LaRose releases statement on Curlis sentencing
COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose released the following statement today on the sentencing of William Curlis, who was previously charged in federal court with wire fraud after an investigation assisted by the Ohio Secretary of State's office of Public Integrity found he had stolen nearly $1 million from campaign accounts:
“I’m glad justice has been served in this case, but I’m disappointed in the sentence compared to the crimes this person committed,” said Secretary LaRose. “The sentence sends a message that you can willfully defraud victims and get away with a relative slap on the wrist. Hundreds of Ohioans had their money stolen by a greedy con artist, and the Public Integrity Division of my office worked hard to assist with his conviction. The penalty falls short of the crime on this one, but we’ll continue to enforce the law and hope that future convictions serve as a stronger deterrent to election-related crime.”
Secretary LaRose created his office’s first ever full-time Public Integrity Division to consolidate many of its longstanding investigative functions and more effectively aid prosecutors in obtaining criminal convictions. Earlier this month, Secretary LaRose announced a major expansion of his office’s Public Integrity Division, adding three new members with experience from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the United States Secret Service.