Kent County Commissioner Gary Rolls - CSC Charges
Former county official guilty of sex crime sees restitution cut in half
Grand Rapids Press
December 10, 2015
https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2015/12/former_county_commission_guilt.html
The former Kent County commissioner who admitted criminal sexual conduct with a young girl has seen the amount he will have to reimburse the state for its investigation drop from $32,495 to $15,883 after a judge ruled Michigan State Police could not include health benefits and similar expenses in the amount sought.
Gary Rolls, 49, spent less than a year in jail after he pleaded guilty May 13, 2014, to criminal sexual conduct, then tampering with evidence.
Rolls originally was charged with a more severe crime of first-degree criminal sexual conduct after the victim accused him of having a sexual relationship with her beginning in 1994 when she was 9.
But Rolls' attorney at the time, now Kent County District Court Judge Jeffrey O'Hara, discovered the victim lied about numerous details in the case, including her age when incidents occurred and when some photos used as evidence were taken.
The defense admitted the married father of four had sex with the alleged victim, but she was 16 or older when the sex occurred and claimed the woman was seeking revenge because Rolls refused to leave his wife to continue his relationship with the complainant.
Rolls ended up pleading to a lesser crime of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Kent County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Leiber ruled Monday that funds used to cover staff benefits could not be included by state law, only the actual wages.
The judge's decision led to Rolls' attorney and the state agreeing to the reduced amount.
Street Talk: Rotarians quiz Kent County Commission chair
Grand Rapids Business Journal
January 23, 2015
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/
Dan Koorndyk, chair of the Kent County Board of Commissioners, was a guest of the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids last week to give a short presentation on Kent County government.
District 16 County Commissioner David Bulkowski, who is a member of the downtown Rotary chapter, was present, too, and a couple of pointed comments by Koorndyk showed he was well aware of that. Bulkowski is one of just four Democrats on the 19-member commission. All the others are Republicans.
Koorndyk talked about what a successful year 2014 turned out to be for the county, which again got its Triple A bond rating from both Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investor Service, the highest possible. It allows the county to save a lot of money by issuing bonds at the lowest interest rate.
In his Q&A session, someone asked Koorndyk if there is any talk about merging Kent County government with Grand Rapids city government. Consolidation of local governments to avoid duplication of services has been promoted around the nation as more efficient. The idea was kicked around here in 2011 as the One Kent proposal put forth by business leaders.
Koorndyk replied that, no, there hasn’t been any talk about that. He said the city and county governments each deal with different issues.
“I don’t see that happening in the future,” he said, adding he is not sure it really works where it is being tried.
The successful transition from county management and operation of Gerald R. Ford International Airport — which the county owns — to a more independent airport authority, is one of the three big things Koorndyk thinks will happen in 2015. He noted the county successfully spun off John Ball Zoo in 2013, and “hopefully, the airport can go down the same path.”
Another question dealt with the issue of adding judges in Kent County courthouses to ease the load on existing judges. Will the county revisit that goal?
“Yes,” answered Koorndyk quickly, which drew chuckles from some of the Rotarians. He said he sees an opportunity coming in 2016 to push for the addition of another judge in Kent County.
On the issue of the county’s Triple A bond rating, Koorndyk mentioned the county used that rating to help the city of Grand Rapids get a better interest rate on its bonds to pay for new flood walls along the Grand River, a requirement by FEMA.
That prompted another question: Will the expensive new flood walls be torn down if the city tries to restore the rapids to the Grand River to spark more tourism?
Koorndyk said he wasn’t sure what the city was going to do, but he said the county would benefit from higher revenue collected through the hotel/motel use taxes.
One Rotarian asked Koorndyk to mention a county problem — anything, but “not solid waste” — for which he might have a solution. After a few moments of thought, Koorndyk said, “Make sure people running for public office are vetted better.” While the Rotarians laughed at that comment, he added, “We had a few problems last year.”
