(Columbus) – The Ohio AMBER Alert Advisory Committee is announcing a recent change to how the public will receive notifications when Ohio’s AMBER Alert system is activated. Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs), which are emergency messages that are broadcast to enabled mobile devices, are now capable of transmitting 360-character text messages in addition to the traditional 90-character text messages. This change is due to increased technology by both wireless carriers and wireless device manufacturers.
Traditional 90-character messages are limited to including basic vehicle information and notification for device users to check local media outlets for additional details. The increase in characters allows public safety officials to provide more in-depth details on the suspect(s), victim(s), vehicle(s), and other urgent information when an AMBER Alert is activated. Furthermore, the changes enable a URL that redirects the device user to Ohio’s AMBER Alert website or other social media for additional information. Once redirected, the user will be able to see all information regarding the AMBER Alert as well as any available photos.
An important fact to remember is that some older wireless devices or certain wireless carriers may only allow devices to receive 90-character messages. Both a 90-character message and a 360-character message will be sent out during an AMBER Alert notification; however, users will only receive the version of the alert supported by their device and carrier. Devices that are not capable of receiving the new 360-character message will automatically receive the default 90-character message as they have in the past.
An example of the new 360-character messaging format wireless device users can expect to see is below:
AMBER Alert: Columbus OH. 2008 red 4 door Honda Civic OH ABC1234. Victim, 3, white male, brown hair, blue shirt, blue shorts. Suspect, John Doe, 41, white male, blonde hair, red shirt, jeans. Last seen at 1234 Main Street, Columbus. If you see the child, suspect or vehicle, please call 911 or 1-877-AMBER-OH. https://www.ohioamberplan.org
The Ohio AMBER Alert Advisory Committee is comprised of representatives from the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Department of Transportation, Attorney General’s Office – BCI, Missing Persons Unit, State Emergency Communications Committee, Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association, Ohio Association of Chief’s of Police, Ohio Association of Broadcasters, a victim’s advocate, a community member and a representative from a local/regional AMBER plan.
Milan Twp – The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Sandusky Post is investigating a two-vehicle crash that occurred on Monday January 22, 2024 at approximately 6:48 AM. The crash was on US 250 just south of SR 113 in Milan Township, Erie County.
Shawn Martz, age 36, of Norwalk, Ohio, was driving a 2012 GMC Pick-Up truck and was travelling northbound on US 250. He was wearing his safety belt at the time of the crash and was transported to Fisher Titus Emergency Room in Norwalk with unknown injuries.
Michael Opfer, age 60, of Sandusky, Ohio, was driving a 2020 Chevy SUV and was travelling southbound on US 250. He was not wearing his safety belt at the time of the crash and was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Shawn Martz was northbound on US 250. Michael Opfer was southbound on US 250 and went left of center striking Shawn Martz, causing him to go off the west side of the roadway and strike a cement barrier.
No charges have been filed and the crash remains under investigation.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, Milan Police Department, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and Wilson’s Towing.
Marion – Troopers from the Marion Post of the Ohio Highway Patrol are investigating a fatal crash that occurred on January 20, 2024, at approximately 12:21 PM, on US23 at Newmans Cardington Road, in Marion County.
The crash involved a 2003 Lincoln Town Car driven by Richard A. Roads, age 94, of Marion, Ohio. The second vehicle involved was a 2024 Kenworth T680 semi-truck driven by Michael Duane Arnold, age 63, of Frankfort, Ohio.
The preliminary investigation indicates Mr. Arnold was traveling southbound on US23 in the left lane. Mr. Roads was also traveling southbound on US23 in the right lane, approaching the intersection of Newmans Cardington Road.
Mr. Roads attempted to turn left onto Newmans Cardington Road from the right lane and was struck by Mr. Arnold’s semi. Mr. Roads traveled off the left side of the roadway after impact and struck a traffic sign and a ditch before coming to final rest.
Mr. Arnold also traveled off the left side of the road and struck a ditch and overturned before it entered the northbound lanes of US23 where it came to rest.
Mr. Roads was transported from the scene by Fort Morrow EMS to Marion General Hospital, and from there was transported to Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Roads was later pronounced deceased.
