Prosecutor’s Office to Hire New Internet Crimes Investigator

March 17, 2016 by

Most Tuesdays, Geauga County Commissioners approve by rote the weekly “itemizing of financials” presented to them.

But on March 15, Commissioner Walter “Skip” Claypool questioned spending about $63,000 for the remainder of 2016 to hire an investigator for Internet crimes to work out of the county prosecutor’s office.

“Sometimes we don’t ask enough questions,” said Claypool, adding the salary for the person Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz hired would be about $90,000 next year. “I thought we’d have more conversation before we approve it.”

Flaiz said he had talked to each commissioner a month ago and then sat with Claypool for an hour explaining the concept and the need.

Geauga County, like the rest of the country, has been victimized by Internet crimes against children and the elderly, he said.

Local law enforcement and his office have been using Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation electronic crime experts, Flaiz explained, but there can be a seven-month backlog of cases.

Meanwhile, most mid- and large-sized police departments have an officer dedicated to combatting cybercrime, he said.

“I think this is a huge issue,” Claypool said, suggesting much of the problem with children online could be solved through responsible parenting.

“How big is the problem? I’m not sure we can solve it with one guy,” he said, asking if there is a way to insure accountability and return on investment. “It’s our investment really going to accomplish what we hope it will accomplish?”

The Internet crimes investigator will help the sheriff’s office as well as police departments around the county, Flaiz said.

“A lot of crime happens electronically,” he said.

When a man in Erie, Pa., was communicating with three girls from Geauga County, Flaiz said his office spent 300 hours on the case and collaborated with another city to apprehend the suspect, who is now in jail.

Commissioner Ralph Spidalieri said Geauga law enforcement needs someone who is dedicated to solving crimes involving the Internet.

“We’ve probably had residents who have been bilked of millions of dollars. They don’t know where to go. We need this,” said Spidalieri. “This is where the trend in the growth of crime is.”

Claypool called Internet crime “a crime of choice,” that is, people choose to release their personal and financial information over the phone or the Internet. He argued for people to “take personal responsibility” for their lives.

“It is not a crime of choice, especially with seniors,” Spidalieri said. “They’re being tricked. This is a con game.”

Commissioner Blake Rear said he doesn’t know much about solving Internet crime, but is in favor of hiring someone who understands and can help local law enforcement.

“It’s not productive for us to second-guess people whose job it is to do this,” Rear said, noting it is a problem that could get worse. “I don’t want to be sitting here and saying, ‘We should have acted on this six months ago.'”

Flaiz said he is happy to answer questions, but most were covered in the proposal he sent to the commissioners.

Said Flaiz, “If anyone has ever given you a more detailed proposal, I’d like to see it.”

Claypool said he was trying to understand why Flaiz wanted to hire a particular person, why the position wasn’t posted and why the position isn’t centered at the sheriff’s office.

“With all due respect, your function is to provide me with money. Who I hire is none of your business,” Flaiz said.

Rear called for the motion to be read and all three commissioners voted to approve the financials.

Flaiz said later he expects to hire Rick Warner for the position. Warner is a BCI supervisor of forensic computer crimes. He is a graduate of Chardon High School and Villanova University, near Philadelphia.

Warner will start his employment with the prosecutor’s office on April 4 and be dedicated to investigating electronic crimes, including drug-related crimes involving cell phones, Flaiz said.

“There’s a lot of identity theft in Geauga County. This is long past due,” he said.