He was referring to the resignation of two county commissioners, Gary Rolls and Michael Wawee, both facing felony criminal charges in unrelated situations.
'He used my fear,' says victim of former Kent County Commissioner
Muskegon Chronicle
June 23, 2014
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/06/he_used_my_fear_says_victim_of.html
A young woman who says she was molested years ago by former Kent County Commissioner Gary Rolls told about the emotional and enduring scars in a courtroom Thursday.
"I have a very hard time trusting anyone," the woman said. "I have lived my life in fear. He always told me how important and powerful he was, and I believed him."
The woman, now 29 and living in Muskegon, described the long-term toll on her Thursday, in the moments before a judge sentenced Rolls to one year in jail and five years of probation.
Rolls in May pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, illegal use of a computer and tampering with evidence. He originally faced charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Rolls, who resigned as a commissioner in December, was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a girl that started when she was 9 and turned to sex in her teen years. The relationship continued into her early 20s.
Prosecutors in May agreed to drop the more serious charges against Rolls because of conflicting evidence about when the sex started happening. Rolls' attorney, Jeff O'Hara, claimed it was after she turned 16.
Regardless of the legal twists and turns, the victim described Thursday how Rolls abused her, and Judge Dennis Leiber called him a "sexual predator."
The woman's family moved into Rolls' neighborhood when she was 9. She became a family friend and Rolls began touching her inappropriately, she testified earlier.
"I was a shy child, full of love. He stole that from me and turned it into fear," she said Thursday. "He told me I wasn't allowed to tell him no because he was the adult and I was the child. He told me he was doing these things because he loved me, and that I was too naive to know the difference."
The woman said the emotional impact has been long-lasting, that she was scared of Rolls.
"He used my fear to his advantage," she said. "I am so scared of what a real relationship is because the only thing I've ever known was his version."
Ionia County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Lori Kirkhoff, filling in for Kent County prosecutors, sought a tough sentence in part because police say Rolls tried to destroy evidence.
They say he sent a remote command to his iPad after police seized it, ordering it to erase memory.
Ex-Kent County commissioner gets jail in sex case
Associated Press
June 20, 2014
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A former Kent County commissioner has received a one-year jail sentence after pleading guilty in a sex abuse case.
Authorities say that 47-year-old Gary Rolls had an inappropriate relationship with a neighborhood girl starting two decades ago when she was 9 years old.
Circuit Judge Judge Dennis Leiber also gave Rolls five years' probation at Thursday's sentencing in Grand Rapids.
He pleaded guilty May 13 to illegal use of a computer, tampering with evidence and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Rolls had been scheduled to stand trial in June on four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
The victim tells the judge she now has "a very hard time trusting people."
Rolls resigned his county commission seat in December.
Judge sentences ex-Kent County commissioner to jail
Grand Rapids Business Journal
June 20, 2014
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/
A former Kent County commissioner has received a jail sentence and probation after pleading guilty in a sex-abuse case.
Authorities said that 47-year-old Gary Rolls had an inappropriate relationship with a neighborhood girl, starting two decades ago when she was 9 years old.
Circuit Judge Judge Dennis Leiber sentenced Rolls to one year in jail and also gave Rolls five years probation at Thursday's sentencing in Grand Rapids.
He pleaded guilty May 13 to illegal use of a computer, tampering with evidence and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Rolls had been scheduled to stand trial in June on four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
The victim told the judge she now has "a very hard time trusting people."
Rolls resigned his county commission seat in December.
Former official gets 1-year jail sentence
Grand Rapids Press
June 20, 2014
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/06/former_kent_county_commissione_4.html
Gary Rolls, the former Kent County commissioner accused of molesting a Muskegon girl years ago, has been sentenced to a year in jail.
Rolls, 48, said nothing when given the opportunity before Kent County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Leiber sentenced him Thursday.
