Investigation unearths potential bribery attempt, finds no after-hours club on Put-In-Bay

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio (WTVG) - 13abc is now learning a nearly year-long law enforcement investigation on Put-In-Bay did not yield criminal charges but has unearthed a potential bribery attempt.

The revelations stem from documents obtained by the 13abc I-Team from the Ohio Attorney General’s office. That office closed this case just over one year ago but says in a report that the case can be reopened as needed.

This Bureau of Criminal Investigation report states that in July of 2020, the new PIB police Chief James Kimble was informed about a potential after hours club. Chief Kimble then asked for help from various outside law enforcement agencies to investigate, which included the Attorney General’s Office, Homeland Security, even the IRS.

After lots of surveillance and investigation, no crimes were ever found related to the alleged after hours club but another interaction was reported by the chief in August of 2020.

The chief says while sitting with another law enforcement officer that two men came up to him one man pulled out a large stack of cash and sat it in between the chief and himself and said to the bartender “today is your lucky day, you’re about the reap the benefits of the {name redacted} stimulus package.”

The chief says he took his to-go food and left the bar. Chief Kimble would later go on to say that sometime later, he heard voices outside his home and saw laser sights coming into his bedroom window which he felt to be an intimidation tactic to either resign or accept the bribe and comply with illicit activity.

13abc asked the Attorney General’s about any criminal charges in regard to that potential bribe. We’re told that was outside the scope of the investigation they were conducting.

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