LORDSTOWN, Ohio - No charges will be filed in connection with alleged corruption within the Lordstown Police Department.

According to a press release from Lordstown Police Chief Brent Milhoan, after BCI investigated the matter, and the findings were turned over to the Trumbull County Prosecutors and then Lordstown Prosecutor A. Joseph Fritz, "no indication of illegal or corrupt activity" was found.

The allegations were brought to light by a concerned citizen during the public comments portion of a village council meeting in March of 2025 and involve Lordstown police officers allegedly practicing unethical behavior when picking up security shifts at the Ultium Cells plant.

Specifically, the concerned citizen alleged that an agreement was made that police could not serve minor misdemeanor warrants there, which the concerned citizen likened to bribery.

The release quotes a letter from Fritz to Chief Milhoan, as well as Lordstown Mayor Jackie Woodward, summarizing the investigation.

"After over 15 years of prosecution and over 30 years of criminal law experience, I am well aware of the factors involved with executing a warrant arrest and there is no indication of any illegal or corrupt activity by the Lordstown Police Department," the letter reads.

Fritz went on to say there is no evidence of excessive or improper compensation amounts.

"Therefore, based upon the thorough Bureau of Criminal Investigation file and a full review of the evidence, my Office of Prosecutor for the Village of Lordstown is not filing any charges derived from the false and defamatory allegations against the Lordstown Police Department and its interaction with Ultium Cells," Fritz wrote.

Furthermore, Mayor Woodward told the chief that with the findings of the investigation, she is releasing the department from the restrictions placed on them, and they may resume working off-duty details.

A former Lordstown resident who ran for mayor, Danielle Williams, said she believes the case should have been handled by an outside prosecutor to avoid any appearance of bias.

"I feel that this was not properly looked at," Williams said, "You can't have people that have been working together for 20-some years and longer, all no wrongdoings. There should have been another set of eyes on this. And I get that the Trumbull County prosecutor's office said there were no felonies. Soliciting your police department is a misdemeanor charge, and I don't know how this just got swept under the rug. Right is right and wrong is wrong, and everyone has to face accountability sometime in their lives."

Fritz told 21 News that it's not his job to convince the public that nothing illegal had occurred. He said there was no conflict and that if it were necessary, he would have appointed another prosecutor.

Police Chief Brent Milhoan said he's reviewing the full BCI report and that if any administrative issues are identified, he'll address them.

21 News has requested the full BCI report. 

You can read the full letter in the PDF below.

 

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