Locked In with Ian Bick - County Sheriff Gets Arrested & Sent To Prison | Kyle Overmyer

Episode Date: August 24, 2023

Kyle Overmyer served as Ohio’s youngest sheriff, getting elected to the position at just age 34. But his success in that position was overshadowed by a four-year prison sentence after he was caught stealing items that had been confiscated by other law enforcement officers. Now, he’s out of prison, out of law enforcement, and doing his part to Knock Out Addiction as a public speaker and recovery advocate.  Connect with Kyle Overmeyer: Facebook- Kyle Overmyer Facebook- Kyle Overmyer, Motivational Speaker, Addiction Recovery Advocate LinkedIn- Kyle Overmyer Instagram- ko_addiction Email- [e-mail] Phone- 419-455-0793 KO Addiction, LLC- Motivational Speaking Business Connect with Ian Bick:  https://www.ianbick.com/ 00:00 Intro  01:57 Childhood 08:31 Start in Law Enforcement  14:07 Principles as an officer  21:05 Perception by colleagues, Becoming a Sheriff 29:50 Prison Garden  31:07 Too Much Power? Jurisdiction and responsibilities  34:20 Addiction with Painkillers  45:56 Turned himself to his own Jail  53:00 From Sheriff to Inmate  1:01:33 Prison Tattoo  1:02:30 Struggles in prison  1:04:00 Life after prison  1:15:50 Message  Subscribe to our membership program on YouTube to get early access to interviews, see behind the scenes photos, live chat with Ian & more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRvVklIft6DMelVW18M0oBw/join Powered by Q29 Productions, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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So whether you're pouring milk, melting of cheese, or just grabbing one more spoonful of yogurt. Keep it real. Look for the seal. Real California milk by real California farm families. Welcome back to the Lockton with Ian Bick podcast. You can listen to this podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast from. I know you guys love, love, love the cop-turned prison stories. So today, I have a former sheriff who ends up losing his entire career and finds himself in jail. On today's episode, I interview Kyle Overmire to listen to his insane story, addiction, prison, spending time as a sheriff.

You name it. We're getting into it today. Thank you guys for tuning into the show. Thank you guys for making us a top 200 podcast for society and culture in the world. It means the world and we would not be here without you guys today. Sit back, relax and enjoy my interview with Kyle Overmire. Kyle, welcome to the show, man. You have an insane story. You're like our second former law enforcement we've had on in the last month. The crowd goes wild for the law enforcement turned criminal episodes. So, This one's going to be an absolute banger. Super excited to have you on. You came from what Ohio today? Yeah, we're straight from Ohio today and then back.

Yeah, you got a flight out. We just had some great tacos from Chipotle, which weren't too bad for Chipotle tacos. Love, I'm a Chipotle fan. I'm here to tell you, okay? Yeah, I'll tell you what's better than Chipotle, though, salsa fresca. It's not in every area, but if I could pick between Chipotle and salsa fresca,

I'm picking salsa fresca all day. Okay. I don't know. I think that we have those in Ohio yet. So that's something I'll have to check out. Yeah, and you went on a nice car ride with the Elder Bick, my dad. We had drive-in our guests today. I hope is there going to be a charge because he educated me on the way here.

A lot of wisdom from the Elder Bick. No, I paid his salary for today, so it's good. We got him a part of the Locked-in team. But awesome, man. Let's get into it. Let's start at the beginning. Where are you from? Where'd you grow up?

What's early life like for Kyle? Early life was all-American. young boy growing up with two parents married. Great education. My father actually was, he's now a retired captain of the Sundisky County Sheriff's Office where you'll find out where I was connected with. My mother worked in an office at a very respectful construction company in the area. and I went most of my life through a private Catholic school.

I had a great education playing sports, played football, wrestled, and I was a boxer too. So, yeah. Did you have siblings at all? Yeah, I have a sister. I have one sister, one older sister. And what's the age difference? Four years. Four years, yes.

Okay. So did you guys grow up like middle class, upper class? Pretty much middle class. You know, my dad always had like five jobs. He was, I mean, he hustled hard, you know. He gave us the understanding that the only way you're going to get anything in life is you've got to work for it. And my mother was the same way. I mean, they provided, gave us a, you know, a roof over our heads, you know, three square meals.

And, you know, they sent us through a, you know, Catholic school, which costs money so we would have a good education. And it would keep me off the streets, too. What was a neighborhood like? Actually, I lived out in the country. And then I was drawn into, you know, towards Fremont where I'm from. We lived out in the country. We even had, you know, farm animals. Believe it or not, I had four donkeys.

Yeah, Daisy, Daneline, daffodil, and dahlia. So goats, chickens. And my dad would instill giving us responsibilities to take care of the animals. and, you know, I don't know. It just gave me another way to look at work and a good work ethic. So we lived out there and then when I could, I would, you know, get into the, you know, the smaller city to, you know, get out and play with actually have friends. There wasn't really any kids out in that area at the time because it was so rural. Did you have a lot of friends?

Are you popular? Yeah. Yeah. Actually, I was. I was always, you know, that's what I was. always been driven by people in connection and networking. I grew up pretty popular kid and high school, got along with everybody. And yeah, I had a lot. I mean, I always had a lot of friends. That's awesome. And what about what did you want to be when you grew up? Well, what's interesting,

I graduated in 1992. Yeah, I'm an old guy. Okay. I wasn't even born yet. Yeah. Okay. Stop, Ian, or I'm going to leave right now. But yeah. So I graduated. I went to then to the University She had Toledo for two years. And I was an art major. I paint and draw, believe it or not. And my dad, you know, he was in law enforcement. And I always admired that. He was very well respected the community. They call him Smokey, actually. That's his nickname. And everybody knew my father respected him as, you know, working at the sheriff's office. And after two years, I dropped out of college. I didn't know what I wanted to do or what I wanted to be. I came back to and moved in with my parents for a while. I even, um, I even, um, I did some, like, personal training at a gym. I worked at a gym, worked a couple factories, and just kept, you know, kind of jumping around not knowing what I wanted to do or be. And then I kept gravitating back towards the whole law enforcement thing because of my father. And he told me, stay the hell away from it. He said, you know what?

Just go get a job, but, you know, union job or something and stay away from it. I didn't listen to him. So I put some money together in 1995. and went to the police academy and then graduated within a year. How old were you in 1995? I was only about 19, 20 years old. Oh, so you went to college young. I was 18, 19, then dropped out, then turned around and went.

Then I went to the police academy. Yeah. And then I actually then started my first day about, I was 21 years old. And law enforcement, I started in corrections at the Sundiske County Sheriff's Office. Corrections, meaning... I worked like in the jail. You worked in the jail. I did.

That was my very first job, believe it or not. Yeah, and actually, they interviewed me three times. Even though my father was there, they kind of stayed away from me because I had a wild side to me. I didn't, I would go out and party. I wasn't afraid to go in a bar and getting a fight. And my reputation was there. And they were pretty hesitant at first about hiring me because they're like, do we want

this guy really working here? Because you know what, next thing you know, he'll be working and be out fighting with somebody and he could be in here. But they took a chance on me and then they hired me. Actually, it was May 5th, 1996. I remember single day mile, you know. How would you describe the relationship with you and your dad? Were you guys the closest or are you closer to your mom? How is that dynamic? Always closer to my mother. She was always and still is my ride or die. But my dad, he always didn't know what to think about me. I think that I struggled a lot, always wanting to be the best I could, and I never felt like I could always live up to his standards, so to speak. And you hear that about

a lot of father and sons and, you know, along the way. But I did. And I struggled with it. I struggled with it tremendously. Now high school, are you doing drugs at all in high school? No, drinking, nothing. Hey, I drink a little bit here and there, you know, in the normal. No, pot, no nothing. No, I was, and I was really always into working out too. Okay. Like, what kind of working out? I got to the point where I competed in power lifting. I won the state. You're a power lifting. I won a state championship when I was actually 19 years old. And then I met a pro bodybuilder at a Gold's gym in Toledo, Ohio, who approached me and said, you know what? Did you ever think about doing a bodybuilding show? I said, no, I like food too much. I don't want to diet.