Rolls has been in jail since May 13, when he pleaded guilty to charges of illegal use of a computer, tampering with evidence and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
He initially was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct based on allegations involving a relationship he had with a Muskegon girl, a family friend, that began in 1994, when she was 9. The woman now is 29.
The more serious charges were dismissed when Rolls' attorney argued the evidence didn't add up to show any sex occurred before the girl turned 16.
Rolls resigned as a commissioner in December.
As part of the sentence, Leiber also ordered him to serve five years of probation. Rolls was given credit for the five weeks he already has served in jail.
Judge calls former Kent County Commissioner Gary Rolls a 'sexual predator'
MLive
Jun 19, 2014
https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2014/06/he_used_my_fear_says_victim_of.html
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A young woman who says she was molested years ago by former Kent County Commissioner Gary Rolls told about the emotional and enduring scars in a courtroom Thursday.
"I have a very hard time trusting anyone," the woman said. "I have lived my life in fear. He always told me how important and powerful he was, and I believed him."
The woman, now 29 and living in Muskegon, described the long-term toll on her Thursday, June 19, in the moments before a judge sentenced Rolls to one year in jail and five years probation.
Rolls in May pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, illegal use of a computer and tampering with evidence. He originally faced charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Rolls, who resigned as a commissioner in December, was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a girl that started when she was 9 and turned to sex in her teen years. The relationship continued into her early 20s.
Prosecutors in May agreed to drop the more serious charges against Rolls because of conflicting evidence about when the sex started happening. Rolls' attorney, Jeff O'Hara, claimed it was after she turned 16.
Defense attorneys admitted the married father of four had sex with teen, but said it was in her later teen years.
Despite the legal twists and turns, the victim described Thursday how Rolls abused her and Judge Dennis Leiber called him a "sexual predator."
The woman's family moved into Rolls' neighborhood years ago, when she was 9. She became a family friend and Rolls began touching her inappropriately, she testified earlier.
"I was a shy child, full of love. He stole that from me and turned it into fear," she said Thursday.
"He told me I wasn't allowed to tell him no because he was the adult and I was the child," the woman said. "He told me he was doing these things because he loved me, and that I was too naive to know the difference."
The woman said the emotional impact on her has been long-lasting. She said she was scared of Rolls.
"I have a very hard time trusting anyone. He used my fear to his advantage," she said.
"I am so scared of what a real relationship is because the only thing I've ever known was his version," she said.
Recent years have left her with anxiety and stress. She is in counseling and, in the past, missed work because of the stress.
"But I know deep down I am a survivor and I will be strong one day," she said.
Ionia County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Lori Kirkhoff, filling in for Kent County prosecutors, sought a tough sentence in part because police say Rolls tried to destroy evidence.
They say he sent a remote command to his iPad after police seized it, ordering it to erase memory.
Kirkhoff also said Rolls has "had a hard time accepting responsibility for his actions" and blamed the victim to a pre-sentence investigator.
Rolls had no comment when asked by the judge if he wanted to say anything.
Sex offense lands former Kent County Commissioner Gary Rolls 1 year in jail
MLive
Jun 19, 2014
https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2014/06/former_kent_county_commissione_4.html
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Gary Rolls, the embattled former Kent County commissioner accused of molesting a Muskegon girl years ago, has been sentenced to a year in jail.
Rolls, 48, said nothing when given the opportunity before Kent County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Leiber sentenced him Thursday, June 19.
Rolls has been in jail since May 13, when he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, illegal use of a computer and tampering with evidence.
He initially was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct over allegations involving a relationship he had with a Muskegon girl, a family friend, that began in 1994 when she was 9.
The woman is now 29.
The more serious charges were dismissed when Rolls' attorney argued the evidence didn't add up to show any sex occurred before the girl turned 16.
Rolls resigned as a commissioner in December 2013.
As part of the sentence, Leiber also ordered him to serve five years probation. He was given credit for the five weeks he already has served in jail.
