The Butler County Prosecutor’s Office says it has concluded a nearly three-year investigation into financial activity at the Middletown Senior Citizen Center, doing business as Central Connections, and a grand jury has declined to pursue any criminal charges. The investigation, which began with the Middletown Police Department and included assistance from an investigator and forensic accountant with the Ohio Auditor’s Office as well as the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office, examined allegations of financial misconduct involving the nonprofit organization over an extended period. According to Prosecutor Michael T. Gmoser (pictured), investigators interviewed multiple witnesses, subpoenaed records, and reviewed numerous boxes of evidence. Some materials, however, were not discovered until years into the inquiry, and key accounting data was ultimately found to be inaccessible after computers containing financial records were reportedly disposed of before investigators could examine them. The investigation centered on the organization Central Connections and its former Executive Director Diane Rodgers, along with oversight practices by members of its board, including former Board Presidents Rich Hasemeier and Rick Fishbaugh and Treasurer Don Evers.
Prosecutors said the investigation found that Rodgers made approximately $10,000 in personal purchases using organizational credit cards. The office also noted that board members and financial leadership were made aware of the spending concerns but did not implement controls or limits on her authority. Investigators further described a lack of clear financial guardrails during her tenure. The report also cited broader governance concerns, including hiring practices that did not include a nationwide background check and decisions that allegedly contributed to weakened financial oversight. Among those was the disposal of computers containing accounting records in exchange for the forgiveness of IT-related debt, which resulted in the loss of potentially relevant data. Central Connections reportedly received funding from multiple public sources, including the Council on Aging and the City of Middletown. Despite identifying what it described as significant financial and managerial shortcomings, the prosecutor’s office said it could not establish a clear legal standard to support criminal charges. Officials cited disorganized records, missing accounting data, and the use of cash payroll practices as factors that prevented a definitive determination of unlawful conduct. The Butler County Grand Jury ultimately reviewed the evidence and declined to bring formal charges, effectively closing the case.
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