Whitehall Development Director Dan Lorek resigned his post with the city Wednesday, Oct. 5, following his arrest Friday, Sept. 30, at Port Columbus International Airport.
Lorek, 52, of New Albany is charged with misdemeanor counts of assault, obstructing official business and resisting arrest, stemming from his Sept. 30 arrest by Columbus Port Authority police.
Lorek was arraigned Saturday, Oct. 1, in Franklin County Municipal Court, where Municipal Court Judge Eric Brown set a $2,000 recognizance bond on each of the three counts against him. Lorek was released on bond and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing at 9 a.m. Oct. 19 before Municipal Court Judge Michael Brandt.
Attorney Joseph R. Landusky II represents Lorek, according to Municipal Court records.
Columbus Port Authority police arrested Lorek after he allegedly refused to move his car from a no-parking zone at the airport, then assaulted an officer when police attempted to take him into custody.
Columbus Port Authority police reported Lorek was asked to remove his car from the no-parking zone at the flight arrivals area of the airport at 5:40 p.m. Sept. 30.
Lorek repeatedly refused, challenged officers' authority,and attempted to strike officers who removed him from his vehicle, police said.
According to reports, Lorek told police his wife was inside the airport, then refused to provide police with identification.
Lorek said to police, "(They) were not legal and had no right to tell him what to do," according to reports.
Police forcibly removed Lorek from his vehicle, a 2011 BMW.
Lorek also is accused of spitting at an officer, according to reports.
Among the five officers listed as victims on the Municipal Court complaint is Larry Meade, a former lieutenant with the Whitehall Division of Police.
Meade was the first officer to contact Lorek and called for backup after Lorek refused to get out the car, indicating a physical confrontation likely was necessary, according to reports.
Police obtained the identity of Lorek from his wife, who told police he had "anger issues," reports said.
Lorek could not immediately be reached for comment Oct. 5.
Whitehall Mayor John Wolfe on Oct. 5 accepted Lorek's resignation.
Wolfe said while he suggested it might be in the best interest of the city that he resign, the decision to do so was of his own accord.
"He resigned this morning and it was his own decision," Wolfe said in response to whether Lorek had been fired or if his resignation had been requested.
Wolfe said Lorek cited "personal reasons" for his resignation.
In his letter to Wolfe, Lorek wrote, "Due to personal reasons, I have decided to resign my position as development director for the city of Whitehall, effective immediately."
Wolfe did not expound upon those personal reasons, but said Lorek always had created a "good work product" and was a "loyal employee."
Lorek had been development director for the city of Whitehall since 2008, but also had served a stint as development director for Whitehall for about a four-year period in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His salary upon his resignation was $89,000.
Between his two stints in Whitehall, Lorek was development director for the city of Bexley and worked in the private sector.
During his tenure in Whitehall, Lorek worked to bring several businesses to the city, including FedEx Ground Package and the OhioHealth East Side Medical Center, as well as establishing five new or expanded overlay districts in the city.
But his tenure also marked with some discord. Lorek walked out a council meeting in October 2010 after council members rejected a proposal he had supported.
"And another development fails in this community," Lorek quipped from the audience before walking out of council chambers.
Last year, Whitehall resident Gerald Dixon on several occasions complained Lorek had behaved rudely toward him and appealed to Wolfe to address the matter.
Wolfe said he would advertise the open position.
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