By Carrie Spencer
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS - State Treasurer Joseph T. Deters is not part of a grand jury investigation of whether an imprisoned former stockbroker bribed a public official connected to Deters' office to get state business, the lead investigator said Friday.

"The evidence that we have presented to the grand jury does not implicate Mr. Deters in any type of criminal conduct," said Special Prosecutor Thomas J. Sammon.

"They only have a week to go, and it's pretty much wrapped up as an investigation."

Sammon would not speculate on whether the grand jury would indict anyone else in the case, but said Deters was not in the investigation's "sphere of interest."

Frank Gruttadauria, serving a seven-year sentence for bilking clients out of $125 million, pleaded guilty in March to state charges, and agreed to cooperate with the grand jury Prosecutors refuse to name the official that Gruttadauria has said he bribed.

Gruttadauria has said a $50,000 check he directed to the Hamilton County Republican Party in 2001 was a disguised contribution to Deters.