County administrator charged with OVI

CHILLICOTHE – Ross County Administrator and Fair Board President Brad Cosenza was arrested and jailed early Sunday for allegedly driving while impaired.

The Chillicothe Police Department confirmed the former Scioto Township trustee and city parks and recreation director, who was recently mulling a run for Chillicothe mayor, also was charged with an open container violation after police reportedly found half-empty bottles of wine and whiskey in his pickup truck.

Cosenza on Monday pleaded not guilty to the OVI and open container charges as well as traffic citations for failure to stop at a stop sign and failure to use a turn signal, records show.

"We maintain Brad's innocence and have no further comment at this time," said Michael Benson, Cosenza's attorney.

Cosenza, 55, was pulled over shortly before 1 a.m. on Allen Avenue near his home. A Chillicothe police officer initiated the traffic stop after seeing Cosenza fail to use his turn signal and stop at the stop sign while turning from Piatt Avenue onto Allen Avenue, the report states.

Cosenza — who exited his truck after he was stopped and asked what he did wrong — reportedly had to be told five times to sit in the vehicle before he complied. According to the police incident report, after approaching the vehicle, the officer noted Cosenza's eyes were bloodshot and glassy and there was a slight odor of an alcoholic beverage.

Asked whether he'd had anything to drink that night, Cosenza reportedly said: "We played a little tonight. … We went to Cincinnati to a vineyard. … We had a little bit of stuff."

When the officer asked him how much he had to drink, Cosenza replied, "not very much." According to the report, he later said, "I don't think I had anything to drink tonight," and reiterated that, "We played a little tonight."

Cosenza refused the standardized field sobriety tests during the traffic stop and later refused a breath alcohol test at the Ross County Jail, according to the report. He also "complicated the process with the jail staff" while he was being booked by refusing to sign the citations, the report states.

Cosenza eventually signed and received the citations after the officer told him he would remain in custody until his court date if he did not sign them, the report states.

In Ohio, refusal of a breath test results in a minimum one-year license suspension. Cosenza has requested an administrative license suspension hearing, set for March 19, at which point he could be granted occupational driving privileges.

Cosenza has requested a jury trial, which has been scheduled for May 19 with a pretrial hearing set for April 29.

Meanwhile, Cosenza remains active in his job as county administrator.

"We were made aware of it and at this point we feel the conduct was not at all related to his job and we don't intend to take any disciplinary action," Ross County Commissioner Steve Neal said. "He does an excellent job as county administrator."

Neal said it would be different if Cosenza's job involved him driving a county-owned vehicle, which it does not.