A former Hocking County commissioner has been meted out a sentence encompassing community service and community control after pleading guilty to theft, among other charges, per the Ohio Auditor of State's office reports. Jessica Dicken, who also served as the secretary for the Hocking County Agricultural Society, has been ordered to pay restitution exceeding $25,000 and to complete 500 hours of community service following her plea in a county Common Pleas Court to felony counts of theft, telecommunications fraud, and a misdemeanor count of soliciting or accepting improper compensation, acknowledged by The Dispatch.
Under investigation from the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit, initiated due to complaints, it emerged that Dicken made fraudulent purchases on the Agricultural Society's credit card amounting to more than $19,000, which were spent on her 2022 campaign for county commissioner and personal expenses including a vacation vehicle rental in Florida. The fraud came to light following this inquiry. According to officials, the grand jury indicted Dicken in September 2023 when she pleaded guilty and was suspended from her commissioner post, subsequently resigning, as reported by ABC6.
Dicken's restitution payout totaled $25,090.69, which included $14,417.02 to the Hocking County Agricultural Society, $4,667.17 to Vinton County National Bank, and $6,006.50 in costs for the audit, a sum likely intended to cover both the stolen funds and the expense incurred during the investigation into her fraudulent actions. This restitution is a component of Dicken's sentencing obligations, including five years of community control, as detailed in the Auditor of State's statement and shared by The Highland County Press.
An additional layer to this scandal included a disciplinary complaint against the county prosecutor Ryan Black, reportedly for having an inappropriate sexual relationship with Dicken—given that his office represents the county commissioners legally, this entanglement further complicates the already murky waters surrounding Dicken's case, "The Dispatch previously reported." As stated by The Dispatch.
