The resignation of Monroe County Board of Commissioners Chairman Mark Brant would not have been a surprise had Brant been transparent with the electorate. He was indicted in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, on Dec. 15, 2022 for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (21 U.S.C. 846).
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Brant pleaded guilty to felony Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (21 U.S.C 856(a)(2)) on March 20, 2024. He was sentenced to prison on September 11, 2024. According to court documents, Brant’s criminal conspiracy ran from at least March 16, 2018, through Dec. 1, 2020, (Freedom of Information Act requests to Monroe County law enforcement agencies may yield information about Brant’s marijuana operations prior to 2018).
It is likely Brant benefited from his official position as a commissioner in concealing his criminal enterprise. Not until he was sentenced did Brant publicly acknowledge his criminal activity and resign. Scandalous as it is, it isn’t the only scandal. After his guilty plea, Monroe County’s top two administrative officers submitted letters of support (both dated June 4, 2024) to Brant’s attorney for use at sentencing. Michael Bosanac, Monroe County administrator and chief financial officer, and Aundrea Armstrong, deputy Monroe County administrator/chief financial officer, used their respective official positions to advocate for Brant in the hopes of influencing the judge’s decision regarding his punishment.
While it is common for criminal defendants to solicit and submit character references and letters of support to judges, it is despicable for county officials to use their positions to influence the court. Particularly so in a case that involved a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute illegal drugs, drugs that undoubtedly made their way into the community.
As a former Monroe County Assistant Prosecutor — 2006-2016 — and as county felony drug prosecutor for several years, I can tell you drug offenses are not victimless crimes. Anyone who has lost a loved one to an overdose, or rode the roller coaster of addiction, or had property stolen by drug addicts, will likely agree. Even marijuana use, regardless of its growing societal acceptance, has consequences. Rates of cannabis-induced psychosis and depression — particularly in younger demographics — are increasing. Monroe County has been ravaged by drugs — legal and illegal — for years. That Bosanac and Armstrong ignore this fact while vouching for Brant is disgusting. It also raises serious questions about transparency in county government.
As of June 4th, Bosanac and Armstrong knew of Brant’s federal conviction. Did the top two officials in county government inform the Board of Commissioners? Or did they keep quiet, neglecting their duty to the board? Did either of them inform the county’s legal adviser at Lennard, Graham, & Goldsmith? And if so, did the county legal adviser inform the board? If any members of the board knew about Brant’s criminal activity or his indictment and conviction, why did they not act?
Brant spread his financial largesse among other county officials and candidates. For example, during the 2020 election cycle — in the middle of Brant’s criminal enterprise — Monroe County Clerk Anne Marie Osment’s campaign received $700 from Brant. Money is fungible. The proceeds from his crime allowed him the freedom to line the pockets of political friends. Who else received money from Brant while he was involved in illegal drug activity? These questions must be answered.
A fraud has been perpetrated on the electorate, especially the people of Brant’s district who are now without representation. Brant may not be the only perpetrator. It seems likely that there is a conspiracy of silence among Brant’s political allies. Elected and appointed officials who put themselves before the people of Monroe County. What is to be done?
Bosanac and Armstrong should resign immediately or be fired. And any elected official who took money from Brant during his criminal enterprise should return it. The Board of Commissioners should hire an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into who knew about Brant’s crime and conviction and when so that the public can be fully informed.
County voters—especially in Brant’s district—deserve transparency and integrity in governance and the electoral process. This is not it.
Timothy D. Lusch is a former assistant prosecuting attorney from Monroe County.
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