The facts tell a very different story. Here is what we have learned through our extensive investigation.
9/18/2007 – Villa Hills’ councilman Mike Martin calls the Villa Hills Police Department (VHPD) to file a harassment complaint against a collection agency that continues to contact him with phone calls about an unsettled account. The collectors are pursuing the wrong Mike Martin. Detective Joe Schutzman contacts the collection agency on Martin’s behalf and straightens out the matter. Remember, Martin will soon falsely allege that Detective Schutzman had a vendetta against him.
While this was happening, officials from Hamilton County, Ohio were independently working to clarify why checks being issued to a deceased woman were being cashed by someone named Mike Martin. This Mike Martin would be correctly identified as Villa Hills Councilman Mike Martin.
10/2007 – After researching why a woman who had passed away four years earlier was being issued checks and they were being endorsed by someone signing her name, the Hamilton County Fraud Unit contacts the VHPD.
The VHPD receives a package via US Mail from the Hamilton County Family Protection Office about checks being cashed and deposited into the personal bank account of Villa Hills’ Councilman Mike Martin.
10/28/2007 – Martin is contacted by VHPD Detective Joe Schutzman to come into the office to discuss the package mailed from the Hamilton County Protection Office. Martin refuses to come in without an attorney. Martin is advised that his attorney is welcome to attend. Schutzman even offers to contact the attorney directly to schedule the meeting. Martin refuses to give Schutzman the name of the attorney.
10/2007 – Martin continually fails to return phone inquiries from the VHPD attempting to schedule a meeting. At the request of the VHPD, Martin is contacted by one of his good friends who also happens to be an attorney strongly urging him to take his attorney to meet with the VHPD to quickly get the matter resolved.
11/1/2007 – The VHPD learns that Martin’s attorney recuses himself after finding out that Martin incorrectly advised him that he was dealing with a civil matter. The matter is criminal. The VHPD learned that this attorney referred Martin to a criminal lawyer.
11/2/2007 – Martin agrees to meet with Detective Schutzman. Schutzman showed Martin all of the information the VHPD had received. During the interview Martin acknowledges that he committed forgery. Martin lays all the blame on a bank employee who he says advised him to sign the deceased woman’s (who it turns out was Martin’s mother) name on the checks. Bank records show that Martin cashed some of the checks and deposited others into his personal account.
11/8/2007 – Detective Schutzman follows up with Hamilton County Court Enforcement. It is learned that Court Enforcement learned in 2005 that Martin’s mother passed away in 2003. Court Enforcement ordered that the checks cease. For some reason the cancellation of the checks did not occur.
11/20/2007 – Martin advises the VHPD to communicate with his attorney. Detective Schutzman learns that Martin’s attorney is not licensed to practice law in Kentucky during an attempt to schedule a meeting. The VHPD informs Martin that his attorney does not have a Kentucky license.
11/2007 – Martin retains a third attorney who recuses himself in a matter of days.
11/27/2007 – Detective Schutzman’s report reaches the Commonwealth Attorney’s office.
11/28/2007 – Martin contacts VHPD Chief Dan Goodenough. Martin inquires about the grand jury process. Martin asks if he can be present when the case is presented to the grand jury. Goodenough explains the grand jury process to Martin and explains that no case is being presented to the grand jury at this time. Martin questions Schutzman’s role in the investigation and asks if there is a conflict of interest as Martin serves as a Villa Hills’ councilman. (Interestingly, Martin saw no such conflict when running for re-election to council in 2008 or mayor in 2010 while he was suing Schutzman, Goodenough and the taxpayers of Villa Hills).
12/2007 – The fourth attorney representing Marin contacts the VHPD and lets them know that Martin has been advised to stop talking to the VHPD.
12/18/2007 – The VHPD is notified that a warrant has been issued by the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for Martin’s arrest. After doing some research with the district court clerks, Chief Goodenough contacts Martin and informs him of the arrest warrant. Martin is advised of the charges, warrant number, cash amount needed for bond, where to turn himself in (the third floor of the Justice Center, NOT JAIL) so that he can quickly be processed by the clerks, post his bond and leave. The entire process takes about thirty minutes.
It is important to note that Martin was not handcuffed and driven to the Justice Center in a police cruiser. He drove himself and, again, was in and out in approximately thirty minutes.
12/2007 thru 2/2008 – There are three continuances issued during the court proceedings. Martin is granted time to correct the mess he had created in Hamilton County.
Some interesting things are revealed. Martin had hired an attorney in Hamilton County to oversee payment of the checks well before these problems surfaced. The attorney advised Martin to enter the checks into probate court when his mother passed away. Martin refused to do so. Martin explained that he did not want other members of his family to know he was receiving the checks. It was also learned that a court had ordered the checks be paid to Martin’s mother even before Martin was born.
2/2008 – On the fourth and final court appearance, the judge is satisfied that Martin had corrected the mess that he created in Hamilton County. The judge is further assured that no more checks would be issued to Martin in his mother’s name.
It is important to note that Martin was investigated and arrested for signing someone else’s name to a check and depositing it (forgery). At no time was Martin being investigated for theft. More than three years later four judges would rule that there was probable cause for Martin’s arrest and that his actions fit the very definition of forgery.
Despite Martin’s good fortune in February 2008, the councilman would file an ultimately unsuccessful $1.505 MILLION lawsuit against Chief Goodenough, Detective Schutzman and the taxpayers of Villa Hills (despite what Martin was so happy to report during his dirtbag mayoral campaign) in May, 2008.
Yes indeed. You ARE getting what you voted for.
