: He was sentenced to a suspended six-month term at the Correction Center of Northwest Ohio and one year of active probation .

Beyond the criminal case, a civil lawsuit was filed by Gaston and his wife, seeking compensation for "severe emotional and psychological distress" and lost wages. Gaston, who was a defensive tactics instructor, alleged that the encounter was racially motivated—a claim Eklund's supporters strongly deny, asserting he was simply following training.

Security guard receives probation after May incident ... - 13ABC

: His probation mandated mental health counseling, a gun safety class, and a prohibition on owning a firearm during that period. The Civil Suit and GoFundMe

: When Gaston refused, citing his inability to leave a service weapon unattended, Eklund drew his firearm. Surveillance footage captured Eklund pointing the gun at Gaston’s back as the deputy attempted to leave and eventually trying to take him into custody at an elevator.

The case of , a former security guard at an Ohio IRS office, remains a point of intense online debate years after his 2019 confrontation with a uniformed sheriff's deputy. While the criminal proceedings concluded in early 2020, recent interest in the "Seth Eklund GoFundMe" often stems from efforts to support his legal defense or viral social media re-shares of the incident. The Incident: IRS Office Confrontation

While a was launched by supporters to assist Eklund with legal fees and lost income following his termination, many similar campaigns for this specific case are now inactive or closed. Current searches for "Seth Eklund GoFundMe updated" sometimes yield unrelated campaigns for individuals with the same name, such as a 2025 fundraiser for a program called the "18 Inch Journey".