CLEVELAND – A new twist on an old scam is targeting consumers and businesses throughout Northeast Ohio. The United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio, and FBI Cleveland are warning the public about a scam that combines aspects of tech-support fraud with government impersonation.
In this scam, the victim receives a document or documents resembling an official court document both in its format and language, sent through an email, the U.S. Mail, a text, or website pop-up. The document and/or accompanying notice state that the victim is being investigated for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) fraud and that an arrest warrant has been issued. The notice asserts that the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch has issued it, and it states that, to “lift the warrant,” the victim must go to a cryptocurrency kiosk and make a designated payment. Such notices and documents are fake, and persons who receive them should report receiving them to the FBI at https://www.ic3.gov.
“Fraudsters are often quite sophisticated. Time and again, we see these criminals refine their schemes to make their false claims seem more believable, and then succeed in cheating our community members of their hard-earned money,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “Recently, we are seeing more and more scammers impersonate law enforcement officers, government agencies, banks, and companies, and use these false personas to convince their victims to hand over money, gold, or other things of value. The United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and our other law enforcement partners will continue to pursue such scammers aggressively, but we would much rather prevent a scam than prosecute one. Please remain vigilant, treat unsolicited emails, texts, and pop-up ads with suspicion, and check in on friends or loved ones who you think might be particularly susceptible to these types of scams. And if you believe that either you or someone you know has been the victim of a scam, promptly report it to the FBI or, if appropriate, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 [1-833-372-8311].”
“Scammers are becoming increasingly clever in the way they are portraying government agencies and banking and financial institutions,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “This scam– creating bogus documents designed to look like a court summons and compelling the victim to oblige or face arrest, jail time, or further action, highlights the efforts the criminals will take to dupe unsuspecting victims. We can’t stress enough to the public that the government will not contact you via email or text with a summons for action, payment, or arrest and instead, urge residents to place a phone call with the publicly listed phone number of the government agency, not the number or email listed in the [bogus] document, to confirm if a communication was sent by that agency. Typically, it’s a scam. And in that case, we ask that you report it to the FBIs Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.”
In addition to COVID Fraud Enforcement and PPP Resolution scams, internet-based crimes continue to target all Americans. According to information from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, last year, consumers in Toledo, Akron, Cleveland, Youngstown, and beyond reported that they received notifications that their computer or Amazon account was compromised. These alerts came in the form of websites or pop-ups. Victims believed they were talking to tech support staff from Microsoft or Amazon and then were transferred to other individuals who represented themselves as an “officer of the law” or staff from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who then requested tens of thousands of dollars to remedy the situation. The victims were asked to put the cash in a package and then meet with a “federal marshal” for the pickup. The locations where the victims met the couriers were areas like gas stations, fast food restaurant parking lots, and even their own homes. Sometimes the victims were shown educational videos about fraud by the scammers and thanked for “doing the right thing” and supporting law enforcement efforts. Victims were often older consumers who lost tens of thousands of dollars. While tech support scams are not new, this newest trend is quite frightening because scammers are requesting face-to-face meetings for cash pickups while impersonating law enforcement. Both seniors and their families should be aware of this and other, similar scams.
Consumers who are asked to wire, pay, or transport large amounts of cash or crypto currency to avoid arrest, jail time, or fix a tech support or some type of business-related account issue should cease communications, and instead contact the FBI directly by filing a report online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (https://www.ic3.gov).
Additionally, consumers should always try to verify questionable correspondence with a government agency or member of law enforcement by a separate means—such as contacting them directly using information found on an official website.
Reinforcing his pledge to hold unscrupulous business owners accountable, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed six consumer-protection lawsuits in five counties against businesses accused of ripping off Ohioans who wanted to make home improvements.
The legal actions coincide with National Consumer Protection Week – being observed March 3-9 this year — a nationwide initiative to arm consumers with information about their rights and resources to help them make informed financial decisions.
“This week and every week, deceptive and illegal business practices — especially those that hit consumers hard in the pocketbook — will not escape our attention,” Yost said. “We’re dedicated to protecting Ohioans and their hard-earned money year-round.”
All six lawsuits allege violations of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act and request that the defendants reimburse consumers and pay civil penalties and court costs. Likewise, the state requests that all defendants be prohibited from engaging in any consumer transactions in Ohio until their judgments are paid.
