Ohio village mayor facing sexual imposition charge goes on leave

HARVEYSBURG – A southwest Ohio village mayor charged with sexual imposition involving a village employee has taken a leave of absence until mid-July.

Seventy-five-year-old Harveysburg Mayor Richard Verga has said that if there was any physical contact with the woman, it was accidental. He pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor count and is due back in Warren County court for a hearing June 11.

He was charged after a female employee said Verga touched her buttocks before a council meeting.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Verga informed the council about his leave through a note after his recent arrest.

Harveysburg is a village of some 550 people, about 30 miles southeast of Dayton. Its busiest time is when it hosts the Ohio Renaissance Festival, which opens Aug. 30 this year.