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Charges Related To Bone Theft From OU Dismissed
By: Joe Higgins | Athens Messenger
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An Ohio University employee accused of tipping off a fellow employee to a bone theft investigation has had charges against him in Athens County Common Pleas Court dismissed.
Jerry Reed, 49, had been charged with obstructing justice, a fifth-degree felony. Wednesday, the case was dismissed without prejudice meaning the charges could be refiled in the future if necessary.
Reed was indicted after investigators allegedly found that he had been tipping off Weston Moquin, 28, about a federal investigation into allegations that Moquin was stealing bones from the university. Moquin would later plead guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property and theft from a program receiving federal funds in the connection with the theft and sale of human bones. He was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.
Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said Friday that Reed would likely have been fired from Ohio University if a guilty plea was entered and that he still may be. Instead, Blackburn dismissed the charges and allowed Reed to enter the prosecutor’s diversion program. Should he fail the program, he will likely be charged once more with the crime.
Reed was the director of medical informatics for the university and was placed on paid administrative leave after being charged. The Messenger was unable to determine his current status with the university Friday.