Prosecutors Drop Theft Charges Against Ohio Paramedic

DAYTON - Theft in office charges have been dropped against a Miamisburg firefighter/paramedic who was accused of stealing asthma medication and inhalers from two fire departments.

Jack R. Ikerd Jr., 39, who also was a part-time firefighter in West Carrollton, was to go on trial this week. The Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office dropped the charges last week.

"I respect the prosecutor's office for what they did," Ikerd's attorney Vince Popp said Tuesday. "They didn't haul him through a trial they didn't think they could win."

Further investigation led prosecutors to additional information, creating a "lack of sufficient, credible evidence to proceed," Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck said in a statement.

The case was dismissed without prejudice, leaving the possibility that charges could be filed later.

Ikerd was accused of stealing two albuterol packages from the City of Miamisburg, valued at $12 each, and $125 worth of inhalers from the City of West Carrollton, according to incident reports from both police departments.

Albuterol is asthma medication that helps relax and open airways, making it easier to breath.

Popp said Ikerd has a son who had been treated for breathing problems, but medical records show that treatment was more than two years ago. Defense witnesses also would have testified that paramedic packs, where the drugs are kept, are sometimes shorted through human error, Popp said.

Upon learning of the dismissal of charges, Miamisburg immediately changed Ikerd's employment status from "administrative leave without pay" to "administrative leave with pay," said city spokesman Gary Giles.

Ikerd will remain on leave pending completion of an internal administrative review of the matter. There is no timetable for completion of this review, Giles said.

Ikerd is no longer with the West Carrollton department, according to City Manager G. Tracy Williams.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2057 or lgrieco@DaytonDailyNews.com