An Ohio jury found a law enforcement official guilty for using his former position to intimidate witnesses, steal department property, and corrupting confidential informants.
Caleb Moritz, the former chief deputy of the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office in Logan, Ohio, was convicted of seven felony charges — including a second-degree felony — after a public corruption trial, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
The verdict comes after a years-long legal battle that started after multiple complaints about Moritz’s conduct when he held the position.
The complaints centered on Moritz’s interactions with confidential informants and victims. Investigators discovered a pattern of serious misconduct by the former official.
Former Hocking County Chief Deputy Found Guilty of Corruption, Intimidationhttps://t.co/EVdOPNxzZW pic.twitter.com/xh1MFkPbta
— AVC News (@AVCNewsAlerts) March 30, 2026
Moritz abused his authority by giving fentanyl to two victims in exchange for sexual acts. The individuals were connected to the drug court and informant network his office oversaw. He used drugs to maintain control over the informants and used it as leverage against them.
From Scioto Valley Guardian:
Moritz, 39, faced 10 felony charges, including two counts of corrupting another with drugs, one count of tampering with evidence, two counts of unlawful transactions in weapons, one count of forgery, one count of grand theft, and one count of intimidation of a witness. The charges allege Moritz abused his authority by providing fentanyl to two victims in exchange for sexual acts, tampered with evidence, engaged in illegal weapons transactions, and stole a sheriff’s office handgun. A supplemental indictment in February 2025 added one intimidation count and one forgery count, though one of the original intimidation charges was dismissed on Tuesday, of this week before the trial began, reducing the total to 9 counts.
The trial, relocated from Hocking County to Ross County due to pretrial publicity, began Tuesday in Chillicothe’s Ross County Courthouse. The venue change, granted by Deering in February followed a joint motion citing Moritz’s high-profile status, his 2024 Republican primary candidacy for Hocking County Sheriff, and extensive media coverage. Moritz, who left his position in April 2023, was indicted in 2023 after an investigation involving the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office, the county prosecutor’s office, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
A former chief deputy with the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office has been convicted of corruption charges following a jury trial, AG Yost announced today.
— Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (@OhioAG) March 26, 2026
Details: https://t.co/gTALIeU6ei pic.twitter.com/OsclB4c3QJ
Moritz’s case is one of several showing how some law enforcement officials abuse their authority for their own purposes. Instead of protecting people, he preyed on them. Now, he could face decades in prison.
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