I then actually did a couple bodybuilding shows, too. So I was always kind of a meathead, you know? So you were fit going into the police force and the training. Yeah, I was fit. All right. So you make it through the training. They stick you in corrections. What's that like?

When you're in corrections for a county police department, that's a lot different, right, than a regular, like, city police department? It is. But that's where they usually start you when you start at a sheriff's office. That's kind of the standard, you know, especially in Ohio, is you you work your way up. Yeah, I carried a gun. I was certified and everything. And then from there, I actually moved my way up. And I met my first wife, actually, at that time and got married in 1999. She was working in the police department? No. I met her, and she was a teacher. She ended up being a

a school teacher and she was big on education and I didn't always think that I wanted to work at the sheriff's office for my life. So I went back. I got my two-year degree in criminal justice. And then I even after we got married, I went back. I got a bachelor's degree in business administration because I was going to leave. I was actually going to go in the federal system. That's what I wanted to do because the ball really started rolling. And I didn't look at law enforcement as a job. I looked at it as a career and a future. So then within about three years, they promoted me. I went out on the road patrol division. That's where my next step was in between that and get my my education, married, had my first, actually my daughter, Michaela. She was my first back in 2000. She was a

2000 baby. And you're in your early 20s at this point. Correct. Yeah. Yeah. And from there and then went on the road patrol, I got heavily into the drug interdiction thing. crack cocaine epidemic. I know it was before you because you weren't born yet, Ian, probably. But that was where it was. And in our area, it got hit pretty hard, you know. So many people, you know, that you would have never thought of went from cocaine to crack cocaine. And it took a lot of people's lives.

It took people's homes, jobs, families, and tore them part. And I really got zoned in and focused on taking drug dealers off the streets. guns and large amounts of money. So I was always out arresting people and I started to make a name for myself and the sheriff noticed that too. And at that time being married, having my first child and then a second one on the way my son Dylan was coming in 2003. I was interviewing with the federal system. And that is when the sheriff took notice. And one day I got a phone call from him and I said, Kyle, I'd like to meet with you. And you usually don't talk to the sheriff because he's the boss. He's the head of the county. And he doesn't have time. And he says, I want to meet you for lunch.

I thought, oh, am I in trouble? And he said, no. So I went and met with him and he says, I hear that you're going to probably leave me. And I said, yeah, I said, I want to try to do something better for my family and make some more money and provide. And he says, you know, you're really into this drug interdiction and you're doing a great job. How about if I make you a detective? And you can focus on narcotics. And I said, well, he says, I'm going to tell you what. I'll make you a detective sergeant. And then he got my attention. So you became a detective sergeant? At the age of about 26, 27, that was young. Yeah, you would never have gotten that job

in one of these other cities. No. And he just, he believed in me. How much are you paid for that? Like, what's the salary? You know, back then, I think I only made between 50, 60,000 dollars. Is that good for that time period, then?

It was okay. It was okay. But for what you dealt with and saw and what you would face on a daily basis, it's not. I think, I think law and enforcement is so underpaid, you know, in this day and age. Look what's going on in the news and you see it every day.

And but at that time, it was respectable. And you know what? I could help provide for my family. So, yeah. So I stayed. I ended up staying and, you know, I was a young detective. And then it got so much within that year. I started doing so much and being so productive in our community.

you know, partnering up with the police departments, some of the federal systems, state agencies, that I did a great job along with the others where we were doing some big 20 to 30 person roundups, boarding up houses, I mean, just taking money and drugs and guns off the streets that I'll never forget after a year. He comes to me, goes, congratulations, you're going to be a captain now. Why did they promote you so quick? Don't you think this is kind of setting you up for failure that with just like how no i and i'm not going to to my own i was good at what i did but that's also not normal in a regular city though right like it takes years to get to that level it usually does it usually does and i was very young and uh but i wasn't afraid to go out there and work and i you know i

i was i was aggressive i was uh i was a pit bull i mean that's what i did and i wasn't scared to go go nose and nose with these guys in the streets you know that's great and they respected me what was like your principles as a detective, as a cop. What were your morals, things that you would not break as an officer? Well, I gave a lot of people second chances, which we know about second chances now, don't we? Yeah. And they never forgot that. And I would always say my rule would always be, first one's on me, next one's on you. And I always, I held that. And the guys on the streets, they respected me. They knew when I warned them or told them, I'm like, look, if you don't change, I'm coming back.

I'm going to kick your door in. And I did. And I would come back. I would come back. You know who you remind me of right now? Well, because you said pit bull, so I can see that image of you being a pit bull, but dog the bounty hunter. Like, that's what I'm getting. I love dog the bounty.

I'm getting that vibe. Like, this one's on me. And then you're coming in. You're breaking the door down. You're like, you're probably, I couldn't imagine being on like a domestic case with you as the responding officer. You probably are getting wild that whoever the abuser is. You know, I, you know, I was pretty tactful. And my dad always told me one thing. He goes, see this gun on your hip? You'll do more damage with a pen than you will with the gun. And it's true. You could by writing

a citation or, you know, somebody a ticket or charges because I don't know, I learned a lot from my father. And he always taught me, treat others a way you want to be. treated and you'll go far and it's true. And you always, and another thing is you get more bees with honey than you do vinegar. And he was still working in the force when you were working in the force as a detective? He was. So when you became captain, wasn't he still a captain too? Yeah. Was that weird? Kind of. And a lot of people were angry about it, but a lot of people couldn't dispute it because my number showed. I mean, I was, I was on fire. I was out there kicking butt and taking names. And I was doing it all the time and I wasn't scared to do it.

I was a worker. I was working a lot of overtime and kept going and going and going. And then it got to the point where we bumped into something even bigger. What happened was there was a situation where I was involved with a deal that turned in from, you know, several pills of ecstasy into a kilo of cocaine. Well, that kilo cocaine turned into something even bigger. So that individual then who got caught decided to work with us. And it was so big that I had to call the DEA is what happened. So not knowing that this would happen, then I ended up getting assigned with DEA and I worked undercover, actually.

You then became undercover? I did. I worked undercover for a few years, buying up to it. to 17 kilos of cocaine at a time. What's it like to work undercover for the DEA? It was, it was, it was pretty awesome. It was probably by far my favorite, probably piece of the puzzle of my law enforcement career. I love purchasing large amounts of cocaine.

It was a rush. It was a rush that you're actually getting one over on these guys. I mean, that's, you know, over half a million dollars worth of cocaine that you're purchasing. I mean, that's big stuff. That's people that you would see on, like, TV and movie stuff, and yes, it goes on. It goes on all the time. And I was doing it. And it ended up, I mean, we seized millions of dollars, cocaine off the streets.

And that then turned into a major, major, major roundup in federal drug sweep that I was involved with. Was there any near-caught instances where you're almost caught? working undercover? Yeah, there was like, of course, they always pat you down, which we were too slick for that. Also, there was a situation where one of them wanted me to get to test it and use, and the informant stepped in for me. And which, you know, I got to give him kudos for doing that. And because then I didn't have to use any kind of cocaine or any drugs. No.

