The Sharonville police lieutenant indicted on a felony charge over misusing Flock camera data has resigned, the department confirmed.
Walter Cordes, 48, was indicted on Oct. 13 on one count of unauthorized use of a computer, cable, or telecommunication property. Cordes made 29 improper searches to track the vehicle of someone he knew between December 2024 through April 2026, prosecutors allege.
Cordes received his state police certificate in 2007 and worked in Elmwood Place and Golf Manor before joining the Sharonville Police Department in 2008. Officials said he resigned Oct. 15 after more than 18 years with the department.
Court records state Cordes was arrested Oct. 14. He was released the same day after posting 10% of a $1,000 bond. His next
court date is scheduled for Oct. 27.
Investigators did not disclose why he was tracking the vehicle and or the nature of his relationship with the person who was tracked.
Flock Safety flagged the search − and a separate case of misuse − after the department strengthened its audit policies in early 2026, according to a Sharonville release. Cordes, who was system administrator, admitted to making the searches, according to prosecutors.
He has been on paid administrative leave since early June, according to Sharonville Police Chief Jim Nesbit. Mayor Kevin Hardman said Cordes was switched to unpaid leave on Oct. 13 at a city council meeting.
Plate-reading cameras, like Flock cameras, allow law enforcement to track any vehicle's location without a warrant by capturing photos of its license plate. Over 1,100 cameras monitor Greater Cincinnati vehicle traffic.
Nesbit said his department will continue to use Flock cameras, and is planning to institute additional reviews of how they are used.
If convicted, Cordes faces up to one year in prison.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Sharonville lieutenant charged in Flock misuse case has resigned
