Vindy.com Newswatch
Former Dann aide Anthony Gutierrez indicted on 10 counts

COLUMBUS — With a former attorney general manager facing a 10-count indictment, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said today he is considering criminal charges against others.

A Franklin County grand jury today indicted Anthony Gutierrez, the former director of general services when Marc Dann was attorney general, on 10 counts, including six felonies.

O’Brien didn’t say who else is under criminal investigation.

Gutierrez couldn’t be reached today at his Liberty home to comment on his indictment.

Gutierrez is expected to turn himself in Monday for an arraignment in Franklin County and be released afterward.

Ironically, today is the one-year anniversary of Dann’s resignation as attorney general.

Gutierrez’s sexual harassment of two subordinates in the attorney general’s office led to an internal investigation of the office during the Dann administration. The results of that investigation and the initiation of several others led top Democrats to demand Dann’s resignation. Dann resigned as attorney general on May 14, 2008. He fired Gutierrez on May 1, the day before the attorney general report was released.

The grand jury indicted Gutierrez on one count of theft in office, two counts of unauthorized use of property, and three counts of workers compensation fraud, all felonies.

The misdemeanor charges are two counts of soliciting or receiving improper compensation, one count of prohibited election activities and one count of filing a false statement.

The grand jury accused Gutierrez of improperly using state computers for personal gain, accepting compensation not permitted by law [free housing at a Dublin condominium he shared with Dann and another staff member] and making false statements regarding his ownership of a construction company that resulted in incorrect payments of workers’ compensation premiums.

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