The Oakwood Register
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January 9, 2019 THE OAKWOOD REGISTER www.oakwoodregister.com DistinctiveVol. 28, No. 1 Homes January 9, 2019 Ex-Oakwood police chief facing federal child porn charges following arrest in Wisconsin Former Oakwood police chief traced to Bebris’s home in Neenah, iff of Outagamie County, Wisc. Alex P. Bebris, 49, is facing federal Wisc. Bebris was offered the position child pornography charges following The Winnebago County Sheriff’s of police chief in Hortonville in his arrest after authorities served Office executed a search warrant February 2018, three months after a search warrant on his Wisconsin on Bebris’s home on Dec. 19. leaving Oakwood, but reportedly home on Dec. 19. Authorities said a forensic analysis failed a background check required Bebris, who resigned after of the hard drive found on Bebris’s by the city. That investigation caused an 11-year tenure as chief of the computer uncovered images of child the Hortonville Village Board to Oakwood Public Safety Department pornography involving minors rang- rescind its employment offer to in November 2017, faces at least 10 ing from 1 to 10 years of age. Bebris on March 6. state charges of possession of child Oakwood officials said they The background check conducted pornography filed by the Wisconsin have no indication that Bebris was by Diversified Investigations found Department of Justice in addition to involved in any illegal activity while that Bebris had applied to nine dif- the federal charges brought by the employed by the city. ferent agencies in six states in 2016 United States Attorney’s Office for “We are shocked by the recent Oakwood Public Safety Dept. Winnebago County Sheriff’s Dept. and 2017. The background check the Eastern District of Wisconsin. arrest of former employee Alex Former Oakwood Public Safety Department Chief Alex Bebris also indicated that Bebris had signed resigned from the department in November 2017. If convicted, the charges carry a Bebris,” Oakwood City Manager a terms of resignation agreement minimum sentence of five years, or Norb Klopsch said. “Mr. Bebris sep- with Oakwood and previous law the possibility of up to 20 years, in a arated from employment with the that officials are being taking precau- as director of the Oakwood Public enforcement agencies. The agree- federal prison. At a court appearance City of Oakwood on November 10, tions to protect any forensic data, if Safety Department, Bebris, who ment with Oakwood, signed on in Wisconsin, Bebris was determined 2017. We have no additional infor- needed as part of the investigation. was hired by the city in 2006, said Aug. 8, 2017, included provisions to be a flight risk and a judge ordered mation regarding the facts or circum- “City computers are networked he would be accepting a position for the city to pay Bebris’s monthly him held without bail. stances surrounding Mr. Bebris’s and monitored with industry-stan- with the National Criminal Justice health insurance premiums through Facebook reportedly notified the arrest, nor do we have any reason to dard protocols and professional Training Center, a consulting firm December 2017, to pay the former National Center for Missing and believe that Mr. Bebris engaged in [information technology] oversight, working with small police forces chief for all accrued and unused Exploited Children in September that any inappropriate or illegal behavior and we have no reason to suspect that around the country. Some of the vacation benefits at the time of his one of its users had sent images of while employed in Oakwood. As illegal conduct occurred on city com- center’s training initiatives focus on departure, and stipulated that the child pornography to another account this is a pending matter with our puters,” Jacques stated. “However, online crimes against children and City of Oakwood “will respond to utilizing the Facebook Messenger federal government and in the State we have taken steps to secure and exploited children. Within weeks any and all reference requests from app. That prompted an investiga- of Wisconsin, the City of Oakwood preserve all hardware that could be of resigning, however, Bebris was prospective employers by providing tion by the Wisconsin Department will have no further comments.” of evidentiary value, and stand ready seeking the top cop job as chief a positive assessment” of Bebris’ of Justice Internet Crimes Against City Law Director Rob Jacques reit- to cooperate with federal authorities of police in Hortonville, a town of tenure in Oakwood. Children Taskforce, which conclud- erated that no wrongdoing is sus- in any way as this case and any relat- 2,700 in Wisconsin, and later ran “We found some discrepancies ed that the images were sent from pected during Bebris’s time with the ed investigation may