By Brett Milam
Editor
A local Batavia man, who stole $20,000 from Tealtown Ballpark while president of the ballpark, was convicted on Nov. 15, 2019 to five years of community control, and to pay back the full restitution.
Rex Griffith, 33, was charged with one count of felony theft on June 25, 2019, with the offense stemming from Jan. 9, 2019 through Feb. 22, 2019.
Board members for the Ballpark work on a volunteer basis; it’s not a paid position.
Zachary Zipperer, assistant prosecuting attorney, said Griffith deposited $20,009.97 from the bank account belonging to Tealtown Ballpark into his personal account. Griffith admitted that this was to “make payments for rent, vehicles, electric, cell phone, internet, credit cards, among other items.”
Griffith originally pleaded not guilty to the charges on July 3, 2019, and bond was set at $10,000.
By Oct. 10, 2019, Griffith entered a plea of guilty to Clermont County Common Pleas Judge Anthony Brock.
By pleading guilty, Griffith faced a range of prison from six months to 18 months, none of which was mandatory. He also faced a possible fine of $5,000, of which $0 was mandatory.
Brock convicted Griffith to five years of community control subject to basic supervision and control of the probation department.
Part of that control includes 75 days in the Clermont County Jail, to obtain and maintain full-time employment, and stay off the premises of Tealtown Ballpark, among other typical items, like not consuming or possessing drugs.
The other big item was that Griffith has to pay restitution to Tealtown Ballpark in the full amount stolen of $20,009.97.
On Dec. 12, 2019, Griffith wrote a letter to Brock about the Sheriff’s Trustee program. That program allows certain inmates to perform jobs in and outside of the jail, and if all goes well, the Sheriff reports that to the judge, who can then award two days credit for one day of work.
That is, for every day worked, the inmate gets two days knocked off their sentence.
Griffith said he wants to find a job and work on paying the Ballpark back, if approved for the trustee program.
“I also want to continue to help the Ballpark; registration has started, and those kids need equipment,” Griffith said. “I have [been] collecting slightly used equipment to give to the children whose parents can’t afford it.”
Griffith said he also still receives a lot of emails, texts, and phone calls about the Ballpark.
“I know it’s probably hard to believe after I did what I did, but I truly never wanted to cause the Ballpark to fail, and going forward, plan on doing anything I can without stepping foot on park property to help it succeed.”
Griffith said he made a mistake, but otherwise spent five years dedicating his life to the Ballpark. He added that he wants a chance to get people to look past his mistake and “see the real person I am.”
Brock has yet to respond to Griffith’s letter.