Akron Councilman Bob Hoch was relieved Tuesday afternoon after he was sentenced to one year of probation for misdemeanor ethics law violations.
He faced up to 180 days in jail on each of three conflict of interest charges he pleaded guilty to last month.
“I’m happy it’s over,” Hoch said in an interview after his sentencing. “I can put the stress and worry behind me.”
The sentencing ended a nearly two-year ordeal for Hoch that began with the revelation in early 2015 that former Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic had filed a complaint with the Ohio Ethics Commission against him. At the time, he and Plusquellic were engaged in a heated feud that included Hoch’s disinvitation to Plusquellic’s annual State of the City speech and culminated in Plusquellic’s surprise resignation in May 2015.
Hoch said of the probation, “I can do that.”
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Amy Corrigall Jones also gave Hoch a 30-day jail sentence, but suspended it, and ordered him to pay court costs.
“I will tell you, sir, based on your life history and service to the country, I don’t anticipate any problems with your supervision through adult probation,” Jones told Hoch.
Hoch, 67, is permitted to continue serving on council because the charges against him were misdemeanors, not felonies.
Hoch, a retired Acme manager and U.S. Navy veteran, was charged in December in response to a complaint filed by Plusquellic. He pleaded guilty last month to three conflict of interest charges related to legislation he voted on or actions he took as a councilman that benefited two of his sons, who are Akron firefighters.
Brad Tommaro, a special prosecutor appointed by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, said during Hoch’s sentencing that the councilman was given ample warning by numerous Akron officials that he was taking actions that were a conflict of interest, but he chose to ignore them.
Tommaro didn’t make a recommendation to Jones for Hoch’s sentencing, except to say that it should “leave an indelible impression on the defendant” to make sure he uses better judgment in the future.
Tom Houlihan, Hoch’s attorney, provided Jones a letter given to Hoch in January 2016 from Law Director Eve Belfance in which she advised Hoch against voting on a new contract with the Akron fire union because of his sons’ involvement with the fire union. Based on this letter, Houlihan said, Hoch abstained from voting on the fire union agreement.
“To some degree, he has already learned a lesson from this process,” Houlihan said.
Houlihan pointed to other Ohio cases involving public officials violating ethics laws that resulted in the officials being publicly reprimanded, paying restitution or receiving suspended jail sentences. He suggested that the appropriate sentence for Hoch would be a fine.
When Jones asked Hoch if he wanted to say anything before his sentencing, he said, “No, your honor.”
Jones told Hoch she will consider terminating his probation at some point.
Hoch’s wife, one of his sons and his daughter attended the sentencing, as did Akron City Council President Marilyn Keith, a friend of Hoch’s who, like Hoch, was elected to council in 2011 and re-elected in 2015.
“I feel bad it all came to this,” Keith said. “He will prevail. He’ll do OK.”
Hoch’s current, four-year council term representing Ward 6 runs through 2019. Asked if he planned to run for another term, Hoch said he hasn’t yet decided. “Is eight [years] enough?” he asked.
Hoch faced competition in the Democratic primary in 2015, but was the only council member without Republican competition in the November general election that year. Summit County GOP Chairman Alex Arshinkoff told the Beacon Journal that Hoch was the “hero of the Republicans” because of his feud with Plusquellic, a fellow Democrat.
Bryan Williams, the county GOP’s Executive Committee chairman, called Hoch the victim of a “political witch hunt,” and said he doesn’t think the convictions will hurt him politically.
“I think it will make a martyr out of him,” Williams said. “Electorally, he will be stronger.”
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705, swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj .