RAVENNA: Former Brimfield Police Chief David Oliver repeatedly shook his head and paused for long periods Monday as he grudgingly entered no-contest pleas to four misdemeanor charges, two related to his treatment of a female police officer.
Portage County Common Pleas Judge Laurie Pittman, who said she knows Oliver well, found Oliver guilty of the four misdemeanor charges — assault, unlawful restraint, attempted theft in office and unauthorized use of property. She put him on probation for two years and ordered that he surrender the certificate that allows him to serve as a police officer in Ohio.
“You’ve become the mope you wrote about in your book,” Pittman told Oliver, who amassed a huge social media following and wrote a book called No Mopes Allowed, but abruptly resigned early last year amid a scandal involving his treatment of Officer Crystal Casterline. Casterline spoke at length before Pittman sentenced Oliver, describing in detail the emotional, verbal and physical abuse she suffered.
She said she doesn’t agree with the plea agreement reached between Oliver’s attorney, Brian Pierce, and Margaret Tomaro, a special prosecutor from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office who handled the case at the request of Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci.
“I think David Oliver should be held to a higher standard because of his position, not given a get-out-of-jail-free card,” Casterline said.
Oliver, aka David Blough, resigned as police chief in January 2015. This followed a two-week suspension by the township after Casterline filed a complaint.
Casterline also filed a civil lawsuit against Oliver that is pending in Stark County Common Pleas Court. A status conference will be held Tuesday. She is suing both Oliver and Brimfield Township.
The criminal case against Oliver was kept under wraps until his court appearance.
His plan to plea was announced last week, but a bill of information with the charges against him wasn’t filed until an hour before his time in court.
Tomaro read the facts of the case, which included that Oliver assaulted Casterline and held her against her will, took four weapons that were ordered to be destroyed after being seized and sold them in an unlawful auction and kept money generated from this auction.
Pierce told Pittman that small-town politics played a role in Oliver’s case. He said Oliver agreed to plead no contest for the sake of himself and his family.
Oliver said he was Brimfield’s chief for 10 years and 10 months and never had a grievance or complaint about a hostile work environment against him until Casterline’s.
“Crystal punched me as much as I punched her,” he said.
Choosing his fate
Oliver, who could have faced felonies rather than misdemeanors if the case had gone to trial, said he didn’t want to take his chances with a jury.
“This whole thing befuddles me,” he said.
Casterline, who read from notes she had prepared, said she was excited when she was first hired as a Brimfield officer and Oliver was initially helpful to her. She considered him a friend.
Casterline said a female officer warned her when she was first hired that Oliver was “handsy.” Eventually, Casterline said, he began hugging her, which she told him made her uncomfortable. She said the hugs escalated into groping, forcing her to dance with him and pulling her hair out of its pony tail. She said Oliver asked her questions about her sex life and sent her suggestive texts.
“I did punch you,” she said, looking back at Oliver, seated behind her. “I began to fight back. He would not stop.”
Casterline said Oliver punched her hard enough that she fell to the ground and caused bruises on her arms and legs. She said he verbally berated her almost daily. She was anxious and had trouble sleeping. While Oliver built up 177,000 Facebook followers, inside the station she said he was “sadistic” and a “sociopath.” She said this behavior continued for two years when finally, with her health suffering, she hired an attorney.
Casterline, who has been on leave for six months, said she suffered from depression and contemplated suicide.
“I am still here,” she said.
Terms of deal
The judge followed the plea agreement, giving Oliver suspended jail sentences and probation. She ordered him to pay $1,304 in restitution to the police department, a $300 fine and $121 in court costs.
When Casterline walked out of the courtroom, her supporters lining the hallways broke into applause. She thanked them and said she plans to return to the Brimfield Police Department.
“I love my community,” she said. “I love being a police officer. He doesn’t get to take that away from me.”
Outside of the courthouse, Oliver remained steadfast that he has done nothing wrong and blamed the negative tide against him on his stern management and union conflicts.
He plans to return to his favorite platform — Facebook — to give his side of the story.
“We’re going to try the next case in the court of public opinion,” said Oliver, who is working but wouldn’t say where. “It’s my turn to start doing some talking.”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmithabj and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/swarsmith.