Cuyahoga County
A home-improvement contractor and his company are accused of not delivering goods and services to consumers and performing shoddy work that did more damage than good.
Yost’s lawsuit, filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, names Charles Jones of Blacklick and his Columbus-based business, Veritas Home Refinishing.
Several consumers for whom Jones provided some work needed to have the work finished or redone by different contractors, the lawsuit says. The consumers maintain that the damages exceed $200,000.
Franklin County
The owner of a high-end home design and remodeling company based in Columbus allegedly accepted substantial amounts from consumers for home-improvement projects but did not complete the projects, did shoddy work and/or left debris and materials on property.
Yost’s lawsuit, filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, names Delaware resident Josh Powers and the business known as Josh Powers Design and Remodel.
According to complaints filed with the Attorney General’s Office, the loss to consumers exceeds $100,000.
A concrete-pouring company serving central Ohio is accused of accepting over $20,000 in up-front payments from consumers and performing, at best, shoddy or incomplete work.
Yost’s lawsuit, filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, names Lawrence Hurst and his company, B&L Custom Concrete, which he operated out of his Columbus home.
In 2022, the Attorney General sued Hurst and his company True 2 Finish for similar violations of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act. That lawsuit, filed in Warren County, ended in a default judgment for Yost’s office.
Hamilton County
The owner of a concrete business from Aurora, Indiana is accused of accepting consumer payments but not providing any services; consumer complaints allege payments of over a combined $20,000.
Yost’s suit, filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, names Roger Gray, who does business using the name All Around Concrete. Gray has also solicited Ohio consumers by representing that his business was named or affiliated with CIN-Concrete or Cincinnati Concrete Co.
The lawsuit alleges that, after Roger Gray accepted money from consumers for projects, he left their homes and indicated he would return, but then he never returned and never did the work.
Lorain County
Customers of an Avon home builder and remodeler allegedly suffered significant financial losses when the contractor failed to fulfill promises or provided subpar workmanship, leaving some homes in worse condition than when he started working on them.
Yost’s lawsuit, filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, names Jeffrey Crawford Jr. and his company, Cleveland Custom Homes.
Several consumers had to hire other contractors to redo or complete work that was poorly performed or left unfinished by the defendants, including finishing new homes that were not fit to live in when defendants abandoned the job. The customers allege losses in excess of $1 million.
Marion County
A Marion driveway-repair and -paving contractor is accused of taking $13,000 from homeowners but providing incomplete work and/or shoddy work.
Yost’s lawsuit, filed in Marion County Common Pleas Court, names Justin Lovell and his company Everyday Paving & Sealcoating.
In one instance, Lovell requested a customer write him a second check because the first one had been damaged. After receiving the replacement, Lovell cashed both checks.
When considering whether or who to hire for a home improvement job, consider the following:
Get recommendations. Successful contractors will make it easy to access feedback on their work and related documentation.
Ask for licensing, certification and proof of insurance. Depending on the project you are going to undertake, this may be important to the safety of your renovation.
Go online. Check out the company’s reputation with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau. You can also search for previous lawsuits filed by the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section.
Understand payment options. Do not make a large down payment. Instead, pay in increments – for example, one-third at the beginning of the job, one-third after half of the work is completed to your satisfaction and one-third when the job is completed. Avoid paying in cash. It leaves you with a limited paper trail if something goes wrong. Be cautious of contractors who want payment made out to themselves as individuals, instead of a company.
CINCINNATI – A local, self-identified “Incel” was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 80 months in prison for attempting to conduct a mass shooting of women.
Tres Genco, 24, of Hillsboro, Ohio, admitted he plotted to commit a hate crime, namely, a plan to shoot women at a university in Ohio. He was arrested by federal agents in July 2021 and has remained in custody since.
“Genco intended to carry out a devastating mass murder of innocent women in this state for no other reason than the fact that he hated them. Everybody deserves to live without threats of violence or fearing acts of terror,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Genco’s sentence reflects the need to protect the community from him for a significant period of time. I thank each of our law enforcement partners for working together to keep our community safe.”
“Genco plotted to violently attack women and was motivated by his personal hatred,” stated FBI Cincinnati Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Mimura. “Law enforcement, working together, stopped his deadly attack from happening. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and community partners to disrupt threats and prevent violence in our community.”
