“As soon as I was informed about it I contacted him and gave him the option to resign or be terminated and he resigned effective immediately...,” Chandler said, adding one of her council members received an anonymous tip, Adams didn’t tell them. “I was absolutely stunned, angry, I’d like to say disbelief, at the moment it was. Just stunned really.”
Village officials said he was paid $5,000 while under a suspended law license. According to Supreme Court documents he “misappropriated at least $26,000″ from three of his private practice clients. It has been recommended he be permanently disbarred. The 52-year-old Fairfield Twp. residents faces criminal charges for allegedly stealing from those clients.
Chandler said after she learned Adams had been suspended she contacted Police Chief Chip Webb and the county prosecutor and sheriff’s offices.
Webb told the Journal-News he reached out to Butler County Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer “for transparency purposes” and Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser’s office to see if they needed anything from him and they didn’t. He did an internal, administrative investigation, gathering Adams’ pay stubs and other information “if there was going to be any criminal charges.”
He said he didn’t find anything amiss during his investigation, “he was doing his duties he was hired for, there was nothing out of scope or red flags.” Except he didn’t tell them he wasn’t supposed to be representing them.
“With him not being forthcoming, I don’t know if he thought the suspension was going to be lifted or it was something he could work out, but it never transpired that way,” Webb said.
Dwyer said his office didn’t really investigate the matter at all because Gmoser’s office was working directly with the Supreme Court.
Chief Assistant Prosecutor Dan Ferguson told the Journal-News the New Miami angle isn’t part of the criminal case at this point.
“I guess if there’s something more there he could amend the indictment and add something on, if it’s really warranted. “The main thing I was concerned about was just to let the Supreme Court know.”
The village’s new Solicitor Jonathan Fox told the Journal-News the village should be reimbursed for the money Adams was paid while his license was under suspension and he has discussed that with the prosecutor’s office.
“I informed him there may be some concerns that he didn’t report he was suspended, they continued to pay him,” Fox said. “I’m not trying to kick a guy when he’s down, but obviously it’s a matter of concern because he continued to draw pay from New Miami and work there, not informing them he was prohibited from doing so.”
He said the village could also be reimbursed through a restitution order at the Supreme Court level. Fox is reviewing village records to make sure everything is in order legally.
Neither the state auditor or attorney general’s offices were aware of this situation.
A Butler County grand jury indicted Adams for grand theft, theft by deception and receiving stolen property, all fourth-degree felonies, for allegedly stealing from clients. He was arraigned Tuesday and waived his right to a speedy trial. He is due back in court Aug. 9 for a plea hearing, according to records.
The Journal-News has reached out to Adams for comment but has not gotten a response.
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