Prosecutor's files missing

FREMONT — The personnel files for up to 17 or more employees of the Sandusky County prosecutor's office mysteriously disappeared last month, triggering a criminal investigation to determine what happened to them. Meanwhile a harassment complaint from the courthouse also was lodged with the sheriff's office. It's unknown if the two incidents are related. Sheriff Chris Hilton said he's asked the state's Bureau of Criminal Investigation to handle both complaints, citing a potential conflict of interest. He's also seeking an interim special prosecutor to handle routine business while the investigation is being conducted. The personnel files were inside county Prosecutor Tim Braun's office before they went missing. Braun reported the files missing to county administrator Theresa Garcia."Tim Braun came in and notified this office. He investigated and we have our HR consulting firm doing an administrative investigation," Garcia said.Braun declined to address any questions when contacted Wednesday. "I can't, sorry," he said. "I don't comment on pending investigations."Braun would not say if he's concluded his investigation or what he determined if he had finished it. He also did not respond to an earlier email request for personnel information about a former employee of the office who quit last month. "An investigation is being conducted by a number of individuals. I don't know yet how this is going to turn out. I'm not accusing anyone of anything," Braun said. As of May 8, there were 17 employees in the prosecutor's office, including Braun, five full-time and one part-time assistant prosecutors, two drug task force officers, an investigator, an intern, a legal secretary, two crime victims advocates, an office manager and an administrative assistant. The total annual payroll for the prosecutor's office is about $875,000. Braun was elected in November 2016, defeating longtime prosecutor Tom Stierwalt. Prior to his election, Braun was a private practice defense attorney in the county.Sandusky County Prosecutor Tim Braun