Genco identified as an Incel or “involuntary celibate.” The Incel movement is a predominantly male online community that harbors anger towards women, fueled by their inability to convince women to engage in sexual activity with them.
According to court documents, Genco maintained profiles on a popular Incel website from at least July 2019 through mid-March 2020 and posted more than 450 times on the site. More than 3,000 items on Genco’s two phones contained the word “Incel.”
In one online post, Genco detailed spraying “some foids [women] and couples” with orange juice in a water gun. Genco compared his “extremely empowering action” to similar conduct by known Incel Elliot Rodger. In May 2014, Rodger killed six people and injured 14 others, including shooting individuals outside a University of California, Santa Barbara sorority house. Prior to his mass attack, Rodger shot a group of college students with orange juice from a water gun. Rodger also emailed a 107,000-word manifesto to multiple media outlets before his mass shooting.
Genco wrote a manifesto, too, stating he would “slaughter” women “out of hatred, jealousy and revenge…” and referring to death as the “great equalizer.” The investigation revealed that the day he wrote his manifesto, Genco searched online for two sororities, including one at The Ohio State University. His Google searches included “sorority osu” and “ohio state university sororities.”
As part of this investigation, law enforcement agents discovered a note of Genco’s that indicated he hoped to “aim big” for a “huge!” kill count of 3,000 people with a reference to the same date as Elliot Rodger’s attack. The note said Genco intended to attend military training.
In 2019, Genco purchased tactical gloves, a bulletproof vest, a hoodie bearing the word “Revenge,” cargo pants, a bowie knife, a skull facemask, two Glock 17 magazines, a 9mm Glock 17 clip, and a holster clip concealed carry for a Glock.
Genco attended Army Basic Training in Georgia from August through December 2019. He was discharged for entry-level performance and conduct.
On Jan. 11, 2020, Genco wrote a note on his phone entitled “isolated” that he described as “the writings of the deluded and homicidal.” Genco signed the document, “Your hopeful friend and murderer.”
On Jan. 15, 2020, the defendant wrote another note on his phone that appears to document surveillance of an unidentified school. He wrote: “10:53 am, fairly busy, Wednesday, Students seem fairly nerdy, some hipster dull kids as well. The track is primarily unused. Ages vary. The average appears to be early 20s. Car quality is generally mid lower tier. Some sort of building behind the college look into it. They have no check of any sort entering the building. I wasn’t questioned at all. Backpacks are very common.”
That same day, Genco searched online for topics including “planning a shooting crime” and “when does preparing for a crime become an attempt?”
On March 11, 2020, Genco screenshotted information on his phone about radio codes for Columbus police and The Ohio State University police. He also accessed the Facebook pages for one of the university’s sororities.
The next day, on March 12, 2020, Highland County sheriff’s deputies responded to Genco’s residence. At the residence, in the trunk of Genco’s vehicle, police officers found, among other things, a firearm with a bump stock attached, several loaded magazines, body armor and boxes of ammunition. Inside the residence, police officers found a modified Glock-style 9mm semiautomatic pistol, with no manufacturer’s marks or serial number, hidden in a heating vent in Genco’s bedroom. As part of his plea, Genco admitted that he possessed both firearms in furtherance of his plot.
Genco pleaded guilty in October 2022 to one count of attempting to commit a hate crime.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Cheryl Mimura, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Cincinnati Division; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Gaffney Painter and Timothy S. Mangan are representing the United States in this case.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Attorney General Dave Yost today issued Ohio’s annual report on concealed handgun licensing, showing that a total of 90,582 permits were issued in the state in 2023.
According to the statistics reported to the Attorney General’s Office, county sheriffs issued 15,581 new licenses and 75,001 renewals. Permit holders who wish to renew their licenses must do so every five years.
On June 13, 2022, changes to the law allowed qualifying Ohioans to carry a concealed handgun without a permit while also preserving the permitting system.
Under Ohio law, county sheriffs are responsible for issuing concealed-carry licenses and renewing them, as well as suspending and revoking licenses. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office compiles this annual report, as required by law, about the number of licenses issued each year.
Each sheriff must report concealed handgun license statistics quarterly to the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission within the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Ohio county sheriffs began issuing concealed-carry licenses in 2004.
