Ohio law prohibits public employees from soliciting or accepting special compensation or benefits because of their positions.
Lorenz has been reassigned to administrative duties while the Ohio Department of Natural Resources conducts an internal investigation into the allegations and awaits to see if any legal action is taken against him.
“The state has a zero-tolerance policy for (improper compensation), and we take these allegations very seriously,” said Bethany McCorkle, department spokeswoman.
On Nov. 11, a park officer at Hueston Woods State Park in Preble County who was handling a noise complaint allegedly learned that Lorenz’s brother and father-in-law were staying for free at a cabin in the park, according to the report.
The officer told his supervisor, who passed the information along to management at the Department of Natural Resources, and the state asked the inspector general’s office to get involved.
An investigation allegedly found that Lorenz asked a manager at Xanterra Parks & Resorts — the private company which oversaw the reservation system for Hueston Woods until earlier this year — to provide lodging for his family members, according to the report.
The manager reserved a cabin for Lorenz and his family members to use for 14 days at no charge, which would have cost the general public at least $2,500, according to the report.
The cabins usually rent for $174 per day between Sunday and Thursday and $189 per day on Fridays and Saturdays, the report said.
Ohio Deputy Inspector General Carl Enslen said a review of Xanterra’s records showed that Lorenz had four reservations at Hueston Woods, three at Shawnee State Park in Portsmouth and two at Burr Oak State Park in Glouster.
The reservations were either comped or provided at a reduced rate, Enslen said.
He said Xanterra occasionally provided complimentary cabins for corporate or company employees, but Lorenz is a public employee, and state law restricts the types of compensation state employees can receive.
“Employees of state government are paid by the taxpayers of Ohio to perform a public service, but that doesn’t entitle them as state employees to use their position to obtain additional, special benefits that are unavailable to others,” he said. Enslen said the investigation’s findings were forwarded to the Preble County Prosecutor’s Office, but it is unclear whether any criminal charges will be filed.
Lorenz could not be reached for comment.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-0749 or cfrolik@coxohio.com
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