What's like the craziest story as a detective? or working undercover, like all-time craziest law enforcement story? I'll tell you one. This is when it made the newspaper. He was so crazy. I'm sitting there eating lunch with an attorney, the police chief, and another detective, and a drug dealer gets my number by mistake while I'm eating lunch with my gun and badge on. And I lure him over to you, I never heard of a Ponderosa, rest of him.

It was a steak and buffet place. And I get, I out slick him and he thinks I'm somebody else. He comes all the way to Ponderosa and I tell him, okay, I'll meet you out in the parking lot. And I got the money for the dope and I go out, take him down a gunpoint and take the dope from him and take his car from him too. I seize his Cadillac, his dope is money, and he got the wrong phone number. So that's a pretty crazy story.

That is pretty funny. It is. What does he say to you? Oh shit. You know, and before that, I even did, and I left this out, I did a stint where I did, I worked undercover in a large-scale theft ring too. What happened, same thing, that we ended up turning a guy into an informant. He introduced me to the organization that would go out and hire, you know, guys that just

had terrible drug habits to go out and steal cabotas, tractors, log splitters, and everything, and I'd go out and steal with them and deliver. And finally, at the end, then they did a big bust, and I was arrested at the end and made it look good, and taken into custody and taken to jail and arrested with everybody else. Just to hold your undercover identity, right? Yeah, well, yeah. And what happened was, I went by the name of Bert. That was your undercover name?

Yeah, that was Bert. Yeah, it was Bert in that way. And the drug one, I was Scotty Pitts. after that one. Scotty Pitch. Yeah, I like Scotty Pitch. Were you ever worried about danger you might be putting your family in, especially with two young kids?

Yeah, and there was a time, actually, my one cruiser was parked, somebody did a drive-by and shot the window out of it. At your house? Yes, yes. So they figured out who you were. Yeah, I was out of town at the time. This was before my undercover days.

This was when I was a road warrior, you know, and somebody did drive by and shot my window out. What do you do in that? There isn't much you can do. Of course, you know, you've got a young, family and they're scared, but that's what you do for a living. And unfortunately, those are the risk you had to take at that time. How do you think other officers would describe you during that time period? If we had one of your fellow officers here, what would they say? Honestly, I'm

probably a hard charger. I mean, I was a hard charger, and, you know, I was probably considered a rock star at the time because I was just out there on, I was on fire, Ian. I was. I was scared of No one. I went out and I wanted to get those drugs off the streets. Yeah. What was the motivation for that? Why were you so passionate? Because you were never really into law enforcement growing up. So where does that change and why? Well, I think there's, it's like everything else with, we'll find out about addiction. It became an addiction to get the bad guys off the streets, drugs, money. And those guys were making more money than me. So I was mad at them.

You know, I'm out there hustling and that. Hey, and you know, they're making $1,000 in five minutes selling, you know, an ounce of crack. And I think I was motivated by that. And I wanted to change the community. And you know what? I wanted to prove something to my dad, too. You know, like, hey, look at me. You didn't ever think I could do this, but I got it.

I'm rocking and rolling, you know what I mean? Did you ever give you, like, a pat on the back, a good job? No, never. And do you think that kept you wanting to continue to be ambitious and go to the next level? Absolutely. It always, anything negative and as time went on and you'll find out this along the way with me as we do this interview, negativity never put me down. It turned me up.

and I don't know why, but it does. I kind of like the hater thing because if you're hating me, guess what? I'm running space in your head, and I like that. No, haters are important. It just needs to be dialed in and controlled. Correct. On how you handle that energy.

And it gives you free publicity, too. Yeah, you cannot beat that. I always say people hating negative things, best publicity. Absolutely. I agree with you. So do you think if your dad was supportive of you at that time, period and was like, hey, good job, you're at a great place. Things wouldn't have turned out the way that we're about to find out would turn out.

I don't think so. I really don't. And I think everything happens for a reason. And I think you're going to probably learn that too as successful as you're being right now, especially at a young age. And no, because I don't know. It was just meant to be like that. And maybe that negativity, if I didn't have that negativity or wanting to always

prove something, I wouldn't be where I am today, you know? Now, now when you were interviewing for the federal job, what kind of job was it? Uh, I did, Secret Service. Oh, you want to be the Secret Service? Yeah, yeah, I knew the Secret Service guys quite a bit, and then I had a guy in the FBI. They were pursuing me. I mean, every aspect, because they knew I was very aggressive and they wanted a young guy that was, and then done. Now, were you like a dick at all, or? No, no. So you were aggressive, but nice? I was cool as a fan, man. Come on. No, I'm not, I'm not. Because there are aggressive cops that are assholes. They are. And, you know, and I even tell my wife today, you know, some days I can be a dick, but I'll never be a bitch, you know. So, I mean, yeah, I can be, but in a, there's a time and

place to be like that. But for the most part, you got to, you know what, you got to be a master of people. And I think you do a good job of that, you know, even, because, you know, you've got a great successful podcast and it's all about talking to people. And I think I have, and I still do, I have passion for people. And that's important. Well, I think it's important to figure out where the person comes from because then you relate to them more to know that they're not, like if I looked at you as just a cop, I might feel some type of way, but if I know you're just a human being and a person, who is the person behind the badge? Correct. I'm going to look at you differently. And I think that's a problem with police officers in general nowadays that aren't

looking at the person behind that, whatever that instance is. Well, it's called identity. And, you know, I think everybody identifies with a badge or even with a prison uniform, so to speak. But we can't judge a book by its cover. And that's where society has gone wrong. And that's how our world's gone wrong. And people need to be more open-minded and just learn about the person instead of having

assumptions. Yeah. Absolutely. So you're ambitious. Everything's going great. You're on top of the world. You're climbing. What happens?

Why isn't this a success story? Well, we're going to find out. So then the sheriff really believed in me and saw a future in me. And he says, you know, Kyle, when I retire someday, I think you would be a great replacement for me. And at the time, Sheriff Gang, where he was in his 60s and, you know, I got to. to be very close. He was a great mentor for me. He believed in me. He was always like one of my biggest cheerleaders because I made him look good because I was doing so much in the community for him. And so he started to get me involved with local politics. I became there because if you're

going to run for a political position, you either got to be deemed as a Democrat or a Republican. Our county is Republican County, which then I got involved with the Republican Central Committee. So I got involved with that, started doing a lot of activities with that, and him and I had started to have a lot of talks. He even ended up getting me on the organized crime commission board down in Columbus, Ohio, to start meeting more and more folks. So we had a lot of talks, and one day, he's like, you know what, I'll never forget. He says, Kyle, I really believe you will be the next sheriff. And he said, if anything ever happens, go for it. a week later he died what he dies just randomly a week later he dies and so what do i do i'm 34 years old

34 and of course the word was out with the republican central committee that his wishes were someday for me to be the sheriff but then i had um an opponent i had an opponent who was actually a 30 year veteran that worked with me, who I was close to, and he decided to run against me. As a Republican, too? Correct. And it came up to the Republican Center Committee to have emergency voting. And in August of 2008, I became the new sheriff of Sondesky County at 34 years old. So you didn't even have to run for election.