To learn more about Ohio’s concealed-carry laws or to view this year’s report and other statistics, please visit Ohio Attorney General Concealed Carry.
WASHINGTON ― Arrests by the Drug Enforcement Administration for fentanyl offenses exceeded those for heroin offenses for the first time in fiscal year 2021, according to a new Bureau of Justice Statistics report, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Other Opioid Offenses in Federal Courts, 2021. During FY 2021, the DEA made 3,138 arrests for fentanyl, 2,591 arrests for heroin and 676 arrests for other opioid offenses. From FY 2020 to FY 2021, there was a 36% increase in arrests made by the DEA for fentanyl and a 29% decrease in arrests for heroin.
The DEA also reported an increase (1,528 arrests, or 6%) in total drug arrests from FY 2020 to FY 2021. Fentanyl arrests made up 11% of that total; heroin, 9%; and other opioids, 2%. The majority (55%) of drug arrests were for methamphetamine (33%) and cocaine (22%).
Arrests for heroin, fentanyl and other opioids increased from 4,830 in FY 2001 to a peak of 8,258 in 2015, then declined to 6,405 in FY 2021. Of the 6,405 total persons arrested by the DEA for opioids as the primary drug in FY 2021, 52% were ages 21 to 34, while 11% were age 50 or older and 5% were age 20 or younger. Males made up 80% and females 20% of persons arrested for opioids.
In FY 2021, 1,679 persons were sentenced for drug offenses involving fentanyl—a 45% increase from FY 2020.
“Beyond the overall increase in fentanyl sentences from FY 2020, looking at regional patterns in FY 2021, sentences imposed for drug offenses involving heroin, fentanyl and other opioids made up a larger share of drug sentences imposed in northeastern states than in other regions,” said Kevin M. Scott, Ph.D., BJS Acting Director. “Most persons sentenced for heroin, fentanyl and other opioids (97%) were sentenced for drug trafficking.”
Males accounted for 82% of persons sentenced for a drug offense involving opioids in FY 2021 and females accounted for 18%. The majority (77%) of persons sentenced in FY 2021 for drug offenses involving heroin, fentanyl or other opioids as the primary drug were Hispanic (39%) or black (38%), with white (21%); American Indian (1%); and Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (1%) comprising the remainder.
Most (86%) persons sentenced for opioid-related drug offenses were U.S. citizens. Non-U.S. citizens comprised 14% of persons sentenced for a drug offense involving opioids, with 7% being citizens of Mexico, followed by 4% with citizenship in a Caribbean country.
Of those individuals sentenced for an opioid-related offense, 89% received a prison term. Most persons sentenced for drug offenses involving heroin (89%) or fentanyl (87%) had a prior criminal history at sentencing and received a median prison term of 46 months. Persons sentenced for oxycodone received a median prison term of 26 months, and those sentenced for hydrocodone received a median term of 24 months. Among individuals sentenced for any opioid-related offense, 67% received a shorter sentence than the guideline range.
These and other findings are from BJS’s Federal Justice Statistics Program, which collects data from the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Federal Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Sentencing Commission.
Heroin, Fentanyl, and Other Opioid Offenses in Federal Courts, 2021, written by BJS Statistician Mark Motivans, Ph.D.; related documents; and additional information about BJS’s statistical publications and programs are available on the BJS website at bjs.ojp.gov.
WASHINGTON ― In 2021, about 23.9 million U.S. residents age 16 or older (9% of the population) had experienced identity theft in the past 12 months, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ new report Victims of Identity Theft, 2021. As of 2021, about 1 in 5 persons (22%) had experienced identity theft in their lifetime.
In 2021, almost 4% of people had their credit card misused, while 3% had their bank account misused. Two percent experienced misuse of their email or social media account. Nearly 1% had their personal information misused for fraudulent purposes, such as getting medical care or applying for a job or government benefits. Less than 1% had their personal information misused to open a new account.
Consequences of identity-theft victimization varied by the type of crime victims experienced. A majority of victims (56%) spent 1 day or less resolving financial or credit problems associated with their most recent identity theft. About 7% of identity-theft victims reported the incident to law enforcement, and 67% of victims contacted a credit card company or bank. On average, victims sustained direct financial losses of $880. Victims of new account misuse ($3,430) had higher direct losses on average compared to victims of bank account ($670) and credit card misuse ($620).
