TIPP CITY — A Tipp City Police Department sergeant previously on paid administrative leave has returned to regular duties this week.
Sgt. Marc Basye was placed on paid administrative leave on Jan. 30 following an Ohio Attorney General Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) report with allegations that Basye disseminated protected information in reference to a traffic stop the Piqua Police Department conducted on Sheri Duchak of Troy, the wife of Miami County Sheriff Dave Duchak, in August 2018.
This week, Chief of Police Eric Burris of the Tipp City Police Department said he “found insufficient evidence” to warrant disciplinary action for Basye, and he returned Basye back to his regular duties as of Wednesday.
“Following a careful and thorough (administrative) investigation, including a review of materials provided by Ohio BCI regarding Tipp City Police Sergeant Marc Basye’s alleged involvement in disseminating protected information from a Piqua P.D. investigation in 2018, I have found insufficient evidence to support disciplinary action against Sergeant Marc Basye,” Burris said in a statement. “Effective immediately, Sergeant Basye is to be returned from administrative leave to his regular duties.”
The Piqua Police Department began an investigation into an internal records leak in August 2018 after they received a report that protected information from their Spillman records management system software was posted to a public Facebook page. The screenshot reportedly involved their case on Sheri Duchak, who was charged with OVI on Aug. 28, 2018, and later found guilty of the offense following a traffic stop involving her on Aug. 8, 2018. The Piqua Police Department requested assistance from the Ohio BCI with the investigation in April 2019.
According to the Ohio BCI’s report, Basye accessed the internal records system on Aug. 10, 2018 and took a screenshot of the records involving Sheri Duchak prior to her being charged. The report alleged Basye shared the information with Paul Reece, a Republican candidate for Miami County Sheriff running against Duchak. The information appeared on a Facebook post on the page “Local Government Fact Check” (LGFC), to which investigators found Reece, Robert Peters, a known friend of Reece, and former Miami County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Doug Byers, had administrative access.
Ohio BCI Investigator Special Agent Tiffany Najmulski presented the office’s investigation report to Miami County Prosecutor Tony Kendell on Oct. 15, 2019. The report was then sent to special prosecutor Shelby County Prosecutor Tim Sell, who presented the information during a grand jury session on Jan. 23, 2020. The grand jury failed to indict Basye on unauthorized use of law enforcement automated database system, a felony of the fifth-degree.
Basye has been a police officer with Tipp City since 2001. Basye was promoted to the rank of sergeant in March 2012.
