Steve Kraus gives up appealing criminal conviction

SANDUSKY — Former state Rep. Steve Kraus gave appealing the 2015 felony theft conviction that removed him from the state legislature and deprived him of his livelihood.But Kraus said he is planning other legal action and still wants to clear his name. He contends he is innocent and the victim of a politically motivated prosecution.Kraus was convicted on July 27, 2015, of one count of theft from an elderly person in a trial in Port Clinton.He was convicted of stealing from a potential client's house. Kraus contended he had permission to go into the house and examine the items and said the case was brought by political enemies. Following his conviction, he was forced out of the Ohio House and replaced by Steve Arndt.He received a six-month suspended jail sentence and two years of probation. The probation was extended to three years because of Kraus' appeals, but Kraus said he completed his probation in September 2018. Kraus, formerly an auctioneer, also lost his auction and real estate licenses."The Ohio Revised Code says a felon can't hold those licenses," Kraus said.Kraus filed an appeal, but in December, the Sixth District appeals court in Toledo voted 3-0 to uphold the conviction, ruling that Kraus missed a deadline to file his appeal.Kraus had the option of appealing the Sixth District ruling to the Ohio Supreme Court but let the deadline expire."I decided not to appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court," Kraus said.Instead, Kraus said he is planning a new legal filing, which he hopes to submit in the next few weeks. He declined to comment on what his claim will be."I don't want the opposition to know," he said.Since losing his ability to work as an auctioneer, Kraus has authored a book, "Checkmate: One Man's Fight Against Political Corruption," run for Congress and has a political radio show that airs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. each Monday night on WHKW AM 1220, known as The Word, in Cleveland, and on 96.9 FM. Last Monday's show was on global warming and the deep state, Kraus said."You can't really get the station here. We're too far away," Kraus said, referring to potential listeners in Sandusky.The station is available to everyone on the Internet, however, at thewordcleveland.com and by searching for WHKW on smartphone radio apps.Steve Kraus