Former Montgomery prosecutor staffer jailed
4-month sentence, 5 years of community control ordered.
David Bruns was sentenced to four months in lockup for stealing more than $90,000 of office money.
Former Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office employee David Bruns illegally got his hands on more than $90,000 of office money during a five-year period.
On Tuesday, those hands were fingerprinted and his mug shot was taken at the Montgomery County Jail before his four-month stay, which was to start immediately.
Visiting Judge Linton D. Lewis from Perry County sentenced Bruns to 36 months — with 32 months suspended — for theft in office and tampering with government records, both third-degree felonies.
Bruns, who worked in the foreclosure division of Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr.’s office, pleaded guilty in December to stealing money three ways from 2011 until 2016.
“I think that’s probably why the judge imposed 120 days of local time was because Mr. Bruns was in a position of trust and did violate that trust,” said special prosecutor Ronald O’Brien, the elected Franklin County Prosecutor. “Anyone in public employment who does that, it’s a sad day, but more particularly, someone in the prosecutor’s office because
our job is to try and uphold justice.”
Bruns, whose wife, Julie, works as the juvenile division chief in the prosecutor’s office, apologized to Heck — his wife’s second cousin.
“I just want to apologize to Mat Heck, the prosecutor’s office and the citizens of Montgomery County,” Bruns told Lewis during sentencing. “You entrusted me and I, uh, abused that.”
Bruns also was ordered to spend five years on community control, do 200 hours of community service, pay court costs and a $250 supervision fee, get verified employment, abstain from illegal drugs and alcohol and pay back the balance of the money he owes.
Lewis said Bruns “will not work in any capacity where he conducts financial transactions, handles cash, has access to employer or customer cash, checks or credit information or manages employer-customer finances.”
O’Brien said Bruns took nearly $91,000 but that the actual loss was about $79,000. Bruns had paid about $40,000 back and has done the paperwork to pay another $39,830 from his Ohio Public Employees Retirement System fund.
O’Brien said Bruns would get to keep the Huber Heights house he purchased via Skyfall Properties, the company Bruns used to transfer money.
Because he was fired in August, Bruns was paid $27,140 last year, according to Montgomery County payroll data obtained by this newspaper. Bruns was paid $40,034 in 2015, including a $4,090 longevity bonus. He also was paid $36,334 in 2014, including a $1,494 longevity bonus.
During that same time frame, Bruns’ wife was paid $101,674 in 2016, including a $12,900 longevity bonus, $94,779 in 2015, including a $9,000 bonus, and $87,772 in 2014, including a $4,094 bonus.
Defense attorney Charles Wagner said he was surprised by the amount of jail time Lewis imposed, but not that Bruns had to report right away.
“He exhibited to this attorney true contrition for what he’d done,” Wagner told Lewis. “I think it was just one of those things that got away from him and it got to the point of no return. He is guilt-ridden and at the end, was very forthcoming with the prosecution and the investigation into this case.”