes charges of theft in office, telecommunications fraud, misuse of credit cards and soliciting or accepting improper compensation.

The theft in office charge includes $4,562 which the indictment reads that Wood “knowingly obtained without the consent of Meigs County.”

According to a release from Ohio Auditor Keith Faber’s office, Wood used ATMs to withdraw cash from the Law Enforcement Trust Fund at locations in West Virginia and Ohio.

The charges in the indictment stem from the time period of Jan. 1, 2021 to Nov. 11, 2022.

Wood announced his resignation in November 2022, saying at the time, “I have enjoyed every minute of my time in office for almost the last decade.”

Elected as sheriff in November 2012, Wood previously worked as a deputy for the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office and with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

An arraignment has been set for a later date in Meigs County Common Pleas Court. That date has not been announced yet.