Public Defender Appointed to Defend Decatur

September 20, 2018 by Staff Report

The Geauga County Public Defender’s office has been appointed to represent accused embezzler Stephen Decatur, provided he is financially eligible.

Geauga County Common Pleas Court Visiting Judge Robert J. Brown issued the order after Decatur was unable to attend a Sept. 12 hearing on pending motions and had not retained legal counsel after his former lawyer withdrew last month.

At an Aug. 13 pretrial, attorney Laurence Turbow successfully petitioned Brown to withdraw as Decatur’s lawyer. Turbow said there were issues between him and Decatur, which he could not disclose due to confidentiality, that could not be overcome.

The 59-year-old Decatur told Brown he intended to retain other private counsel to represent him in his criminal case. As such, Brown said he would defer hearing several motions until new counsel was retained.

On Sept. 12, upon learning Decatur had not retained new counsel, Brown appointed Geauga County Public Defender Robert Umholtz’s office to represent him.

Umholtz had not responded to an email request for comment on the appointment by publication deadline.

Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz declined comment at this time.

Decatur, Geauga County’s former IT director, and his 36-year-old daughter, Stephanie Stewart, are alleged to have orchestrated a scheme to steal more than $1.8 million in public funds from the county auditor’s office over an eight-year period, from Feb. 1, 2010, through Oct. 25, 2017.

They were accused in 334-count indictments of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and aggravated theft as well as theft in office, money laundering, having an unlawful interest in a public contract, telecommunications fraud and receiving stolen property.

Decatur and Stewart primarily used the stolen funds for daily living expenses, Flaiz previously said.

A telephone status conference is scheduled in the case for 11 a.m. Oct. 9.