Former Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office Detective Indicted

(FREMONT, Ohio)—A former Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office detective has been indicted for alleged crimes related to his work in that office.

Sean O’Connell, 53, of Fremont, was indicted on the following charges:

  • Three counts of Tampering with Evidence, felonies of the third degree
  • One count of Unauthorized Use of the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (OHLEG), a felony of the fifth degree
  • One count of Falsification, a misdemeanor of the first degree
  • One count of Coercion, a misdemeanor of the second degree
  • One count of Dereliction of Duty, a misdemeanor of the second degree
  • One count of Obstructing Official Business, a misdemeanor of the second degree

All counts, with the exception of the OHLEG charge, relate to O’Connell’s alleged conduct during the homicide investigation into the death of Heather Bogle. The remaining charge relates to O’Connell allegedly accessing the confidential OHLEG database to improperly access information outside a criminal investigation.

The case was investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, and is being prosecuted by the Henry County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, both at the request of the Sandusky County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.