BG INDEPENDENT NEWS
The Bowling Green State University employee who oversaw the Stroh Center has been indicted on five felony counts.
Ben Spence, a Bowling Green native, was indicted by a Wood County Grand Jury on two felony counts of theft in office and three felony counts of tampering with records.
Spence, 34, who had been the Stroh director since 2013, had already resigned over financial irregularities.
A statement from the university said in August, university internal auditors “discovered irregularities with cash handling practices done in connection with Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) tournaments held at the Stroh Center.”
Spence was suspended at that time, and resigned in October. The university then presented the information to the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office, which is conducting an investigation.
Last August, BGSU internal auditors conducted an audit of cash handling practices related to the OHSAA tournaments and discovered facts that warranted referring the matter to the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether criminal conduct was involved. The university immediately suspended Spence.
According to Dave Kielmeyer, BGSU spokesperson, the prosecutor’s office started its own investigation. While the prosecutor’s investigation was ongoing, Spence resigned his position on Oct. 12, 2015. He is no longer employed by the university.
After reviewing the draft audit findings, the university put additional procedures into place at the Stroh Center, according to a statement from BGSU.
