WARREN — Nineteen complaints from deputies were outlined against a Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office sergeant on leave, alleging he’s previously made false statements in sheriff’s reports, made arrests without justification, and created a toxic work environment, according to an email detailing these complaints.

An April 9 email from Chief Deputy Dale McDorman confirms the sergeant was notified of the pending investigation and instructed the sergeant to cooperate with Capt. David Ruggiero, who is leading the investigation. The sergeant’s name was redacted in the records.

The email contains a warning about deteriorating morale within the department, stating that allowing the sergeant or remain in a position of authority could trigger a “mass exodus” of deputies that the email says would be “almost impossible to overcome.”

The email states deputies are fearful of retaliation, with deputies alleging the sergeant uses his rank and position to bully and intimidate.

According to the email, numerous deputies have been advised they may be called to provide information about the alleged misconduct. The email states that it would include almost “every deputy that works here.”

An email titled “Union Complaints” from April 8 detailed in a union complaint 19 claims of misconduct by deputies who accused the sergeant of:

1. Posting a cartoon image of a South Park character at the Newton Falls substation along with an inappropriate handwritten note. The image was later removed.

2. Allowing a specific deputy to sleep in and miss work approximately 30 times without punishment, even permitting them to work in poor condition. He also was accused of not filing an accident report after the deputy struck a deer to prevent drug / alcohol testing.

3. Creating a “toxic environment” by degrading the new administration’s competency, claiming they forced someone out of Youngstown and overspent by $750k, threatening a lawsuit if layoffs occur.

4. Intimidating deputies by threatening to disapprove overtime covertly, remove side jobs deputies take for extra money, and increase his own court time by writing more tickets, while asking to be added to cases to make more money.

5. Admitting to drinking and driving while encouraging other deputies to do so, bragged about using a county breathalyzer at home to test his intoxication, and ordered deputies to follow him home to avoid being pulled over. The complaint states deputies implied that when asked it was “more of an order” to do so while on duty.

6. Creating “fake probable cause” and creating false statements in reports, such as during a domestic violence case where when questioned about the false statements alleged that they were told “sometimes you have to write things up to justify your own actions,” allegedly admitting to writing things to justify his actions, despite other deputies remarking about the inaccuracies.

7. Using his relationship with the sheriff to demote supervisors or remove deputies from road duty, used public records to intimidate, and predicted others’ termination to secure his promotion.

8. Using his cruiser for personal needs, including during the new Sheriff’s swearing-in and in snowy conditions when his personal vehicle couldn’t drive in the snow.

9. Placing a senior deputy in Newton Falls as punishment and threatening to remove them from road duty.

10. Accusing a deputy of “policing for profit” by making arrests solely for court time.

11. Making exaggerated arrests without probable cause and failing to appear in court for these cases, as reported by deputies.

12. Leveraging influence with administration to report issues, which he’s alleged to have bragged about leading to punishment of deputies that he said would lead to them quitting or being fired.

13. Ordering an arrest without evidence, leading to a conviction, and bragging about protecting another deputy from a domestic violence arrest, which was later reported by the victim who allegedly had to call while the accused was not on shift.

14. Ridiculing the K9 program, discouraged a deputy from joining, and threatening to overwork new K9 deputies by making them sniff every stopped car.

15. Violating HIPAA by demanding and sharing a deputy’s health and prescription information via email.

16. Accessed deputies’ time-off and overtime records, bragging about forcing someone out to secure a promotion, and gathering insider administration information.

17. Making a derogatory remark about a deputy potentially overdosing while distributing Narcan, consistently degrading deputies when they were not around.

18. Contacting the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (OPBA) union representative to intimidate deputies, falsely claiming to speak on their behalf without permission.

19. Stayed after shifts to critique reports, questioned supervisors and detectives’ competence, and shared sensitive investigative details on a cold case which the allegation says are actions that “jeopardize investigations.”