By April Rodgers|Freewire — Your News, Your Voice
BUCYRUS – A Westerville woman and employee of Marion County Children Services remains in custody following her arraignment in Crawford County Municipal Court on Monday. Erika Funfgeld, 27, appeared before the court on Feb 2 to face three separate charges: Possession of Drugs, Possession of Cocaine, and Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence (OVI).
The charges follow a traffic stop conducted by the Bucyrus Police Department on Friday, Jan 30. Officers stopped Funfgeld’s vehicle at approximately 2:20 p.m. in the 1000 block of Home Circle Drive. During the stop, a K-9 unit alerted officers to the vehicle, leading to the subsequent investigation and arrest. Court Proceedings and Bond During the hearing, bond was set at $75,000 cash/surety. As part of her bond conditions, Funfgeld is ordered to have no violations of law, attend all future court hearings, and abstain from the use of drugs, alcohol, or paraphernalia. She is also subject to random testing.
As of Tuesday, Funfgeld remains held at the Crawford County Justice Center.
FreeWire became aware of Funfgeld’s employment status after previous clients began commenting on her professional role following the Bucyrus Police Department’s public reports. In response to the arrest, Marion County Children Services released a statement confirming that Funfgeld has been placed on administrative leave:
“We are aware of the recent incident involving one of our staff members. This individual has been placed on administrative leave, pending final action. The safety and well-being of the children and families we serve is our highest priority. This is an extremely serious situation and we are fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities. An internal review is being conducted of all impacted families. Additionally, leadership has requested guidance from state level entities.”
The agency emphasized its commitment to transparency and the safety of the community while noting they are unable to share further details due to the ongoing legal process.
A preliminary hearing is currently scheduled in the Crawford County Municipal Court for Feb 11.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
FreeWire will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
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