They just... Well, they did. And then I got put on the ballot, so there was a chance that somebody could run against me. Okay. And nobody then did, because it was... it was big news because I was the youngest sheriff in county history and I still am and I was the youngest sheriff in the whole state of Ohio out of all 88 counties what about in the country how does that compare have you looked into that no no I haven't I'm probably in the top 10 I mean

yeah I can't imagine you're that 34 is pretty young so I became the sheriff of sundesky county I mean it was a big to do um a swearing in like you wouldn't believe I mean I was just looking back the other day because I still have all the newspaper clippings. And I, you know, I'm using them right now because I'm writing a book. And I look back and I'm like, oh my God, that place was wall to wall. Everybody came to see me. Yeah. I mean, you know, it's big headlining news. It was huge. I mean, you know, the swearing of the Bible when I got sworn in and how little my kids were. I'm like, I can't believe the people that came. It was big news. It really was. How did your wife feel about it? She was good. She was supportive, you know. But I don't

think she understood the responsibilities that I'll talk about as they went on. And, you know, so, yeah, I became sheriff in 2008. You were probably really young then. Yeah, I would have been I was 95. Were you five years old? No, I was born in 1995. Come on. Oh, I was in yet. So the 13. Okay. So then that, you know, the housing market crashed. Everything was horrible. So I came in in a bad time, actually. So to not lay people off and lose their jobs, I had to get creative. I looked at not law enforcement is law enforcement. I turned it into a business is what I did. It is a business. Government is a business. So what I did is I looked at every avenue I could do to cut corners and save money to save jobs and protect my community. I even went as far as I had two acres in the back of my jail

and it was fenced in. I turned it into a garden. A garden. Oh, wait, do you hear this? This is, you're going to like this, Ian. I turned it into a two-acre garden. I went around and proposed the community. People donated.

They donated it. Then I used, what I did is I had inmates, raised and tend the garden, which turned into rehabilitation. I saved thousands of dollars in our, in our, our cafeteria, and where we would make our food for the inmates. And it just, it was, it was a win-win.

Everybody loved it so much. Then in the next year, I turned around and said, look, I want to raise my own chickens here. And this is what happened. I ended up getting a chicken coop donated, raised 80 broilers, turned around, turned it around, butchered them. I fed my, by inmates, save probably $30,000, $40,000 a year on food. How many inmates are under your watch? A hundred.

A hundred? Yeah. And these are people that are awaiting trial. This isn't where you're serving sentences? No, they are serving sentences there. At a county jail. They can serve in a county jail up to 365 days. Now, something I want to bring up is that a county jail is different than like your, and

being a sheriff is different than like your local police department that has a police chief. Like you have a lot more jurisdiction or say in the matter. That is the, the lead law enforcement officer in that county. Yeah, because like I'm going to. into Arkansas in a couple weeks and we're meeting with a sheriff who's letting us go into his jail. No background checks, nothing. We're going in. We're interviewing inmates. We're interviewing him. He has to say he's the law of the land for that building in that area. Well, I not only had to run a jail, I had a communication center that, you know, dispatched

local agencies. I had a detective bureau, a civil office. I had a lot of responsibilities, You think that's too much power for one person, though, in this day and age? Like, looking at it now and where the world is in society. Well, I think it can be, but you've got to delegate well. If you're able to like, if you're not obsessed with control and you can delegate and you look at as a team and not a dictatorship, I think you're going to be fine. But I think, you know, how it is. Everybody has an ego. You know, some have bigger egos than others.

And, you know, eventually mine got the best. me. Did you have a boss? Do you report to anyone or you're your own boss? You make your schedule. You make the law, the rules. I did. My boss says, you know who my boss was? All the voters. That's what I always said. But in between elections, technically, it's not like they could come in and fire you tomorrow. No. No. Fire you on the next election. Correct. Other than that, no, I was my own boss. So it's different than a police chief and a mayor where the mayor could fire the police chief tomorrow. Yeah. So I was the main guy. And in the law of Ohio, You know who the only person is that can arrest the sheriff?

Yeah. The county corner. The county corner? Check that out. How can the county corner make it out? There's a fun fact for you, Ian. You can use that one. That is wild.

That's true in State of Ohio. Has that ever happened before? It didn't even happen to me. So, but you'll find all the, all the life. So does the sheriff go out on the road at all, or are you, is this a desk job now? It is a desk job, but I was the type of guy. I'd go out and ride with my guys. I go to the drug raids.

You're still kicking down there. I was. I couldn't let go. I thought that if, you know what, those guys were out there doing it, get their hands dirty. Don't forget where I came from. How did the younger officers, I mean, the older officers treat having a boss that's way younger than them and less experienced? It was a little difficult at first, but as time went on, they figured out how fair I was with them because I made some positive changes. And it was a good place to work.

And I made it that way because I knew, because I worked in corrections, road patrol, detective bureau, I did every job. So I knew where I was coming from. Including future inmate. Exactly. You really did get the whole roundabout of the criminal justice system. I did. I did. Yeah. You're probably one of the few in the U.S. that could say they've experienced all sides of every aspect of it. I guess that's what makes the story unique in a way, too.

It is. It is. So where does it go south then? Your sheriff now, you're running it. You've got a great system. You're doing all these great things. Well, what happened to? I was involved with one Sunday afternoon. I got back from vacation, and we had an incident with a guy with a gun, a shotgun.

And we were cold out there because he was going to kill his family. he was out of control and I'll never forget I get off the phone and my daughter was even with me that day and she said this doesn't sound good dad and I said I got this don't worry so we go out and we couldn't get him out and because I was actually on the SWAT team too I left that out I went through the FBI I graduated from the FBI SWAT Academy too wow and hostage negotiation from the SWAT academy so I I have a lot of training as well as education But so if my SWAT team's going to go in, guess who else is going with him? You're going on? I did. Because if they were going to take a bullet, I was too. So couldn't get him out. We go in, we throw a flashbang and guess what he does when he points the gun at us.

We got a killing. We killed him. Did not want to do that, of course. That was the last thing. Well, the family wanted him out, and guess what? Then the family turned against us. And I didn't, I got, I got help for the my guys, you know, with some consular and I didn't take care of myself. Well, as time goes on then, you know, we were justified in the shooting criminally.

But then the family turned around sued me and the other guys with me for 20 million. And this is your first ever time dealing with a death directly related on the job? Well, I saw a lot of suicides. I handled homicide. I've seen everything. But this was a tough one. We didn't want to do that. And we were, you know, and being sued.

And then they protested several times. And, you know, there was a lot of negativity, especially in social media and the newspaper. And it was hard on me and my family. And I wasn't taking care. I didn't take care of myself. And then in between there, then I broke both of my ankles while I was a kid, too. So that started to be in real agonizing. and I ended up going to a specialist.

And the specialist then diagnosed me with arthritis. And during that time, a lot of them are quick to give opiates. So I was diagnosed and given 105 Vicod in a month is what I took. 105. Was that over, like, was that normal to do that for that pain? I guess. I mean, I got it from a doctor. So during that time, you know, my mental.

health was struggling because of the, you know, the death and, you know, the multitude of things of, you know, I've seen over time. And then something else happened. We got called on another Sunday. I'll never forget. It's always these Sundays. And yeah. And I got called away. And where I live, we, we handled, there's a mouth of the river and three kids fell through. And we went out to save them and guess what they drowned in front of us. Wow. Again. I didn't take care of Kyle. Kyle took care of everybody else. So during that time, the lawsuit, just the struggles and the 105 Vicodin, then, you know what,

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After two weeks, I was just eating them, eating them every day. And I noticed they started to run out, and I would get pretty sick, and I needed more. So I started to manipulate doctors. I went between doctors, and I would, you know, tell them this happen or that. I even, honestly, I even manipulated my own jail doctor. Really? Yeah, and I graduated Perkinsets. Perkinsets became my, I always say, and I wrote a letter saying,

buy to them. Miss Perkins said it was like my girlfriend. I mean, I loved Perkinses. They were like tick-tacks to me. I mean, pop and popping, that's what got me through the days. And then there was even the points where those fulfill my needs. So they had these takeback boxes where they disposed of all the old pills when people get rid of them at law enforcement agencies. And I took it upon myself to go around because we had a big disposal to get rid of them and picked them up. And I started stealing them from the takeback box too. And it got to the point that then sometimes that didn't last. So my parents both take opiates for arthritis.

So I would go in the house and steal them or I would even go to the, you know, the extent that my dad, I knew when he would get his refill of percocet. and I would volunteer. I'd say, you know what, Dad, I'll go pick them up. And, you know, when you go to the pharmacy, there's you staple the bag, you know. Yeah. I carried a stapler with me, so I can. Yeah, so I, yeah.

Is your wife noticing that's one? No, she didn't know. I was a great actor. I walked around with a Kool-Aid smile all the time, Ian. Do this affect your job at all? No, no, I don't know why, but I just kept going. And, you know, Percocets fueled me. They kept me going.

They kept me forgetting about the bad times. You know, and my, and there was along the way, you know, then my marriage started to, you know, diminish. And I didn't want to even talk about it. I just, you know, go on my business, you know, those pills took care of all my mental problems. The physical problems were nothing compared to what was going on in my head. And so it got the point, I, you know, even like, even I can remember my daughter got her teeth pulled. I stole her prescription. You know, you were so focused with getting drugs off the street.

You then became one of those people. You're right. And, you know, what's interesting, during that time, I never thought of myself as an addict. I couldn't because you know how I looked at addicts? They were the ones in the streets that we were putting in jail and incarcerated. There's no way the sheriff of the county could be that addict. The guy that's a husband, a father, the one that's the lead law enforcement officer in the county? Hell no.

It can't be me, but it did. And it was. in such denial. And it, you know, I lasted. I went from 2008, went through that election. I mean, I was killing it. Actually, when I did the whole garden, I was named the first ever state taxpayer hero award. I won it the first one. And now that guy's the attorney general of the state now. Was that affecting you mentally, too, that you were putting on this facade and you're getting all this praise, but deep down, you're not that person that they're making you out to be? Absolutely. And you know what?

It makes your ego gets inflated. You put on a facade. You're an actor. That's what I was. It keeps propelling, you know. I kept evolving into a bigger and bigger fake. You know, I compare that to my situation because everyone was looking at me as like the Wiz kid and the entrepreneur.

And I kept lies and pushing things going because I didn't want to lose that. You know, they had an image of me. That's right. And it's always about the image. And so, you know, I had to run for re-election every four years. First term, you know, I was in, I won, nobody ran against me next time. No, because I was killing it. I was doing a great job.

So this is 2012 now about? Yeah. And then here it comes again. I got to run for re-election again in 16. So this is your third, going to be your third term. Okay. So some rumbling start. to happen with I'm running for in the primary against somebody and I was big on Twitter at the time.

And so then my opponent pushes and comes out because I'm following porn stars and rappers and they're following me back on Twitter and they make a big deal out of that. And of course my wife isn't happy about that. And you know, they want to make a mockery of me. And, you know, they want to make a mockery of me and interesting it backfired because when I would go out and about you know and I kind of blew it off I'm like hey I'd probably accept it or I you know hit the button or whatever I tried to blow it off and people are coming up with shaking my hand saying I respect you I said why you're real I said why do you say that you're like I watch porn you know and and people are seeing that I'm a real person, they're looking beyond that whole image of, you know, being a, what do you call it,

just a guy in a uniform. But you know, this is 2016 when Trump is applying those same tactics. Correct. But let me backtrack. Because what happened for 16, here's the turning point with my addiction. February 3rd, 2015, I go to the pharmacy. And the pharmacist, Leslie, bless her heart, she's a wonderful soul. she says to me, Kyle, can you step aside?

I don't want to talk to. So me being the sheriff and just me being in denial and not thinking anybody knows what's going on with me, she says, hey, it's over with. I said, well, what's over with, Leslie? She's like, you going between all these doctors getting opiates. I'm calling them all. It's done. I'm like, oh, my God. I was sick. I was sick. I still didn't want to think I was an addict or had any trouble.

So that day I went home and I did. I flushed my last to biking and down the toilet. And that's when I got clean. In that moment. That moment. Really? That was the moment that you got clean. That is it. But it wasn't over. I had to figure out how to detox myself. My wife would go to work. She was a school teacher. My kids would go to school. So I could admit him. I was my own boss. So I would pretend like I was going to work with my uniform, turn around, come back, and I would pull my vehicle in the garage. I lay around during the day to get myself clean. And that's how I got clean. But I thought nobody knows about my dirty secrets. It's over with. And I still struggled mentally day after day. I would look up different ways of even still trying to get high in a legal way to get me through that because I was doing. Dope sick. You know what I mean? I was dope sick. You needed some health. You needed to reach out to someone. I did. But you know what? I was too proud. My ego was too big. And I still didn't want to think I was an addict. And then we fast forward again to 2016 about the porn stars and that. And I ended up winning the primary 62% of the votes. I rock and roll and I killed it. I thought, okay, here I go again. I'm good. I'm off the pills. This whole mental thing will go. away and then during that summer before the general election I get the phone call from my county prosecutor he wants to talk to me he says hey Kyle I said what's the deal he says they're looking into you for opiates and doctor shopping and stealing pills from the take back box I said what are you talking about man who's looking into you the the um they called the state the BCI so internal

affairs kind of. The state agency through the attorney general's office. And I said, well, they're on some bullshit because I'm not an addict. And was I on them? Yeah, for arthritis. And I'm not, I ain't doing no doctor shopping. He goes, well, they're going to check on it, blah, blah, blah. So I kept full momentum.

And, you know, I didn't even tell my wife about it. And they started a full-blown investigation on me. And I'll never forget. August 23rd, 2016, our county fair. It was always the grand opening, ribbon cutting. It was big. All everybody's there. And I'm there as a sheriff because I'm a, I'm a politician. I got to be there. And I was in uniform. A great day. I knew the grand jury was going to meet. But I still in denial, thinking nothing's going to happen. You haven't told anyone. No, I retained an attorney though. I got one and by that night at 630, I had a 43 count in indictment looking at 15 years.

And what were the charges? Doctors shopping, the theft of drugs, and then they threw a theft in office of a fund line that they said I shouldn't have spent out of this and should have spent out of another. Did someone rat you out essentially? Yeah, yeah. And it is. And that's what I. happened. And so I went in on a $150,000 bond and I bonded out. Did you get to turn yourself in or did they do the whole? No, I turned myself in. To which jail did you turn yourself in? I went to my own jail. You went to, wait, what? You went to your own jail. Oh, I did. That you're the sheriff. Uh-huh. And your own deputies booked you. They fingerprinted me and everything

there. How weird is that? It was and it made them very uncomfortable. And you're still the acting sheriff. You're damn right it was. So what about your gun? I had to give it all up. But you're still the sheriff? Yes. This is wild. It is wild.

So you're the sheriff that's under arrest. Did they handcuff you at that time? Oh, yeah. I was handcuffed everything. I was in shackles and everything. Add that day, you turned yourself in? Everything. Right, because here's what happened. They did that, and then they transported me to a jail adjacent county, which I knew everybody

over there, too. But they couldn't have you at your own jail. No, but they booked me there. That's where it all began. Wow. And you're still the sheriff. I'm still the sheriff. So guess what? 150,000. I bond out. And guess what I do?