Mr. Arnold sustained minor injuries and was transported from the scene by Marion Township EMS to Marion General Hospital. Both occupants were wearing their seat-belts at the time of the crash.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on scene by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Marion Township Fire and EMS, Fort Morrow Fire and EMS, Pleasant Township Fire and EMS, Ohio Department of Transportation, Liverpool Towing, and Precision Towing.
Erie Twp – The Sandusky Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a single vehicle crash that occurred on Friday January 19, 2024 on State Route 2 just east of W. Camp Perry Western in Erie Township, Ottawa County. The time of the crash remains undetermined at this time.
Jeff Bauer, age 59, of Castalia, Ohio, was driving a 2013 Ford F-150, and was heading eastbound on SR 2 near W Camp Perry Western Rd. Mr. Bauer’s vehicle ran off the right side of SR 2 and continued through a farm field, paintball range, and into a tree line. His vehicle struck many paintball range obstacles and two trees before coming to rest.
Mr. Bauer was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash. Mr. Bauer died as a result of the crash.
Alcohol and/or drugs are not believed to be a factor in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted by the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Erie Township EMS, Ottawa County Coroner’s Office, and Ken’s Towing.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The leader of a human trafficking ring that operated in central Ohio has been sentenced to 14 years in prison, Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.
The sentencing of Marcus Carmon, 40, follows his guilty pleas in November to felony charges of compelling prostitution, having weapons under disability and possession of drugs. Carmon also must register as a Tier II sex offender after his release from prison.
Marcus Carmon
“Traffickers and their evil ways of manipulation have no place in a civilized society,” Yost said. “Removing them from our communities keeps everyone safer and clears a path for survivors to reach the Highway to Hope.”
A Franklin County grand jury indicted Carmon and two accomplices in August 2020 following an investigation by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, part of the attorney general’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.
The investigation revealed that Carmon targeted vulnerable women who were fighting addiction, exploiting them through prostitution for his financial gain. Evidence showed he used threats, drugs and physical violence to gain control and manipulate his victims.
Carmon’s co-defendant Bradley Powell was sentenced in 2022 to 708 days in prison with full credit for time served after pleading guilty to promoting prostitution. The second co-defendant, Anthony Dunn, pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution in 2020 and is awaiting sentencing. Attorneys with the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office prosecuted the cases.
The Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force consists of representatives from the Columbus Division of Police, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Licking County Sheriff’s Office, the Powell Police Department, the Ohio State University Police Department, the Marysville Police Department, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Southeast Healthcare and the Salvation Army.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted released the following statements after Chief Judge Algenon L. Marbley, the United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, granted tech lobbying group NetChoice’s request to temporarily stop the Social Media Parental Notification Act from being enforced beginning January 15 while their request for a preliminary injunction is pending. NetChoice represents Meta and other social media giants.
“I supported the Social Media Parental Notification Act because parents should have a role in their children’s social media use,” said Governor DeWine. “The negative effects that social media sites and apps have on our children’s mental health have been well documented, and this law was one way to empower parents to have a role in their kids’ digital lives. I am disappointed in this injunction and hope it will be lifted as the case further proceeds so these important protections for children can take effect.”
“I’m very disappointed in today’s ruling,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “The big-tech companies behind this lawsuit were included in the legislative process to make sure the law was clear and easy to implement, but now they claim the law is unclear. They were disingenuous participants in the process and have no interest in protecting children.”
The Social Media Parental Notification Act requires certain online companies to obtain verifiable parental consent to contractual terms of service before permitting kids under the age of 16 to use their platforms. This proposal was championed by Lt. Governor Husted, passed by the General Assembly, and signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine as part of the 2023-24 executive budget and was to take effect on January 15, 2024.
The law also includes a requirement for companies to provide parents with their privacy guidelines to show them what will be censored or moderated content on their child’s profile.
About the Social Media Parental Notification Act:
Companies must:
Create a method to determine whether the user is a child under the age of 16.
Obtain verifiable parental or legal guardian consent.
Send written confirmation of the consent to the parent or legal guardian.
If the user indicates that they are under the age of 16, the following methods can be used for verification:
Sign a digital form consenting to the terms of service.
Use a credit card, debit card, or other online payment system.
Call a toll-free telephone number.
Connect to trained personnel via video-conference.
Check a form of government-issued identification.
