PCSO fires corrections officer who pleaded guilty to first-degree misdemeanor
- Wendy DiAlesandro. A Portage County corrections officer originally indicted with two felony counts of sexual extortion is now out of a job.
Sheriff's Office
Former deputy sentenced to three months in jail for abducting man at a bar
- Staff Report. Daniel Lajack, a former Portage County Sheriff's deputy who retired Sept. 28, 2025 was three months in jail for detaining an immigrant he thought was in the U.S. illegally, reports the Akron Beacon Journal.
Woman arrested by deputies in March reportedly has been deported
- Wendy DiAlesandro. A woman arrested by Portage County deputies March 10 following an all-night manhunt has been deported, according to a jail official in Mahoning County, where she was being held.
Person found dead in cell at Portage County jail two days after booking
- Wendy DiAlesandro. The Portage County Sheriff’s Office announced March 16 that a person who had been incarcerated at the county jail had died the previous day.
Portage County deputies hold woman for ICE after traffic stop
- Wendy DiAlesandro. After an all-night search that began March 9, Portage County sheriff’s deputies detained a 33-year-old woman they claimed is in the country illegally and will turn her over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
Jail officer in sexual extortion case now faces felonies in county court
- Wendy DiAlesandro. A corrections officer employed at the Portage County Jail found himself indicted for a second time March 9, this time in Portage County Common Pleas Court.
Sheriff faced five federal lawsuits in 2025, most in recent history
- Wendy DiAlesandro. The Portage County Sheriff’s Office was named as a defendant in five federal court cases in 2025, the highest number in a single year during Bruce Zuchowski’s tenure, according to a Portager examination of court records.
Portage County corrections officer charged with sexual extortion
- Wendy DiAlesandro. A Portage County corrections officer faces two felony charges of sexual extortion, but the sheriff’s office isn’t naming names.
Portage County deputy convicted of felony after 2024 altercation
- Wendy DiAlesandro. A Portage County Sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree felony charge of attempted abduction related to an April 2024 altercation outside a Hinckley bar.
Villages dispute sheriff's comments on Hiram-Mantua police collaboration
- Wendy DiAlesandro. The Portager reported on Jan. 26 that the Village of Hiram was paying Mantua police $100 a day to handle its police dispatch needs until a more permanent contract could be finalized with another provider.
Deputy sues Portage County Sheriff’s Office in overtime pay, alleged retaliation case
A Portage County Sheriff’s deputy has sued his department in federal court, claiming he was subject to retaliation when he requested tens of thousands of dollars in overtime pay.
Federal lawsuit against sheriff over ‘Bad Bruce Exhibit’ could go to jury trial
Unless a settlement can be reached, a federal lawsuit pitting a Palmyra man against the Portage County sheriff and two sheriff’s office deputies may be headed for jury trial.
New jail transport program has already helped 173 people
In the first six months of a new Portage County Jail transportation program, 173 people recently released from the jail have taken advantage of free rides to a PARTA hub, personally accompanied by a social worker offering help with employment and housing.
Local activist behind ‘Bad Bruce Exhibit’ sues Zuchowski for alleged retaliation
A Palmyra resident filed a federal lawsuit against Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski last month alleging the sheriff and his subordinates retaliated against him for creating a social media page critical of the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff’s office won’t answer questions about costs related to ICE agreement
Many questions remain about the recently signed agreement between the Portage County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that empowers deputies to enforce federal immigration law.
Plaintiffs drop civil rights suit against sheriff’s office in carpet cleaner case
An August 2023 traffic stop landed two Ravenna men in jail on felony drug charges. The charges were eventually dropped when the alleged cocaine in the car they had occupied turned out to be carpet cleaner, and the two men filed suit in federal court, claiming Portage County Sheriff Bruce D. Zuchowski and three deputies violated their civil rights.
Questions for the Portage County Sheriff’s Office following federal agreement with ICE
The Portage County Sheriff’s Office last week issued a news release stating its officers would receive training by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to enforce immigration law.
The new Portage County post-jail ride program is working
About 30 people — and counting — have been spared the walk along Infirmary Road since Emerald Transportation started twice daily runs about a month ago.