By Associated Press
Tulsa, OK – Stillwater mayor faces computer crimes charge
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) Stillwater Mayor Nathan Bates is accused of using his city computer to try to win a public grant for the company he owns.
A felony indictment unsealed Monday accuses the 28-year-old Bates of using his official computer and e-mail account to help obtain a $5,000 grant for his company, Icon Properties. The indictment in Payne County District Court alleges that Bates violated Oklahoma's Computer Crimes Act.
The computer crimes charge is a felony.
A separate indictment accuses Glenn Freedman of perjury, saying he helped Bates pursue the grant. Freedman is vice president of Oklahoma State University's Center for Innovation and Economic Development.
Stillwater City Attorney John Dorman says Bates' status as mayor is unchanged by the indictment. OSU spokesman Gary Shutt says Freedman has been placed on leave with pay.