Portage County deputy charged with rape and placed on unpaid leave

A deputy in the Portage County Sheriff’s Office was indicted on two counts of rape by a Cuyahoga County grand jury in connection to an incident that took place Oct. 19 in Lyndhurst.

Wilson Kuzyk, 34, of Stow, “did engage in sexual conduct … by purposely compelling her to submit by force or threat of force,” alleges the charge sheet filed March 16 in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. 

He was off duty at the time of the incident, Portage County Chief Deputy Ralph Spidalieri said. No other details about the alleged crime have been released, including the deputy’s relationship to the victim, if any.

In a press release, Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski said Kuzyk is now on unpaid leave and may be fired pending the results of an internal investigation, which is separate from the criminal prosecution against him.

“Deputy Kuzyk was placed on paid administrative leave on Nov. 6, 2022, immediately after my office was made aware of the alleged charges being filed against him,” Zuchowski said in the press release Friday. “My office remained fully cooperative with the investigation that was being conducted by Lyndhurst Police Department in Cuyahoga County where the alleged incident occurred.

“Given the information that was released with an official indictment yesterday, Wilson Kuzyk is now on unpaid administrative leave pending an internal investigation that we can now move forward to complete for any violation of policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of our agency. Upon completion of our internal investigation, a final determination will be made in regard to the final employment status of Wilson Kuzyk.”

Kuzyk is set to be arraigned April 5 in Cuyahoga County court. He is not in custody, and bond will be set when he is arraigned.