“While about 6 in 10 (59%) victims of identity-theft incidents in 2021 had financial losses of $1 or more, those losses totaled $16.4 billion” noted Kevin M. Scott, PhD, Acting Director of BJS. “In addition, 10% of identity-theft victims in 2021 were severely distressed as a result of the crime.”
Findings are from the 2021 Identity Theft Supplement (ITS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey. From July through December 2021, the ITS collected data from persons about their experience with identity theft during the 12 months before the interview. The 2021 ITS featured a redesigned questionnaire, aimed at improving the quality of data collected and modernizing the survey content. These changes include excluding attempted incidents of identity theft, collecting the month and year of the most recent occurrence of each type of identity theft and adding the misuse of an existing email or social media account as a separate type of identity theft.
“These changes resulted in several improvements to the ITS questionnaire,” Dr. Scott explained. “For example, the new questionnaire allows for reducing the number of incidents reported that occurred outside the survey window. It also decreases respondent burden by streamlining the information requested.”
BJS is also releasing the complementary third-party report, Assessing the Measurement of Identity Theft through the Identity Theft Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, produced for BJS by RTI International, which describes efforts to assess potential sources of measurement error in the ITS.
Oxford Twp – The Sandusky Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a single vehicle crash that occurred on Saturday February 25, 2024 at approximately 6:10 AM on Mason Road just west of Harris Road in Oxford Township, Erie County.
John Donald, age 45, of Sandusky, Ohio was driving a 2013 Hyundai Sonata and was heading westbound on Mason Road. Mr. Donald’s vehicle crossed over the yellow centerline and traveled off the south side of Mason Road. Hyundai then struck a fire hydrant, fence post, and overturned.
Mr. Donald was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash and was subsequently ejected from the vehicle. Mr. Donald sustained fatal injuries as a result of the crash.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on scene by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, North Central EMS, Groton Township Fire Department, Sandusky Towing, Groff’s Funeral Home, and the Erie County Water Division.
GALION — The Bucyrus Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred on February 21, 2024, at approximately 1 1 : 15 p.m. on State Route 97 near Millsboro Road in Polk Township.
The preliminary investigation shows David L. Brown, 70 years of age, of Mansfield, Ohio, was operating a Buick LeSabre, eastbound on State Route 97 and traveled off the left side of the roadway. The vehicle struck a guardrail, a ditch, and an embankment before coming to final rest on the north side of the roadway.
Brown was transported to Galion Avita Hospital by Galion EMS where he was pronounced deceased. Brown was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash. Alcohol and drugs are not suspected to be a factor in the crash.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on scene by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Galion Fire & EMS, and Ronk’s Towing.
UPDATE — February 21 – Bucyrus Post investigating fatal crash on U.S. Route 23 in Wyandot County
Further examination of damage sustained to the Nissan leads troopers to believe the other vehicle involved in this crash is a semi-tractor trailer, a dump truck or other heavy commercial vehicle. The impact likely caused damage to the rear of the unknown vehicle, its trailer or the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) bumper. The unknown vehicle possibly went northbound on U.S. 23 after leaving the scene of the crash. The crash remains under investigation and anyone with information regarding the location of this vehicle, the identity of its driver or any other information is asked to call the Bucyrus Post at 419-562-8040.
UPPER SANDUSKY – The Bucyrus Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred today at approximately 5:56 a.m. on U.S. Route 23 near Township Road 65 in Pitt Township.
The preliminary investigation shows Brady D. Neifer, 25, Archbold, Ohio, was operating a Nissan Maxima, southbound on U.S. Route 23 when his vehicle struck an unknown vehicle. The impact caused Neifer to travel off the west side of the roadway and come to rest along a tree line. The unknown vehicle left the scene after the crash occurred.
Neifer was pronounced deceased on scene by the Wyandot County coroner. Neifer was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash. Alcohol and drugs are not suspected to be a factor in the crash.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on scene by the Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Department of Transportation, Pitt Township Fire Department, Wyandot County EMS, and Fox’s Towing.
The crash remains under investigation and anyone with information regarding the location of the unknown vehicle, the identity of its driver or any other information is asked to call the Bucyrus Post at 419-562-8040.