Leiber said Rolls "lived two lives."
One was of a family man with an eye toward public service. The other was "a sexual predator who stopped at nothing to destroy evidence in the investigation of a possible major crime."
Police alleged Rolls sent a remote command to his iPad to erase its memory, knowing that police had seized it in a search warrant.
Plea deal reduces sex charges
Muskegon Chronicle
May 15, 2014
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/
The case against Gary Rolls has fundamentally fallen apart, leading to a deal that has the defendant -- once accused of felonies carrying harsh prison terms -- now facing at most a year in the jail he once oversaw as a Kent County commissioner.
Rolls quietly entered a guilty plea Tuesday to charges of illegal use of a computer, tampering with evidence and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, the least serious of Michigan's sexual misconduct laws.
Rolls, 47, was slated for a trial in Kent County Circuit Court on June 30 on four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Those charges carried a potential maximum of life in prison, had he been convicted.
The computer and tampering crimes are felonies, but fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct is a high-court misdemeanor with a two-year maximum penalty.
Last week, Rolls' attorney, Jeffrey O'Hara, filed legal briefs claiming Ionia County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Lori Kirkhoff has proof the alleged victim lied repeatedly about details contained in her allegations regarding Rolls.
Rolls was accused of having sex with a Muskegon girl with whom he began a relationship in 1994 when she was 9 years old. The woman is now 29.
O'Hara claimed the alleged victim lied about numerous details in the case, including about her age, when incidents occurred and when some photos held by the prosecution were taken.
The alleged victim reportedly told police she had photos sent to her in 1996 by Rolls of mutilated female genitalia. But O'Hara writes that tests done by the prosecution show the earliest date the photo paper could have been created was 2004.
"What is remarkable about these lies is their elaborateness," O'Hara writes. "The complainant stated repeatedly that the defendant gave her these female genital mutilation pictures when she was 12 years old and that the defendant made her carry them in her purse every day since 1996."
The defense has admitted the married father of four had sex with the alleged victim, but she was 16 or older when the sex occurred.
The defense claims the woman was seeking revenge on Rolls because he refused to leave his wife in order to continue his relationship with the complainant.
The accusations led to Rolls resigning his seat on the Kent County Commission.
Outside the courtroom, O'Hara did not wish to comment. Kirkhoff was not immediately available.
Rolls was remanded to jail pending his sentencing on June 19 before Judge Dennis Leiber.
"What is remarkable about these lies is their elaborateness."
Jeffrey O'hara, attorney for Gary Rolls, in a legal brief claiming the alleged victim lied about details.
Most serious sex charges dropped against ex-official commissioner
Grand Rapids Press
May 14, 2014
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/05/former_kent_county_commissione_3.html
The case against Gary Rolls fundamentally has fallen apart, leading to a deal that has the defendant -- once accused of felonies carrying harsh prison terms -- facing, at most, a year in the jail he once oversaw as a Kent County commissioner.
Rolls quietly entered a guilty plea Tuesday to charges of illegal use of a computer, tampering with evidence and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, the least serious of Michigan's sexual misconduct laws.
Rolls, 47, was slated for trial in Kent County Circuit Court on June 30 on four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Those charges carried a potential maximum of life in prison, had he been convicted.
The computer and tampering crimes are felonies, but fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct is a high-court misdemeanor with a two-year maximum penalty.
But last week, Rolls' attorney, Jeffrey O'Hara, filed legal briefs claiming Ionia County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Lori Kirkhoff has proof the alleged victim repeatedly lied about details in her allegations about Rolls.
Rolls was accused of having sex with a Muskegon girl with whom he began a relationship in 1994 when she was 9 years old. The woman now is 29.
O'Hara claimed the alleged victim lied about numerous details in the case, including about her age, when incidents occurred and when some photos held by the prosecution were taken.
