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Ex-Vienna police officer Michael Sheehy sentenced to 6 months

Pleaded guilty to thefts at department, Mathews schools

Staff photo / Raymond L. Smith Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office deputies lead former Vienna police officer Michael Sheehy to jail after placing him in handcuffs Tuesday following his sentencing in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. Sheehy was sentenced to six months in Trumbull County Jail and five years probation and was ordered to pay restitution.

WARREN — The former Vienna police officer who pleaded guilty to various thefts from the department and the Mathews Local School District was sentenced Tuesday to six months in Trumbull County Jail and five years probation, and was ordered to pay restitution for his acts.

Michael Sheehy, 33, who arrived in court surrounded by family members, immediately was placed in handcuffs and sent to jail after the sentencing.

Sheehy pleaded guilty in August to two counts of breaking and entering, theft in office, possessing criminal tools, petty theft and aggravated possession of drugs. He resigned in February from the Vienna Police Department after he was indicted on the charges.

Before his sentencing, Sheehy’s attorney, Jonathan P. Morgan, sought to convince Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Andrew Logan that his client was an ideal candidate for probation.

“He knew he wanted to be a police officer from a very young age,” Morgan said.

Sheehy, according to Morgan, took pride in simply doing the day-to-day work of being a police officer, and, later, being assigned as a school resource officer at Mathews.

He described Sheehy becoming addicted to Percocet about a year-and-a-half ago after being prescribed it following a surgery. After he no longer had the ability to obtain the drug, Sheehy turned to other means, according to Morgan.

“Being part of a small police department, he did not have the resources for help available in other larger departments,” Morgan said. “In an act of desperation during a three-month period, he made a series of bad decisions.”

Morgan said once Sheehy was confronted, he completely owned it. He resigned to spare the community further embarrassment, Morgan said.

Since that time, Sheehy has attended a 20-day intensive drug rehabilitation program, a 75-day in-house program and, at the time of his sentencing, was attending a three- to four-month aftercare program.

“His actions were not sinister or criminal intent,” Morgan said. “They were acts driven entirely by his addictions.”

Sheehy, in a brief statement, said he never expected to be in court as a defendant.

“I let a lot of people down,” Sheehy said. “I let my family, my community and my department down.”

Logan said he felt a six-month jail sentence and five years probation was appropriate. Sheehy also has to repay $1,000 taken from the school district and $700 stolen from Vienna police Chief Bob Ludt’s police cruiser. He also took two AR-15 rifles valued at $2,400 from the police department.

Although he recommended a prison sentence, Trumbull County assistant Prosecutor Christopher Becker later said the sentence given by Logan was appropriate.

“If he does anything wrong, he has the possibility of being sent to prison for five years,” Becker said. “He (Sheehy) not only embarrassed himself, but also the hundreds of other fine officers working in this community.”

Sheehy used his position as a police officer and a resource officer in the schools to perpetrate his crimes, Becker said.

“Anytime that one of us does something wrong, it is an embarrassment for the entire law enforcement community,” Becker said.

As far as Sheehy’s defense that his actions were a result of his addictions, Becker said it is hard for law enforcement to feel sympathy.

“You know better,” Becker said. “He had the training, resources and knowledge to know the effects of drug addiction.”

Becker said Sheehy will never again work as a police officer.

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