A former Ohio University administrator confessed yesterday to giving university contracts to local companies his wife owned.
David Kasler, 49, former manager of OU Printing Services, pleaded guilty yesterday to having an unlawful interest in a public or government contract as part of a deal with prosecutors.
Kasler used his authority to outsource university printing and publishing business to at least two companies his wife, Melissa, owned, prosecutors say. He also used university presses to print numerous business cards, brochures and other documents for his wife's business and for personal use.
In January 2006, Kasler directed his office to outsource all routine typesetting and desktop publishing to his wife's company, The Typeworks, according to court filings. Then, in June 2008, Kasler made about $415 in purchases from Accolades, another of his wife's companies, prosecutors wrote.
Kasler also printed and copied a total of 53 documents for his wife's business and personal use between April 2007 and June 2008, prosecutors wrote. When he retired, Kasler left a box of brochures for Resume Impressions, another of his wife's companies, in his office.
A grand jury indicted Kasler in December 2008 on two counts of felony theft in office and one count of felony aggravated theft, in addition to the unlawful interest charge. Prosecutors dismissed the theft charges as part of the deal.
Kasler will return to court for sentencing. Prosecutors agreed to remain silent at sentencing and not oppose Kasler's sentencing request, according to court filings.
Having unlawful interest in a public or government contract is a felony with a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.
Kasler's attorney, Robert Toy, said he would ask the judge to give his client probation because he doesn't have a criminal history.
(Kasler) has no prior record
is a good citizen made a mistake and is willing to pay for it Toy said. I think this is the best resolution we have for all parties concerned.
Kasler promised to pay OU $1,000 in restitution as part of the deal. He could not be reached for comment.
Kasler's trial was scheduled to begin yesterday.
An earlier investigation into OU Printing Services' contracts with Kasler's wife fizzled in the mid-1990s. The Ohio Inspector
General's Office concluded that Kasler's department violated policy by awarding contracts without competitive bidding, but didn't break the law because he wasn't part of the decision.
Investigators took a fresh look at the
allegations last summer, after an anonymous caller tipped the university's whistleblower hotline, EthicsPoint, about the deals.
University auditors began a new investigation and eventually turned it over to the Ohio University Police Department, which referred the case to prosecutors for an indictment months later.
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Frank Thomas
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