I continue to run for sheriff. So you're still running for sheriff? I am. What's your wife say to you? Well, I'm still saying it's all bullshit and everybody's out to get me because they want my job. So I kept going. I was in numerous parades, you know, shaking hands out there.

I can remember people. I mean, they were, coming off the porches to me hugging me saying, I love you, I'm voting for you. I mean, we were running like phone poles. My numbers were going through the roof. Could you still have the gun? No, nothing. So how could you actively do your job without a weapon or anything? You can still be the sheriff. There are people, there are sheriffs that. You're still going to your jail and bossing up. Nope. I wasn't. You were banned from that? I was banned. I could not come on the property. The prosecutor, they ordered me and that. They took away by vehicle and everything. So how are you

running the department then. I wasn't. But I was still the sheriff. And I was still running. I was doing debates too, and I was, I was great. I'm good at speaking. I was killing in debates. So what would happen if you won now? Well, and that's what they were worried about. Okay. So, and we'll get to that because what happened then, they followed me. And my son's birthday was coming up. He was going to be 13 and he want a crossbow. I went out and bought him a crossbow. Which is illegal. So I get a phone call from my attorney.

He's like, Kyle, what'd you do now? I said, what do you mean? He's like, did you buy a crossbow for your son? I said, yeah, I did. I go, I don't have it anymore. He goes, we're going to try to violate your bond. I said, okay. So they served me the papers and November 3rd, 2016, I'll never forget.

I go to take my son to school. I'll never forget. He's like, Dad, will I see you after school? I'm like, yeah, I got this, Dylan. You know I got this. Come on. You know, because I was still had that big ego. I was still in denial.

I don't want anybody to know about my addiction and what I was struggling with. So I went to court that day and they violated it. $250,000 cash. No 10% nothing. They wanted cash. If you were to get bonded out. And I couldn't put it together. I mean, I had some guys that could probably put it together for me, but I gave up.

I surrendered. They took me in a Marion County jail. And that's where I started to like come to terms and letting people know I was an addict and I needed help. It took that to break me. So I started talking to my parents, not really much with my wife. We were struggling a little bit. And of course, my kids didn't know about it. I went to my first AA meeting while I was there and there was like three people in it.

And I was one of the three. And I started to write letters and talk about my addiction and say I needed treatment and what was really going on with me. So we put together a plea deal. I applied to 12 counts. and I wanted to get treatment because I still needed it. Even though I wasn't using, I was still mentally struggling because I still wanted to use. And I was still dealing with trauma. So I went back on December 13th.

And the judge says to me, she's like, Kyle, what do you have to say for yourself? And I said, well, I'm an addict. I need help. I mean, I was broken. Broken, crying, you know, I was at my rock bottom. And she said, you know what? You know what? I don't think you love your kids.

She told me that. I mean, I was told I was a narcissist. Basically, the lowest speck of dirt on the ground on the earth. She said, I'm going to give you the best treatment. I'll give you the best treatment in the state of Ohio. You're going to serve four years in prison. This is state prison. Yes.

And I thought, oh, my God. How am I going to do this? my kids how am i going to do four years so immediately i was taken away i couldn't even get my my affairs in order but you're already um in jail though weren't you yeah but i didn't even i couldn't even get my financial affairs so you wanted to get released to get yeah and they wouldn't they sent me what's your conversation with your dad who's a cop who's seeing his son rise to the top of the ranks and then i know i know but but believe or not him and my mom were there They were supportive.

They were there. And after I got sentenced, I get back and they take me to Erie County Jail. And I called the next day and talked to my wife and kids and my wife's like, yeah, four years. Also, you got a girlfriend, huh? You had a girlfriend? I said, what are you talking about? She says, well, your phone calls have just been released. in the media, you talking to your girlfriend on the jail phone.

When they crushed me, they buried me. They got you from all angles. They got me. And they talked about me having a double life. And you did? And I did. Why? Why did you do that? I was unhappy. And you know what? I didn't do the right thing. I cheated on my wife. You know, infidelity runs rampant, you know, in life.

And it was part of my addiction. I ran from every aspect of my life again. You had so much going for you. Like literally everything, what anyone could have dreamed of you had. I did. I had everything. And or did I think I did. That's true, because now you have a new life now, which is probably what you wanted and you realize that the past.

What's it like to go from having all the power as a sheriff to having no power as an inmate? What's that dynamic like? It was interesting because then, I'm no longer Kyle Overmeyer. I'm 692.183. I'm a prison number. I'm just a number. But what's interesting, they took me into Grafton, where the intake, I served my first 30 days. I was in solitary confinement. For your safety? For my safety to find placement for me. And I'll never forget, because it was during Christmas, I didn't get to talk about it. Then finding out, right away, find out my wife finds out that I'm cheating on her. My kids are upset. They found out through the

media. That's how they found out. And I spent. 30 days in there without talking to anybody. And the only time I knew, and I don't know if you've ever reserved time in solitary confinement. I did six months. All right? You'll only know what time it is because you hear the wheels turn on that floor. Yeah, the food car or anything, the book cart. Exactly.

And that was either going to make me or break me. And I don't know about you, Ian. You did six months. I did 30 days, six months a long time. They did it off the jump. I think the isolation created the elevations. in my mind. What the hell am I going to do with myself? Am I going to become a true criminal, a lifelong? Because I'm educated. I know the tricks of the trade. I could probably come out

and be one of the best dope boys ever. I could have been, you know, working for some big organizations. But that's where I had to figure it out. So I got out there and then they took me to protective custody and I hated it. Yeah, what's protective custody like as a cop in prison? It's just controlled movement with other people like gang members, other cops, lawyers and that. Are those people giving you a hard time, though? No, no, not at all. As soon as I got off the bus, they were ready for me. They had drugs for me.

Really? Yeah, and I turned it down. I said, no. So you're not treated in a bad way as a cop in prison? Not at first. Well, not in protective custody. So I signed out. I went to General Pop.

Why would you do that? Because a pop's going to do four years. I wanted to do it the right way. Okay. And I wanted to move. That's risky. I know. Did I get, did I have something?

Yeah, I got a fight and I beat somebody up. Yeah, I handled it. First day out? Oh, one of them. Somebody wanted to try me and I went and handle it and it was over. What do you mean by tried you? What happened? They called me out in the day room and we went in and handle it and called you out for

what being a cop, basically. What does he say to you? Blah, blah, you know, just running his, running his mouth. And he was affiliated with a organization. And he didn't think, hey. I think he was surprised. That you went up, stood up for yourself? Yeah, and I can handle it too.

But I'm a former wrestler and boxer too, you know? And, you know, I was in good shape. I was bigger. I was 50 pounds bigger when I was in prison. Did that earn the respect to other inmates? Absolutely. Even though you're a cop, which is considered bottom of the barrel. Yeah, but it was interesting because my roommate was a gang member who shot tattoos.

I got two tattoos while I was in there. My first father's day in there. I got my kids names and memory of my kids on my arms. And then I even went as far as my workout partner was a gang member who was a Muslim. And I wanted to understand his religion. So I read the Quran and I did Ramadan and fasted for 30 days with him. Really? I did.