Today, Governor DeWine of Ohio has once again issued a reprieve, this time for Timothy L. Hoffner. Hoffner was scheduled to be executed on June 18, 2024, but his execution date has now been moved to July 14, 2027. The reprieve comes after a similar action taken Oct 13 2023 by Governor DeWine for another inmate, Archie J. Dixon, who was previously sentenced to death for his involvement in a brutal murder.
Timothy L. Hoffner
Governor DeWine’s reprieve
Governor DeWine’s claims his decision to issue a reprieve to Archie J. Dixon, and now to Timothy L. Hoffner, stems from the ongoing challenges faced by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) in obtaining the necessary drugs for executions. According to Governor DeWine, pharmaceutical suppliers have been reluctant to provide drugs to the DRC, citing concerns about the safety of Ohioans.
The struggle with pharmaceutical suppliers
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) protocol requires specific drugs for executions. However, securing these drugs has become increasingly difficult. Pharmaceutical suppliers are hesitant to provide the necessary drugs for execution, fearing backlash from the public and potential damage to their reputation. This unwillingness to supply the drugs has created a roadblock for the DRC, leading to reprieves being issued by Governor DeWine or so he says.
The impact on victims’ families
The ongoing struggle to obtain the necessary drugs for executions not only affects the justice system but also has a profound impact on the families of the victims. The families of the victims have been waiting for justice to be served for years, only to face delays and uncertainty due to these ongoing issues. The emotional toll on the families cannot be understated, as they are forced to relive the trauma of their loved ones’ murder with each reprieve.
The Murder of Christopher Hammer
The story behind the brutal murder of Christopher Hammer is one that shocks the conscience.
According to My Crime Library, Hammer was a friend and former housemate of Archie J. Dixon. On September 22, 1993, Dixon and his partner, Timothy Hoffner, brutally beat Hammer, tied him to a bed, and stole his wallet and car. The duo then drove Hammer to a remote area, where they buried him alive in a shallow grave, leaving him to die a horrific death.
Dixon was subsequently convicted of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping of Hammer, and was sentenced to death. His partner Hoffner received the same sentence. However, Governor DeWine later issued a reprieve to Dixon, citing the ongoing challenges in acquiring the necessary drugs for executions as the reason.
Reinforcing his pledge to hold unscrupulous business owners accountable, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed six consumer-protection lawsuits in five counties against businesses accused of ripping off Ohioans who wanted to make home improvements.
CINCINNATI – A local, self-identified “Incel” was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 80 months in prison for attempting to conduct a mass shooting of women.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Attorney General Dave Yost today issued Ohio’s annual report on concealed handgun licensing, showing that a total of 90,582 permits were issued in the state in 2023.
WASHINGTON ― Arrests by the Drug Enforcement Administration for fentanyl offenses exceeded those for heroin offenses for the first time in fiscal year 2021, according to a new Bureau of Justice Statistics report, Heroin, Fentanyl, and Other Opioid Offenses in Federal Courts, 2021. During FY 2021, the DEA made 3,138 arrests for fentanyl, 2,591 arrests for heroin and 676 arrests for other opioid offenses. From FY 2020 to FY 2021, there was a 36% increase in arrests made by the DEA for fentanyl and a 29% decrease in arrests for heroin.
Oxford Twp – The Sandusky Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a single vehicle crash that occurred on Saturday February 25, 2024 at approximately 6:10 AM on Mason Road just west of Harris Road in Oxford Township, Erie County.
GALION — The Bucyrus Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred on February 21, 2024, at approximately 1 1 : 15 p.m. on State Route 97 near Millsboro Road in Polk Township.
UPDATE — February 21 – Bucyrus Post investigating fatal crash on U.S. Route 23 in Wyandot County
Today, Governor DeWine of Ohio has once again issued a reprieve, this time for Timothy L. Hoffner. Hoffner was scheduled to be executed on June 18, 2024, but his execution date has now been moved to July 14, 2027. The reprieve comes after a similar action taken 
Dixon was subsequently convicted of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping of Hammer, and was sentenced to death. His partner Hoffner received the same sentence. However, Governor DeWine later issued a reprieve to Dixon, citing the ongoing challenges in acquiring the necessary drugs for executions as the reason.