LUCAS COUNTY, Ohio — Robert Austin, a former Sylvania Township police lieutenant and Delta police chief, pleaded guilty to a fifth degree felony count of grand theft during a Wednesday morning hearing.
Austin was investigated by the state’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation and it follows a 2024 report by 11 Investigates that showed Austin was married to two women at the same time. This resulted in a Feb. 28 indictment on charges of theft and insurance fraud. Investigators said Austin illegally had one of his wives on the Township’s insurance plan.
Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge Eric Allen Marks ordered Austin to pay $69,698.48 back to Sylvania Township, money incurred through the insurance plan. The other two counts in the case were dismissed during Wednesday’s hearing…