Former Dodge County attorney sentenced to 9 months in prison
The former Dodge County attorney who pleaded guilty to a civil rights violation in November was sentenced to prison on Friday.
US Attorney Steven Russell announced that Oliver J. Glass, 47, of Fremont was sentenced by US District Court Chief Judge Robert Rossiter Jr. to 9 months in prison for conspiracy to disenfranchise according to the law. Upon his release, Glass will serve a 1-year period of controlled release. He was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine as part of his sentence.
Glass was named Dodge County Attorney in 2011 and was subsequently elected in 2014 and 2018.
In 2020, Glass’s wife filed for divorce. On March 6, 2020, Glass learned that his wife was dating an individual identified in the information as Victim 1.
Between March 6, 2020 and December 22, 2020, Glass conspired with other anonymous persons to deprive Victim 1 of her constitutionally protected rights, specifically, her right against unreasonable search and seizure protected by the Fourth Amendment. Glass conspired to unlawfully apprehend or arrest victim 1.
Additionally, Glass and others used their limited access to the Nebraska Criminal Justice Information System to obtain information about Victim 1. A Fremont Police Department supervisor informed other officers that Victim 1 was dating Glass’s wife and that he was searching for Victim 1 and provide other officers with information about Victim 1, vehicle description and license plate number.
An officer within the Dodge County law enforcement community, while acting as a private investigator, used his law enforcement credentials to gain access to victim 1’s criminal history that was not publicly available . Law enforcement officers in Dodge County would walk past Victim 1’s apartment looking for Victim 1 without a legal justification or criminal assumption.
Rossiter, in imposing the sentence, found Glass’ violation of his professional ethical obligations and public trust by stating, “You were a lawyer; you took the oath. You were a prosecutor; you took the oath. You were the elected county attorney; you took the oath. You broke those oaths. You have violated the public’s trust.”
One of the victims wrote to the court in her impact statement: “It is impossible to communicate the mental anguish and constant state of fear I felt when Mr. Glass was illegally monitoring my actions and using his close contacts to persecute me. No one should have to put up with that kind of terror. Not knowing if ‘good guys’ are really ‘good’ just because they wear a uniform. Or, wondering if today is the day you will be framed or wrongly arrested just to demonstrate the scope that Mr. Glass had.
Reflecting on the ruling, Russell echoed the words of then Attorney General and eventual Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson in 1940: or other base reasons, it’s one of the worst.
“Oliver Glass, in this matter, acted maliciously and from base motives as he abused his office,” Russell added. “This type of behavior undermines public trust in the criminal justice system and I hope this ruling will help restore that trust.”
After the sentencing, FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “Oliver Glass used the power of his elected office to carry out a personal vendetta. Over and over he abused his authority by violating the rights of his victim. Today’s sentencing of him reminds us that the FBI will always hold government officials accountable when they intentionally strip someone of their constitutional rights.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Sean Lynch. He’s been investigated by the FBI.
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