UPDATED: Chief Deputy Brandon Stratton once again placed on administrative leave

By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press

Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera has informed The Highland County Press that effective Tuesday, afternoon March 12, Chief Deputy Brandon Stratton has been placed – again – on administrative leave, after being fully reinstated earlier in the same day.

"Effective immediately, you are returned to regular duty at the Highland County Sheriff's Office," Barrera wrote in a March 12 letter of reinstatement to Stratton.

At 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, Barrera told The Highland County Press that Stratton was again placed on leave, pending an investigation.

"There was never anything to investigate, and two separate agencies – Ohio BCI and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office – confirmed that," Stratton told The Highland County Press.

The Highland County Press is contacting both BCI and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for confirmation of Stratton's statement.

Stratton said the unfortunate incident was "politically motivated" by someone.

Stratton is facing Highland County Task Force Chief Investigator Randy Sanders in the March 19 primary election for sheriff.

As previously reported, portions of political-related public records were placed in certain mailboxes in Highland County sometime late March 6 or early March 7, according to multiple sources, less than two weeks before the Ohio March 19 primary election.

The documents were placed in mailboxes in unmarked envelopes without postage, according to at least two local businesses. One local business representative scanned the document and emailed it to The Highland County Press on March 7.

The document is from 2019 and includes allegations against Sanders.

Barrera told The Highland County Press March 7 that Stratton was placed on paid administrative leave as of March 7. Barrera said the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been contacted to investigate the incident. 

After just five days, Stratton was returned to work.

"These records were never Highland County records to begin with," Stratton told The Highland County Press.

However, at least one page of the original document sent to The Highland County Press included a Dec. 17, 2019 letter of resignation (effective Dec. 29, 2019) from Sanders to Barrera. That was not part of the public records information received from either BCI or MCSO, and it was a record stored at the HCSO.

Former Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward (and Sanders' campaign manager) told The Highland County Press on March 7 that a Hillsboro business representative contacted him after receiving the records in his mailbox on March 7. 

On March 8, The Highland County Press made additional public records requests that are directly related to this story.

Information received last week included an Aug. 26, 2019 letter from Sheriff Donnie Barrera to HCSO Sgt. Randy Sanders that reads: "This letter is to inform you that you are being placed on administrative leave with pay until further notice, pending the outcome of an internal investigation of your conduct where you are being investigated in a criminal matter."

The investigation was closed by Ohio BCI in November 2019 with Sheriff Barrera agreeing with BCI "the evidence they now have does not support their initial allegation" that prompted the investigation into Sanders and any other public official(s).

Sanders later submitted his resignation and accepted a position as chief investigator for the Highland County Prosecutor's Office Task Force.

Stratton and Tom Horst were both asked to comment this evening. 

••• Publisher's note: This story will be updated as additional information is forthcoming.

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••• Below is the previous HCP story – with five updates – as reference in another paper by Tom Horst and Brandon Stratton on March 12 after speaking with HCP owner Rory Ryan, during which both did not want to go on the record with all of their statements. (This will be addressed by Rory Ryan.)

UPDATED V: Documents with March primary political implications placed in local mailboxes; chief deputy placed on leave, then quickly reinstated

Portions of political-related public records were placed in certain mailboxes in Highland County sometime late March 6 or early March 7, according to multiple sources, less than two weeks before the Ohio March 19 primary election.

The documents were placed in mailboxes in unmarked envelopes without postage, according to at least two local businesses. One local business representative scanned the document and emailed it to The Highland County Press on March 7.

The document is from 2019 and includes unfounded allegations against a current candidate for Highland County sheriff. 

Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera told The Highland County Press March 7 that Chief Deputy Brandon Stratton was placed on paid administrative leave as of March 7. Barrera said the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been contacted to investigate the incident. 

Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera has informed The Highland County Press that effective Tuesday, March 12, Chief Deputy Brandon Stratton has been fully reinstated.

The investigation into this matter has been closed.

Stratton also is a candidate for sheriff in the March 19 primary.

Barrera previously endorsed Stratton. When asked if he stands by that endorsement, Barrera said he could not comment, pending the BCI investigation. On Wednesday, March 13, Barrera told The Highland County Press that “effective immediately” – as of 2:40 p.m. — he is “withdrawing my endorsement of any candidate” in the Highland County Sheriff’s race.

Barrera also said he could not comment on the 2019 document because he was not involved in that case since he was off work due to a knee replacement.

On March 8, The Highland County Press asked former Highland County Sheriff Tom Horst if he stands by his earlier endorsement of Stratton. "Yes, I do," Horst said.

"From what I know about it (the 2019 allegation), it was completely unfounded and without merit," former Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward told The Highland County Press on March 7.

Ward also said a Hillsboro business representative contacted him after receiving the document in his mailbox on March 7. 

The Highland County Press made additional public records requests that are directly related to this story today (March 8). 

Information received this week included an Aug. 26, 2019 letter from Sheriff Donnie Barrera to HCSO Sgt. Randy Sanders that reads: "This letter is to inform you that you are being placed on administrative leave with pay until further notice, pending the outcome of and (sic) internal investigation of your conduct where you are being investigated in a criminal matter."

That investigation was closed by Ohio BCI in November 2019 with Sheriff Barrera agreeing with BCI "the evidence they now have does not support their initial allegation" that prompted the investigation into Sanders and any other public official(s).

This conclusion was supported earlier by former Sheriff Ron Ward, as reported March 7 by The Highland County Press.

• Note: In the information included this week in the aforementioned "political-related public records that were placed in certain mailboxes in Highland County," the conclusion of no wrongdoing based on existing evidence was omitted.

After being cleared in the investigation, Sanders resigned his position with the HCSO in a letter dated Dec. 17, 2019. He then began as a chief investigator for the Highland County Task Force, where he remains employed.

In a statement March 8 to The Highland County Press, Sanders said: "I was the subject of an investigation in 2019, which I knew to be unfounded. A determination was made that there was absolutely no basis for any action against me. I was fully reinstated as a Detective Sergeant and later resigned to seek a new and exciting opportunity. This is obviously a ploy to affect the election. I stand on my merit and 40 years of honest, dedicated service to law enforcement." 

Sanders is running against Stratton in the March 19 primary.

• Note: In the information included this week in the aforementioned "political-related public records that were placed in certain mailboxes in Highland County," the conclusion of no wrongdoing based on existing evidence was omitted.

After being cleared in the investigation, Sanders resigned his position with the HCSO in a letter dated Dec. 17, 2019. He then began as a chief investigator for the Highland County Task Force, where he remains employed.

In a statement March 8 to The Highland County Press, Sanders said: "I was the subject of an investigation in 2019, which I knew to be unfounded. A determination was made that there was absolutely no basis for any action against me. I was fully reinstated as a Detective Sergeant and later resigned to seek a new and exciting opportunity. This is obviously a ploy to affect the election. I stand on my merit and 40 years of honest, dedicated service to law enforcement." 

Sanders is running against Stratton in the March 19 primary.

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