A former Bellefontaine City Schools faculty member has agreed to monthly deductions from his Ohio State Teachers Retirement account to repay funds he stole during his tenure as high school band director.
Jeremy Karg, 55, of Bellefontaine, pleaded guilty to theft in office, a fourth-degree felony, Monday, Dec. 23, before Judge Kevin P. Braig in Logan County Common Pleas Court. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 30, following a pre-sentence investigation.
As part of the plea agreement, Logan County Prosecutors recommended three years of community control. Karg has agreed to repay $35,000 in restitution in the case. He submitted a $20,000 check on Dec. 3, prosecutor Eric Stewart said. The remaining $15,000 will be repaid through monthly deductions of $416 from his retirement account.
The thefts occurred over a course of five years until they were reported late summer, 2023. A lack of sufficient oversight and follow-through on district policies helped enable the crimes, Stewart said. The case was reported on Aug. 29, 2023, after a school staff member discovered a missing deposit and notified district administrators, who contacted law enforcement.
Funds meant for a student activity account tied to the band program had not been deposited, Bellefontaine City Schools Superintendent Brad Hall previously said. The superintendent stressed that the district has fully complied with law enforcement since the beginning of the investigation.
The case took over a year to prosecute, as investigators and prosecutors waited on a forensic report from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which faced a backlog.
Karg resigned abruptly on Sept. 1, 2023, for the purpose of retirement. His resignation was accepted by the Bellefontaine City Schools Board of Education 10 days later. Parents were notified via email at the time that he would no longer be part of the band program.
Karg spent more than 15 years at Bellefontaine High School and previously worked at Indian Lake High School.
School administrators have since reinforced their commitment to educating staff and faculty on district policies related to handling extracurricular student fees, school officials said.