And that probably went a long way on it. Respect wise. It did. It did. And I spent my time educating myself on cultures people and figuring out who the hell Kyle Overmire, it really was, which I'm sure you did the same, Ian, or you and I wouldn't be, you and I wouldn't be having this conversation. I mean, it wasn't towards the end, I would say. I think the first bit of time was just trying to find myself, I mean, in the sense where, like,

you know, you're keeping busy distracting yourself, fucking around, doing whatever. Oh, yeah, yeah. And I'm not going to tell, I'm not going to lie to you, but there was a time where I was feeling bad for myself. There was. And I had to have a wake up call by another inmate to take me aside and tell me a story. And it spun me all the way around to where I wouldn't be sitting here probably. You know, and no, I mean, I even went as far as Black History Month in there. They had an essay contest. This is a true story too. Listen to this. And they were given away a free lease chicken dinner in there. I wrote the essay and I get a knock on my door and the woman says, I'm looking for Overmire,

692, 1A threat, so that's me. And she's like, Can be. I says, what do you mean? She's like, this is the essay winner for Black History Month. You're white. And I said, and I said, here's my ID.

And she's like, I'm sorry. I apologize to you. I shouldn't. And I won the Black History Month. I studied and worked on culture and understood things as much as possible while I was in there again. Well, and being a sheriff that

goes to prison, you were running your own prison, now you're in prison. Did it make you think about the inmates that you were incarcerating before? Like how they're treated, the system, everything? Yeah, because now, because of doing all that time and we'll get to all that. But yeah, because you know why? So many addicts and people with mental health issues, they're being thrown away in a warehouse and they don't. They need help. They need rehabilitated. They're not getting rehabilitated. It's a warehouse. But you were one of those people throwing away. Damn right. I was.

How does that make you feel? It made me feel terrible. You know what? That was probably one of the reasons I was put in jail. Because you know what? I had to find out. And now we have our purpose. And I don't know.

Yeah, but I served all four years in there. Actually, you want to hear an interesting thing? I ended up when I was competing in bodybuilding and went to college. I ended up back with one of my friends from college in there. That was in prison. Yes. And we talk actually every day now. He did 10 years.

He got 10 years for manufacturing steroids. He was an RN. Great guy. Today he's out being successful today. And isn't it amazing how things go full circle? I mean, out of 28 prisons, him and I end up back together, which at the end, we were a very good support system because we got out around the same time then, too. I still can't believe that you're a cop that goes to prison and gets a prison tattoo.

That's got to be a first. It probably is. What's that like? I was afraid to get what I'd ever got. No, I mean, you know, we sterilized it. We used to hide the thing in the wall. What did they use? Guitar string.

Okay. Guitar string, they had a little motor and we would take the batteries and sterilize it. No, I don't have Hep C. So I'm good. What about ink? What did they use? They got it from the art department. It was the India ink.

So we were good. And it didn't hurt. Did it hurt worse than a regular? Because you got regular tattoos? Yeah, I got regular, you know, but. No, I don't think so. And what about to clean it up after? Are they using anything on it?

Any aftercare, like lotion? We had, there were some triple antibiotic cream. That was it. Yeah. And it never got infected. No, nothing. What does your family say that you got a prison tattoo? I think I get, like, especially from my son, I got mad respect, you know, because I did it for them.

That's good. And I didn't see my kids for four years. They didn't come as a year. No, they don't want to see me in that capacity. And I don't blame it. I talked to them every day. That's fair. I went through bankruptcy while I was in there.

I went, I got a, of course, like a divorce. And then I got out April 6th, 2020. And how did you support yourself financially if you were going through bankruptcy in prison? Did you have like a hustle? No. Here's what I did have. I still had some money for my retirement. And I used to pay, help my my kids out with some things. My daughter was going through college. I paid for my commissary that way paid I had to pay my attorney I paid my attorney off um and my restitution so I was about broke when I got out you still got a retirement yeah I did are you paid to this day with it till no so you got an exhibit I got a I got a jump I got a dump of money and I paid all my stuff off even though you were found guilty you yeah that money yeah that's interesting that they still paid it out

they did and how much does a sheriff make of a town um that county because it goes per population of county. I made about $68,000 here. That's it. That's it. But there's perks, like probably free dinners and you got the car. The car, but not, I mean, not a whole lot of perks. How are you, you would have been better off working for the feds. Yeah. I'm better off now. Yeah, true. You are better off now. I am. So, no, I, I did all my prison time. You got out April 1, 2020, you said? Yep, April 6th, 2020. Right after COVID hits. Parole. Okay.

Ankle monitor. Okay. I stayed with a girl for a little bit, got booted out, and then I was homeless. Which girl? Like a girl you just found? Somebody that connected with me while I was over. The other girl was gone. That was over with.

Yeah. No wife. And then I was homeless. And so I'll never forget driving around with six garbage bags of Goodwill clothes because I didn't have anything. And how am I going to make this work? And I'm calling my parole officer. And I end up finding a woman that I,

I knew because I was on the board at a community college. And she would send me cards and support me while I was in prison. And I called her. And she's like, I don't have any apartments that you can flop in, but I got a spare bedroom with an air mattress. So I flopped on there and had an ankle monitor. And guess what? I had to get a job then.

So I had to live in the county The same county you were sheriff of NBM parole What's that like? I needed a job So my friend owned Two least famous recipe Chicken places

Remember the least famous recipe I got While I was in prison? Oh yeah yeah that He's like you know what Kyle I got a job you can frying chicken So I started frying chicken For nine and 15 an hour

And I was glad I had a job I was just proud to have a job but everybody else made my life hell. They would come in, take pictures of me, put memes on Facebook, and try to break me. But guess what it did to me?

Made you stronger. It turned me all the way up, Ian. I loved it in a way. Got that energy back from that young officer. I'm like, you know what? Keep doing it. So I started to really get out there. I was going to a lot of meetings,

still working on myself, because I was building my relationship up with my kids, even though I was homeless and, you know, flopping on somebody's air mattress and put things together, but I was doing the right thing. So I started to do a lot of meetings, and I ended up meeting one of the guys that ran a treatment center and nearby, and he said, hey, you know, I know who you are

and blah, blah, blah, blah. Why don't you come over? I like talk to you. Maybe we can give you a job. So, lo and behold, he gave me my first job in the addiction and mental health treatment industry. I worked midnight overseeing while they slept as a behavioral tech. So I went from 9.50 an hour to 1150 an hour, you know? And I was like on cloud nine over it.

And eventually then I put enough money together to get an apartment. Guess where I got an apartment in the hood where he's kicked doors in. And how are they treating you? Mad respect. Because you did the time and... They say, you're one of us now. And that's what they say. I had guys that were dope boys bringing me meals down to my apartment.

Out of respect, you know, chicken and collard greens and, you know, just showing me nothing but love. And I appreciate that. And it's because how I treated them on the streets, too. I guess that says a lot about your character right there. So I started doing that and then I really got out there on Facebook and just I was honest and transparent. I took responsibility for everything. People started to recognize it, notice.

And so I was working up there and I get a message one day from a woman named Jennifer. And she says, hey, I'm starting to follow your story. I'm very impressed with you. And she goes, I get up that way, you know, towards. Fremont every once in a while I'd love to eat lunch with you and your girlfriend and I sent her laugh out a lot I said, huh, you can meet me

but I ain't got no girlfriend. So November 22nd, Jennifer shows up and six weeks later we get married. Isn't it crazy the women that reach out when you start sharing your story on Facebook? Yes.

People fall in love with your character and how, like you could get to know someone through their videos, through TikToks, through everything. Like I've talked to people in the past that I could develop a crush on me or like me through my videos and content. Because you're genuine. Yeah.

Pete. And you know what? A lot of women love that people, when men are genuine and they show feelings, emotions, and they're true. A lot of people. A lot of men don't do that. No. And that's one thing about me.

