Ohio County Sheriff Candidate Nelson Croft Named Chief Deputy | News, Sports, Jobs

|Photo by Joselyn King| Ohio County Commissioner Randy Wharton, left, Commission Chairman Don Nickerson and Commissioner Zach Abraham listen to discussions during Tuesday's commission meeting.

WHEELING – Nelson Croft – current candidate for Ohio County sheriff – is now the department's chief deputy.

Ohio County Commissioners announced at their meeting Tuesday evening that Croft resigned as director of the county animal shelter effective May 31, then took over as deputy chief on June 2.

Croft's appointment as chief deputy by current Sheriff Tom Howard was submitted to the commissioners for formal approval Tuesday evening and also raised ethics questions.

Croft is the current Republican candidate for sheriff and will face Democrat John Haglock in the Nov. 5 general election.

County Administrator Randy Russell, participating in the meeting by telephone, said he checked with the West Virginia Secretary of State's office to ensure his appointment to the position was legal. He was told that nothing in election law would prohibit Croft from taking the position.

“I know we checked with the Secretary of State's office, but is there anything with the Ethics Commission that we should check? » asked Commissioner Zach Abraham.

County Attorney Don Tennant said he believes the Secretary of State's office is the appropriate office to contact regarding the application aspect.

Abraham offered to accept Croft's nomination, “unless there is something to the contrary in terms of ethics.”

Abraham, Commission Chairman Don Nickerson and Commissioner Randy Wharton all voted in favor of Croft's nomination.

He succeeds former Deputy Chief John Schultz, who resigned May 18, according to Melissa Marco, project coordinator for the county.

Croft was named director of the county animal shelter after his initial retirement from the Ohio County Sheriff's Department in February 2022. He had served 31 years as a deputy with the department.

Commissioner Randy Wharton asked if Croft's retirement benefits were suspended. Russell told him that was the case and that he would contribute to his retirement in the future.

Neither Croft, Howard nor any representatives from the sheriff's department were present at Tuesday's meeting. They reportedly attended a Fraternal Order of Police conference in Bridgeport, West Virginia, this week.

Commissioners will next meet at 6 p.m. June 25 at the City-County Building, 1500 Chapline St., Wheeling.