TOLEDO — A drug-rehabilitation center for felons is out of control, according to an investigation that found a guard had sex with a prisoner and the director tried to date a former inmate.

        The director of the Lucas County Correctional Treatment Facility and five employees have been placed on leave. Investigators recommended that four, including Director Paul Tunks, be fired.

        Mr. Tunks also was accused of hiring former inmates to work for him on his rental property and lying about how many hours he worked.

        “I thought when we initiated this we'd find an isolated incident,” said Jean Atkin, who conducted the investigation for the Lucas County Common Pleas Court, which oversees the rehab program.

        “But the number of individuals involved, the time period it covered, and the scope of misconduct was much larger,” she said. “You just can't have these kinds of problems in a place like this.”

        The treatment center is one of 18 in the state for felons and is the last chance for them to avoid prison. The center houses as many as 110 residents and this year received $3.3 million from the state.

        Mr. Tunks, the director since 1997, told the Toledo Blade Wednesday that the allegations against him are false.

        “Honestly, this shocks me down to my toes,” he said. “We're doing a good job there. We're proud of what we're doing.”

        Most of the charges in the report violate court rules, because the prisoners were still under court supervision, Ms. Atkin said. Hearings on the administrative charges are scheduled for next week.

        The report also has been sent to the county prosecutor to determine if criminal charges should be filed.

        Among the most serious charges in the report:

        • Mr. Tunks asked a former inmate out to dinner several times and called her on her cell phone and at home.

        • S.T. Johnson, a corrections officer, had sexual contacts with a 28-year-old inmate at least five times and tried to pick up other inmates.

        • A corrections officer and a counselor each allowed a former inmate to live with them for a short period.

        Mr. Johnson would not comment on the charges.

        The allegations are distressing because inmates, especially recovering addicts, are vulnerable and the staff controls their daily routines, said Mark Lair, director of court deputies. “Once you cross that line, there's no way to get back,” he said.

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