Investigation finds Sardinia police chief pushed officers to write tickets, generate revenue

Months after an entire police department in Brown County was placed on administrative leave amid allegations of misconduct, an independent investigation has substantiated several complaints against its police chief, including allegations that he pressured officers to issue traffic citations and emphasized generating revenue through enforcement.

The findings come as Sardinia Police Chief Brian Perry and the village face two federal lawsuits alleging retaliation against people who challenged the department's practices and village leadership.

A 12-page investigative report dated Nov. 5, prepared by the law firm Jackson Lewis for the Village of Sardinia, examined a dozen allegations involving Perry and the department. Investigators substantiated several complaints, including improper use of law enforcement databases and directives discouraging officers from issuing warnings during traffic stops.

However, investigators were unable to reach conclusions on several other allegations, including claims that Perry retaliated against officers who reported misconduct.

The report also raises questions about whether police authority was improperly used against a village councilmember.

Among the most significant findings were allegations that Perry directed officers to write more traffic tickets to increase revenue for the village.

According to the report, officers Zachary Smith and Dakotah Brown alleged Perry told them during a December 2025 department meeting that they were expected to write five or six tickets per shift.

Investigators reviewed text messages attributed to Perry that emphasized citation numbers and revenue.

"I just want you all to write everyone," one message stated.

Another instructed officers that everyone traveling at least 9 mph over the speed limit in the village should receive a citation.

Investigators also documented messages discussing revenue collected from traffic citations, including one referencing $275 generated from a single citation.

The report concluded Perry monitored citation counts, discussed monthly expectations and emphasized revenue when making enforcement decisions.

However, investigators stopped short of substantiating the specific allegation that Perry imposed a fixed quota of five or six tickets per shift, which they noted would violate Ohio law if established.

Investigators did substantiate allegations that Perry directed officers to cite everyone they stopped, discouraging officers from using their discretion to issue warnings.

The report states that such a directive undermines officer discretion and should be addressed by village leadership.

The investigation also substantiated allegations involving the improper use of Ohio's Law Enforcement Gateway, or OHLEG, a system used by law enforcement to access criminal justice information.

According to the report, a Sardinia police lieutenant conducted a criminal history search on village Councilman Dean Vaughn on Jan. 13, 2026.

Investigators found no corresponding police report or legitimate law enforcement purpose for the search.

The report also found that Perry shared photographs of the records within the police department. Copies of information involving Vaughn were later mailed to local businesses, although investigators could not determine who sent them.

Investigators concluded the database search and internal distribution were improper and potentially unlawful.

Vaughn was one of two councilmembers who received complaints about Perry's conduct from officers earlier this year.

The report does not establish that the search was connected to those complaints or intended as retaliation.

The investigation examined several additional allegations, including claims that Perry instructed an officer to provide false testimony, gave preferential treatment to his girlfriend during traffic enforcement and retaliated against officers who reported concerns.

Investigators classified those allegations as unresolved, citing incomplete evidence and the need for additional interviews.

The report also reviewed allegations of discriminatory cash bond practices. Investigators did not substantiate claims that Perry required higher bonds based on race, although a separate discrepancy involving a December 2025 bond remained unresolved.

Allegations that the department improperly handled equipment obtained through a federal surplus program were not substantiated. Investigators did substantiate the use of Russellville Police Department equipment in Sardinia, but described the issue as minor and remedied.

The report also identified concerns involving a lieutenant's interactions with members of the public, including an encounter in which investigators described the officer's conduct toward an elderly resident as unprofessional.

Investigators noted that several findings were preliminary because key interviews and records were unavailable. They also referenced ongoing litigation involving some of the same allegations.

The investigation follows a decision earlier this year to place Sardinia's entire five-officer police department, including Perry, on administrative leave.

Mayor Dusty Puckett announced the decision in March after allegations were raised against the police chief.

In a March 25 letter, Puckett said the decision was intended to protect the investigation and maintain public trust.

The Brown County Sheriff's Office was tasked with assuming law enforcement responsibilities in the village, including emergency response, routine patrols and public safety coordination.

At the time, village officials declined to discuss the nature of the investigation.

"Per our attorney, this cannot be discussed at this time due to the ongoing investigation," the village clerk told WCPO 9.

The administrative leave announcement followed a period of turnover in village leadership. Former Mayor Ashlie Webster and village administrator Amy Mason had resigned earlier that month.

Webster cited disagreements with certain councilmembers in her resignation letter.

"At this time, I find myself in fundamental disagreement with the actions and directions taken by certain members of the council," Webster wrote.

The allegations against Perry are also at the center of a federal lawsuit filed Aug. 5 by former officers Smith and Brown.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, names Perry, the villages of Sardinia and Russellville, former Sardinia Mayor Webster and Russellville Mayor Paula Neu as defendants.

Both officers worked for the Sardinia and Russellville police departments, where Perry served as chief.

According to the complaint, Smith and Brown first reported concerns about Perry's alleged ticket quotas to Sardinia councilmembers Vaughn and Michael McRoberts on Feb. 13.

The officers allege Perry subsequently retaliated by restricting their access to computer systems, office resources and communications needed to perform their duties.

On March 9, Brown submitted a written complaint to village councilmembers, prepared with Smith's input.

The report included allegations of racial profiling, improper ticket quotas, witness coaching, misuse of department equipment and funds and selective enforcement of laws.

The officers allege they were subsequently terminated from their positions with the Russellville Police Department. Smith also alleges he was terminated from Sardinia, while the complaint describes the officers being placed on leave from their Sardinia positions.

Their lawsuit claims the employment actions violated their First Amendment rights because they were speaking about matters of public concern.

They are seeking damages for lost wages, emotional distress and other alleged harm.

While the independent investigation substantiated portions of the officers' complaints about citation practices and revenue-driven enforcement, it did not determine whether their allegations of retaliation were true.

Perry and the Village of Sardinia also face a separate federal lawsuit filed Sept. 30 by Nicholas Braun, a member of the Ohio Air National Guard.

Braun alleges Perry retaliated against him for supporting an effort to dissolve the Village of Sardinia in 2024.

According to the complaint, Braun signed and helped circulate a petition that would have placed the question of dissolving the village on the ballot.

On Aug. 13, 2024, Perry sent a letter on Sardinia Police Department letterhead to Braun's military command, alleging Braun was the subject of an ongoing investigation into suspected organized criminal activity.

Braun claims no such investigation existed.

The lawsuit alleges Perry sent the letter to damage Braun's reputation and retaliate against him for participating in the petition campaign, which could have eliminated the village police department and Perry's position as chief.

Braun said he learned about the letter in October 2024 after his military commander presented it to him.

He is suing Perry and the village for alleged First Amendment retaliation and Perry for defamation and a claim under Ohio law.

The November investigative report specifically examined Perry's letter to Braun.

Investigators confirmed the letter was sent but classified the allegation as unresolved.

The report recommended obtaining the underlying case file and interviewing Perry to determine the letter's purpose and whether a legitimate criminal investigation existed.

Although the investigation substantiated several complaints about Perry's policing practices, it leaves significant questions unanswered about potential retaliation, the use of police authority and the department's future.

Investigators recommended additional interviews and reviews of records to resolve outstanding allegations.

The findings also overlap with claims in the two pending federal lawsuits, although the report does not establish that Perry or other defendants violated the plaintiffs' constitutional rights.

The report does not specify when the unresolved allegations will be addressed or whether the village intends to take additional disciplinary action.

It also does not establish whether Sardinia's officers will return to duty or whether the Brown County Sheriff's Office will continue providing law enforcement services in the village.