The alleged victim reportedly told police she had photos sent to her in 1996 by Rolls of mutilated female genitalia. But O'Hara wrote that tests done by the prosecution showed the earliest date the photo paper could have been created was 2004.
"What is remarkable about these lies is their elaborateness," O'Hara wrote. "The complainant stated repeatedly that the defendant gave her these female genital mutilation pictures when she was 12 years old and that the defendant made her carry them in her purse every day since 1996."
O'Hara said the woman repeated the allegation regarding the photo to police and under oath during court hearings in Muskegon.
The defense has admitted the married father of four had sex with the alleged victim, but she was 16 or older when the sex occurred.
The defense claims the woman was seeking revenge on Rolls because he refused to leave his wife to continue his relationship with the complainant.
The accusations led to Rolls resigning his seat on the Kent County Commission.
Outside the courtroom, O'Hara did not want to make a comment. Kirkhoff was not immediately available.
Rolls was remanded to jail pending his sentencing June 19 before Judge Dennis Leiber.
Former Kent County official pleads in sex case
Associated Press State Wire
May 13, 2014
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A former Kent County commissioner has pleaded guilty in a sex case.
Gary Rolls faces at most a year in jail as part of a deal with prosecutors.
The 47-year-old pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegal use of a computer, tampering with evidence and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Rolls had been scheduled to stand trial next month on four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, charges that carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Rolls was accused of having sex with a girl with whom he began a relationship when she was 9. The woman is now in her 20s.
Defense lawyer Jeffrey O'Hara says the woman lied about numerous details.
Rolls resigned his county commission seat.
Former Kent County Commissioner Gary Rolls' plea deal has most serious sex charges dropped
Muskegon Chronicle
May 13, 2014
https://infoweb.newsbank.com/
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The case against Gary Rolls has fundamentally fallen apart, leading to a deal that has the defendant - once accused of felonies carrying harsh prison terms - now facing at most a year in the jail he once oversaw as a Kent County commissioner.
Rolls quietly entered a guilty plea on Tuesday, May 13, to charges of illegal use of a computer, tampering with evidence and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, the least serious of Michigan's sexual misconduct laws.
Rolls, 47, was slated for a trial in Kent County Circuit Court on June 30 on four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Those charges carried a potential maximum of life in prison, had he been convicted.
The computer and tampering crimes are felonies, but fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct is a high-court misdemeanor with a two-year maximum penalty.
But last week Rolls’ attorney, Jeffrey O’Hara, filed legal briefs claiming that Ionia County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Lori Kirkhoff has proof that the alleged victim lied repeatedly about details contained in her allegations regarding Rolls.
Rolls was accused of having sex with a Muskegon girl with whom he began a relationship in 1994 when she was 9 years old. The woman is now 29.
O’Hara claimed the alleged victim lied about numerous details in the case, including about her age, when incidents occurred, and when some photos held by the prosecution were taken.
The alleged victim reportedly told police she had photos sent to her in 1996 by Rolls of mutilated female genitalia. But O’Hara writes that tests done by the prosecution show that the earliest date the photo paper could have been created was 2004.
“What is remarkable about these lies is their elaborateness,” O’Hara writes. “The complainant stated repeatedly that the defendant gave her these female genital mutilation pictures when she was 12 years old and that the defendant made her carry them in her purse every day since 1996.”
O’Hara said the woman repeated the allegation regarding the photo to police and under oath during court hearings in Muskegon.
The defense has admitted the married father of four had sex with the alleged victim, but she was 16 or older when the sex occurred.
The defense claims the woman was seeking revenge on Rolls because he refused to leave his wife in order to continue his relationship with the complainant.
The accusations led to Rolls resigning his seat on the Kent County Commission.
Outside the courtroom, O’Hara did not wish to make a comment. Kirkhoff was not immediately available.
Rolls was remanded to jail pending his sentencing on June 19 before Judge Dennis Leiber.
