A Liberty Township firefighter was sentenced Tuesday to 90 days house arrest and five years probation for charges of attempted possession of drugs and attempted tampering with evidence.
Joshua Cleland’s guilty plea closes the books on a 2020 case that started when fellow firefighter John Beard overdosed and died.
An investigation began into possible drug use and trading inside the Liberty Fire department. It found Cleland and another lieutenant used drugs on the job but bought and sold them, too.
Cleland has left the fire department and, according to his lawyer, has started a business and is rehabilitating himself.
