Jonathan Leissler, a former Ohio Senate candidate from Stow, was sentenced on Apr. 9 to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud charges involving the theft of more than $4.4 million from his employer and a local fraternal police organization.
Leissler’s actions were found to have caused significant financial harm to both his employer and the police group, impacting funds intended for scholarships for children of police officers.
According to court documents, Leissler was hired as chief financial officer at an industrial supply company in Warrensville Heights in March 2022. He began embezzling funds within his first month by creating fake payroll records that resulted in unauthorized bonuses and payments totaling $3.8 million over 70 pay periods by November 2024. In addition, he used company credit cards to make donations totaling more than $700,000 toward his own campaign during the November 2024 general election through an online fundraising platform.
When confronted about these charges by his employer, Leissler processed refunds but had already changed the bank account linked to the fundraising platform so that it could not recover its money. This left the online platform responsible for covering those amounts.
Leissler also stole more than $50,000 from a local fraternal order of police while serving as their treasurer by writing checks to himself and withdrawing cash—an amount representing about 80% of the organization’s scholarship funds.
Federal investigators said Leissler spent stolen money on private plane travel, a vacation property in South Carolina, mortgage payments, vehicles, cryptocurrency mining equipment, and starting a business. The FBI Cleveland Division led the investigation into these activities.
U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker ordered Leissler to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay restitution totaling $4,421,154.54.
