Dann Disciple Pleads Not Guilty

NBC 4: A onetime top aide to former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann pleaded not guilty to 10 criminal charges Monday and was bonded. Anthony Gutierrez surrendered himself to authorities Monday morning and was arraigned in Franklin County court.

Anthony Gutierrez, who was in the center of a sexual-harassment scandal in the Ohio Attorney General’s office, was indicted on 10 criminal charges Thursday, May 14. The grand jury’s charges included one count of theft in office, two counts of unauthorized use of property, two counts of receiving improper compensation, one count of prohibited election activities, one count of filing a false statement and three counts of worker’s compensation fraud.

Gutierrez allegedly used state equipment and employees to operate his construction business on state time. It was alleged he received extra compensation in the form of rent and utilities at both a Dublin condo and a Victorian Village residence.

Gutierrez also was accused of under-reporting the number of employees at his company to avoid paying premiums. Gutierrez agreed to turn himself in Monday and to make an appearance in court. He turned himself into authorities close to 10:45 a.m. and made no comment to the media. He pleaded not guilty to the 10 charges and was given a $100,000 bond. The bond included a $10,0000 appearance bond and a $90,0000 recognizance bond.

Gutierrez, 50, faces six felonies, as much as eight years in custody and $19,000 in fines. “He has, I would say, to date cooperated with the investigation and for that reason, we will not request that a bond be set such that would keep him in confinement. So I expect him and his lawyer to surrender on Monday,” Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said last week.

Gutierrez was the central figure in a pair of sexual-harassment complaints by two female employees of Dann’s office that ultimately resulted in Dann’s resignation in May 2008. Gutierrez was fired in May 2008 after an internal investigation concluded he violated the office’s sexual harassment policy.

Dann, a Democrat, later resigned and admitted that he had an extramarital affair with an employee. He was elected in 2006 on an anti-corruption platform. O’Brien said the investigation is not complete and others could be charged. He would not comment on names. O’Brien did not comment on the status of Dann or Leo Jennings, another former aid to Dann. It was thought at one point Gutierrez may work out a plea deal, but O’Brien did not comment on what possibly derailed those negotiations.