Walter Cordes indicted over alleged personal use of Flock cameras

Walter Cordes, a Sharonville, Ohio, police lieutenant, has been indicted after prosecutors alleged he used the department’s Flock camera system 29 times to locate someone he knew for personal reasons. The case centers on access to a police license-plate-reader system and has put Cordes on administrative leave while his department conducts its own inquiry, according to Fortune.

Cordes, 48, was indicted by a grand jury on Oct. 13 on one count of unauthorized use of a computer, cable or telecommunication property, Fortune reported. The charge is a fifth-degree felony that can carry a prison term of up to 12 months under Ohio law.

What is Walter Cordes accused of doing with Flock cameras?

The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office alleged that Cordes searched the Flock system between Dec. 19, 2024, and April 20, 2026, to find the person’s whereabouts outside any police purpose. Prosecutors did not identify the person allegedly tracked or say why Cordes made the searches.

Flock cameras are license-plate readers used by police to search records of vehicles detected by the camera network. Sharonville leases 24 of the cameras, Fortune reported.

How the alleged use was discovered

The searches came to light during a department audit in June, according to Fortune. Cordes self-reported the conduct during that audit and admitted the searches in an interview, the report said; the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office then opened an investigation.

Sharonville Police Chief Jim Nesbit told WKRC that the audit had found other improper use of the system and that Cordes came forward to report his own misuse. The department has placed Cordes on administrative leave pending the outcome of its internal investigation, according to Fortune.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said Cordes was the first law-enforcement official charged by her office with misusing the technology since she took office. The indictment is an accusation, and the reporting does not describe a plea or a court finding against Cordes.

What controls exist over Flock searches?

Flock has said that searches of its system are logged and reviewed through its Audit Assistance tool, which it says can flag unusual activity for administrators, according to Fortune. That company statement describes the monitoring system but does not determine whether the allegation against Cordes will be proven.

Fortune reported that alleged misuse of Flock access by police has also led to recent cases in Indiana and Illinois. Those matters are separate from the Sharonville case.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.