unfold.” unsuccessfully as a candidate in the that we didn’t like,” Hortonville the IP, or Internet Protocol, address Republican primary for county sher- Public Safety Department, but noted At the time he left his position See Chief on page 2 u Oakwood approves leash law, raises refuse rates, okays low-speed vehicles in city Dog walkers will be required to lawmakers. “I’ve never encountered Oakwood Public Safety Chief lic safety in mind.” Hill also noted city, but are permitted off lead if in have their canine companions on a a problem with this.” Alan Hill said the change in city law that both neighboring municipali- the fenced-in dog park at Creager leash following a vote Monday by “Obviously there are dogs mis- is driven by public safety, noting ties of Dayton and Kettering have Field. Fines for failing to control a Oakwood City Council that updates handled by irresponsible people, why that there are some 1,000 dogs regis- leash laws, some more stringent than dog will increase from $25 to $50 the city’s pet laws and imposes stiff- not just deal with them?” dog-owner tered in Oakwood across 3,800 resi- Oakwood’s new ordinance. for a second offense, from $50 to er penalties for offenders. Don Eiler said in objecting to the dences. Hill said his department has Hill said Public Safety officers $75 for a third offense, from $75 The proposal to require owners new leash law, adding that he walks responded to 127 dog-related calls will take a “soft” enforcement to $100 in event of a fourth offense to keep dogs leashed when not in his trained canine several times a day in the past five years in Oakwood, approach, encouraging verbal warn- and from $100 to $125 for fifth a homeowner’s yard drew criticism in the city without a lead or leash. with 37 of those being dog bites. ings for first-time offenders or those and subsequent offenses within a from two residents. “I believe in “If my dog were not under control “Thirty-seven dog bites is a signif- unaware of the change in city regu- 12-month period. Service dogs are keeping all dogs under control, but he would not be with me. I’m begin- icant number,” Hill told Council. lations. permitted off of an owner’s property I’m curious what problem we’re try- ning to feel the community is not as “From an enforcement standpoint, Dogs are now required to be on a while in performance of their duties, ing to solve,” John Clarke asked city pleasant as it used to be.” this ordinance is designed with pub- physical leash while walking in the See Rates on page 5 u SAME LOCATION FOR OVER 25 YEARS 937.534.1105 2601 W Dorothy Ln, Dayton, OH 45439 A NEW YEAR And a ENTRANCE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE BUILDING MON FRI 10AM 5PM SAT 10AM 2PM NEW SHOWROOM WWW.APPLIANCEGALLERYDAYTON.COM 2 THE OAKWOOD REGISTER January 9, 2019 u ure to disclose information and ques- Oakwood has been linked with Chief from page 1 Oakwood engineer earns AF Village Board President Al Habeck tions surrounding the circumstances several high-profile sex offend- told the Appleton Post Crescent of his leaving the Milwaukee Police ers in recent years. In 2013, for- honor, will compete nationally after rescinding the offer to hire Department. Bebris also signed ear- mer Oakwood Board of Education By Donna Lindner Bebris. “There was no real smok- lier separation agreements with both President Dr. James K. Uphoff was Air Force Research Laboratory ing gun, but it was questionable the Menasha Police Department and sentenced to federal prison after The National Society of as to why he left the Milwaukee the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, child pornography was discovered Professional Engineers recently Police Department and the according to the background check. on his computer at Wright State awarded Oakwood’s Bob Ware Adams County Sheriff’s Office.” After leaving Oakwood, Bebris University, and in 2016 former stand- the agency-level Federal Engineer Bebris had previously worked for established a private security firm out Oakwood High School swimmer of the Year Award. Ware, who the Milwaukee Police Department, under the name Primus Security and Olympic hopeful Brock Turner works for the Air Force Research the Adams County, Wisc., Sheriff’s & Investigations in Appleton, was convicted of sexually assaulting Laboratory at Wright-Patterson, Office, where he was a chief dep- Wisc. The background check by an intoxicated woman following a will compete for the Federal uty, and the Town of Menasha, Diversified Investigations revealed frat party at Stanford University in Engineer of the Year Award, the Wisc., Police Department, where he that Bebris also was the owner or a case that attracted national media attention. Uphoff was released from organization’s highest-level award, U.S. Air Force photo was a lieutenant, before joining the registered agent of six distinct com- in February.