Former Akron police chief James Nice has been sentenced to one year of community control stemming from a misdemeanor case involving the unauthorized use of a departmental computer.
Nice was also ordered to pay $1,000 in fines and court costs.
The former chief resigned last August amid allegations of conduct unbecoming of an officer and inappropriate contact with a female officer. Nice also came under fire for making racially-charged comments to other officers.
At his sentencing, the former chief denied the allegations and read a statement read the following statement.
Throughout the past several months, I have read and heard things about me that were absolutely untrue and highly offensive. The charge of "attempted misuse of a computer" is related to my asking a Lieutenant to use the law enforcement computer to run a vehicle identification number at the request of a victim of a crime. The victim had never received a title. The Akron Police Department, the Summit County Prosecutor, and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles thoroughly investigated allegations and found no wrongdoing on my part. I was notified of this by one of their top executives. I was astounded that this completed investigation was disregarded and later reopened in a different county seeking a different result.
This situation arose out of an effort to see me unjustly removed from my position as the Akron Police Chief. Statements were made to the press and others alleging that I made racist comments in an effort to push me out of my position, and those statements are absolutely false. I have always been a staunch advocate and supporter of the African-American community, especially here in Akron, where I am a member of and maintain close relations with the NAACP. Numerous members of the Akron African American community will attest that this is simply not in my character. Further, as a life-long public servant, I take great offense to the absolutely untrue accusations that I engaged in a non-consensual relationship with a female subordinate. That is simply not true.
These false allegations led to the unjust end of my employment with the Akron Police Department, which has caused me great economic and emotional harm that I have to live with every day because of the damage to my reputation and my career. Although I now begin a new chapter in my life. I do so having been greatly damaged by these events and intend to seek justice to rectify them.
