
BY JOEL E. MAST
Examiner Correspondent
A former Bellefontaine Police Department sergeant proclaimed his intention to plead guilty today, June 4, to misdemeanor operating a vehicle while under the influence alcohol and/or drugs and improperly handling of firearms in a motor vehicle, a felony of the fifth-degree.
Bradley Staley, 34, of West Liberty, waived grand jury proceedings and a reading of the bill of information detailing the allegations during a hearing before Logan County Common Pleas Court Judge Kevin Braig.
The former officer has filed a motion for intervention in lieu of conviction and Judge Braig ordered a pre-sentencing investigation to make sure Staley is eligible for intervention.
Not guilty pleas were entered on the record as part of today’s proceedings.
Judge Braig released Staley on a recognizance bond.
A final hearing has been set for 2 p.m. July 11, 2025.
Logan County Prosecutor Eric Stewart said Staley will have to enter guilty pleas if the court grants the motion for intervention.
The OVI charge will permanently remain on Staley’s record but the felony firearm charge could be sealed through future court proceedings if the defendant successfully completes treatment and counseling terms set by the court.
“The prosecutor’s office believes that the law should be applied equally to everyone,” Stewart said. “The proposed resolution involved in this case is the same as others similarly charged.”
He noted that David Fraizer and Kelvin Smith were each granted intervention for 2024 cases, while Craig Fry was granted diversion for the same charges in a 2025 case.
Scott Streets, charged in 2024; Franklin Dietz, charged this year; and Jarrett Griggs, also charged this year, have filed motions for intervention.
Staley, who worked for the BPD for 10 years, was charged April 24, 2025, after police administrators learned the sergeant was on duty and was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.
Deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office responded around 12:40 a.m. to lead an investigation and met with Staley at the police station.
They reportedly observed an odor of alcohol while talking with Staley, along with slurred speech and bloodshot eyes. He submitted to field sobriety tests, which indicated that he was impaired.
He also submitted to a breathalyzer test, with a reading of 0.116 blood alcohol concentration.
From interviews with other department employees, deputies learned Staley had reported for duty that evening and was present for roll call. While speaking with him after roll call, another employee noticed his demeanor was different from his usual self and said he seemed clumsy and his eyes “didn’t look right.”
He was observed getting in his cruiser and then he reportedly hit the curb in the parking lot, according to a witness statement. Employees immediately contacted a supervisor about their suspicions that the sergeant was impaired.
He was immediately placed on administrative leave pending disciplinary proceedings. He resigned his position within days of the incident.