Columbus –Village of Bridgeport (Belmont County) Mayor, David W. Smith, was indicted last week on one count of Tampering with Records (F3), one count of Theft in Office (F3), and two counts of Conflict of Interest (M1).

Smith took office as mayor in November 2015. Between June 2016 and November 2019, while serving in the Mayor’s Court, Smith allegedly removed both cash payments and corresponding traffic tickets waiting to be processed for his personal gain. It is believed that the losses to the Village are greater than $20,000.

Furthermore, the misdemeanor charges are related to Smith’s use of an employee of the Village to handle his personal errands, including childcare and banking while on Village time.

The arraignment will take place on Thursday, February 13, 2020. The Auditor’s office was appointed Special Prosecutor for the case.

Officeholders indicted for felony charges may be subject to suspension from office while the criminal case is pending.

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio is responsible for auditing more than 6,000 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.