I talk about my emotions all the time. You know, like I didn't cry before. I'll cry like a baby if I'm sad or I'm happy. I always say now men cry and boys pout. that's the truth. Yeah. Well, I mean, it's intense for a woman whenever a man expresses his feelings. Oh, absolutely.

Like when the girl I've been seeing recently, she's like, you're very intense. It's not bad, but I'm just not used to a man expressing feelings in that way because it's just not normal. But I think like when people like you and I go through a lot of trauma and things of that nature of prison, anything like that, it turns you into like that emotional type figure. or anyone in general that goes through shit and they come out on the other side, you have all these emotions and you're able to process things differently and you're able to share it and you can, you know, enunciate it and get it out there and develop feelings. You're right. You're right.

And it doesn't only help you heal, but it helps others heal. Absolutely. It really does. And so Jen and I got married. And during that time, she's like, you know, people are starting to want you to speak in that. She's like, you know, people call you K.O. Kyle, and she's like, why don't you do CAO addiction? And I'm like, that's brilliant.

So we put CAO addiction together. And then I was going to be commuting from Fremont to Columbus. And six days after we get married, we're eating pizza, I'll never forget. My phone rings from Florida. And I'm like, who's this? And he says, hey, I'm the owner of a treatment center down in Columbus, Ohio. I've been following you and I have a business development job. Would you be interesting to come to Columbus and being my guy?

I'm like, oh my gosh. Jennifer lived down in Columbus area. I'm like, guess I don't have to commute. So I moved down there making a lot better money. Then things continue to pick up for my speaking, sharing more. Everything kept, you know, evolving more and more. and then eventually, of course, I got off a parole after a year. And then another treatment facility coming offering me more money and another opportunity.

And today, now I work for Hickory Behavioral Hospital as a regional director in Ohio and have COADiction. And it's only been a little over three years. I mean, a little over three years ago, I was frying chicken and I was homeless. I wasn't sitting at Ian Bix locked in. Yeah, I mean, I couldn't have predicted this. you know, even seven months ago where the show is gone and what's happened. Oh, you're on fire. You're on fire, Ian. You're over 130,000 plus subscribers. That's amazing. Yeah. I mean, just in so I think that the thing is, it's the time period. How fast is grown and how people are connecting to it. And it's the first of

its kind. Well, I'm not a preacher. I'm out here to put on a gospel or anything like that, but the higher power works in mysterious ways. A hundred percent. And what you put into something is what you get out of it. And I don't know, you know, your dad and I was talking about it earlier, about addiction and stuff. I'm addicted to the hustle now. That's good, Ben. And I grind every day. Well, you got your passion back and a flame and something, you know. Right. And it's a genuine passion. And now I can actually be me. I know who Kyle Overmeyer is. I still don't know what he's going to be. And you probably don't know either. You're 28 years old, right? Yeah. I'm 49. I'll be 50. I better figure it out. I told my wife the other

I'm on the five-year plan. I'd spend three years, I got two more. So there's a five-year plan. You're working on a book now. You're doing all these exciting things. I am. I wanted to have the book out at the end of this year. It's probably going to be pushing in 2024.

I have a co-author out of California. Sponsorships now. I'm wearing some of my stuff today with international jewelry with my K.O. pendant. Thanks to Mike Mod for making that and sponsored me and supporting me. Then I got another sponsorship. It's called Lancaster Police Activities League. It's a boxing gym.

That's awesome. And, you know, there's more to come. And people like that believe in me. And, you know what? We talked about it. I do like haters. I'm not going to lie. That keeps us going.

But the people that support you, love you, like my wife, children, my parents, that's what you need. That's what you need. If you don't have a higher power, you know, I believe in God. And, you know, like I said, I'm not here to preach. and God and family. That's what you got. And the two keys in life is loyalty and love. Well, you know, there's a power in your story specifically

because you've con full circle. So you, and I think a lot of people can take away from that, a lot of law enforcement that listens to the show, a lot of inmates who may judge law enforcement in a certain way because you're someone that's experienced both sides and you're speaking on both of them. And you're absolutely correct. And, you know, there's a lot of people that struggle in silence,

especially first responders. And my heart goes out to them and their families because first responders see things that normal people shouldn't see. And then you've got to go home and deal with it. And I think people need to ask for help more. I go to therapy twice a month now. I have a great consular.

He checks me and I love it. He makes me understand it's good to get uncomfortable. I make myself get uncomfortable a lot to grow, to grow as a person. And I attribute a lot of my successes to those kind of things. And I think people in life make things so difficult, but it's truly simple things that make it the best. Absolutely. You know, and now, and I've been on both sides.

I've been approached now. Would I ever be interested in running for public office again? Maybe you should stay away from that. I don't know, because if I can make a change with the prison system, addiction, mental health, like prison reform, and help others, I do it for the right reason. But you can also have a power in doing that through your story and building a platform. Like me, I'm someone that will probably never run

for a public office, but I have a platform. And that's how I can contribute. Like some people ask me all the time, why don't you get your own nightclub going and this and that? And I just feel like that chapter is closed in my life, you know? Yeah, I get what you're saying. But you know what? I always say, you know what? And you probably knew this.

We all struggled with control. You know, when you were on the phone in prison, and if that person hung up, they didn't have to answer. You couldn't text him anymore. You learned a lot about control, and I did. And we don't have controls truly of our lives. That man up there does. So with that, being said, I always say put it in his hand, you know? You know what?

Got a purpose. And I've told my wife a million times, and God gives you a puzzle, and he throws it up in the air, and he says, now, you put it together. Now, if you could go back to that young sheriff, you know, that had the option with the drugs and knowing what, and knowing now everything you know and you knew what you were doing in that moment, would you change anything different and what would you tell yourself? I wouldn't change anything for Kyle Overmeyer, but I would do it for somebody else because I think I was supposed to go through all that to get to here. Like you said, people are going to learn something from me. And I'm going to help people. And that's what I do quite a bit. People reach out to me daily on my messenger and Facebook because of my story.

So I couldn't, I wouldn't change a thing about my past. I don't have any resentments or regrets. You know, like, and I'm sure you probably struggled. One of the things is, you know, you can forgive others, but you struggle with forgiving yourself. and I'm finally like to that point in life and I don't have any regrets. I know I put my kids through things, but even my son has told me, he's like, I think this made me a better person. I mean, my kids are both.

My daughter's married, graduated from college. I'm a grandfather. My son is at Tiffin University where I graduated from. He was playing baseball. He's got a paid internship at a bank. I mean, my kids were successful. But also, I'm going to tell you something, their mother did a great job, too. That's great, man.

Well, Kyle, thank you so much for coming on the show today. No, thank you. Thank you for flying all the way out here. You know, I'm sure you're looking forward to drive back with my dad. You can talk to him some more. We're bonding. I might steal him. He might be my second dad yet.

I mean, he's old enough to be your dad, so which is funny. No, he's not. He's, what is he, 45? No, he's turned 78 this year. Oh, he lied to me. He said he was like 45. He looks great. He looks amazing. He hates his story, but growing up when we were kids, people would say, oh, you have nice grandkids and it would piss him off so much that his own kids were being called the grandkids. Well, you got good genetics and you got a great dad. Absolutely. I mean, family's so important. It is. It is. You're blessed,

Ian. You are. And you know what? I hope you continue and I know you will with success. And, you know, what anything I can ever do for you. You know, you've brought me on here and I appreciate it and I want to show you gratitude. Well, just get all the grandkids to listen to Lockton. We got it. We've got them on there. Awesome, man. I have a safe trip back. All right. Thank you, Ian.