Who this includes:
Social media and online gaming/activities companies accessed by children
Who this does NOT include:
E-commerce: Online shopping
Media outlets
If a parent or legal guardian fails or refuses to consent to the terms of service, the company must deny access or use of the online website, online service, online product, or online feature by the child. In cases in which operators fail to provide notification or a parent wishes to terminate a child’s access, parents should contact the website operator who then has 30 days to terminate the child’s access. If parents are unsuccessful in the account being deleted, they are encouraged to file a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at OhioProtects.org.
UPDATE: The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has positively identified the victim in this case through fingerprint analysis. The victim has been identified as 40-year-old Darcy Hooper of South Fulton, Tennessee.
Investigation into this matter is on-going.
At 4:30pm on January 5. 2024, the Marion County Central Dispatch Center received a 911 call from a citizen reporting that a possible deceased female was located in a drainage ditch in the 3000 block of Harding Highway East in Marion County.
Upon the arrival of deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, it was confirmed that the female was deceased and was laying, partially submerged, in a drainage ditch. The remains were partially decomposed and could not be immediately identified.
The victim’s body will be sent to the Lucas County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death and assistance with her identification.
Sheriff Bayles would like to thank Ohio BCI, the First Consolidated Fire Department, the Marion County Coroner’s Office and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance in this case.
Investigation is ongoing and anyone with any information pertaining to this matter may contact Captain Ken Rittenour of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 740-382-8244.
At 4:30pm on January 5. 2024, the Marion County Central Dispatch Center received a 911 call from a citizen reporting that a possible deceased female was located in a drainage ditch in the 3000 block of Harding Highway East in Marion County.
Upon the arrival of deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, it was confirmed that the female was deceased and was laying, partially submerged, in a drainage ditch. The remains were partially decomposed and could not be immediately identified.
The victim’s body will be sent to the Lucas County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death and assistance with her identification.
Sheriff Bayles would like to thank Ohio BCI, the First Consolidated Fire Department, the Marion County Coroner’s Office and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance in this case.
Investigation is ongoing and anyone with any information pertaining to this matter may contact Captain Ken Rittenour of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 740-382-8244.
Six Indicted on 124 Felony Charges, Including Murder
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Six members of a violent crime ring in south Columbus have been indicted on a combined 124 felony charges – including murder and human trafficking – following an investigation by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force.
The task force, formed under the Ohio Attorney General’s Organized Crime Investigations Commission, conducted the investigation as part of its ongoing mission to eradicate human trafficking.
“Busts like this free victims from the clutches of trafficking and rid our streets of dangerous criminals,” Attorney General Dave Yost said. “These successful investigations propel us closer to a future in which no human beings are bought or sold in Ohio.”
A Franklin County grand jury on Dec. 27 indicted the following suspects on a range of felony charges, including many that carry additional firearm specifications:
James Antwan Dukes-Johnson, 28, of Columbus: 39 felony charges, including aggravated murder, murder, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in persons, compelling prostitution, trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound and felonious assault.
Michael Anthony Davis, 21, of Columbus: 38 felony charges, including aggravated murder, murder, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in persons, compelling prostitution, trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound and felonious assault.
Sarah Rose Dotson, 33, of Columbus: 29 felony charges, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in persons, compelling prostitution and possession of a fentanyl-related compound.
Shahee Siler, 38, of Columbus: 10 felony charges, including aggravated murder, murder, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, promoting prostitution and felonious assault.
Alexias Monay Lashel Carr-Johnson, 28, of Marysville: Four felony charges, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and money laundering.
Tyler Leianne Payne, 29, of Columbus: Four felony charges, including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and money laundering.
Anyone with information about the alleged criminal activity or knowledge of additional victims of human trafficking is encouraged to contact the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) at 855-BCI-OHIO (855-224-6336) or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-3737-888 and ask to speak to a member of the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force.
The task force consists of representatives from the Columbus Division of Police, BCI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Licking County Sheriff’s Office, the Powell Police Department, the Ohio State University Police Department, the Marysville Police Department, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Southeast Healthcare and the Salvation Army.
Indictments are criminal allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless proved guilty in a court of law.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A California man who traveled to Ohio to engage in sex acts with a 14-year-old he met online was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 204 months in prison.
Kameron E. Tolbert, 28, of Suisin City, California, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to sexually exploiting a minor and possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2022, law enforcement was dispatched to a home in Jackson, Ohio after Tolbert had jumped through the minor victim’s bedroom window when he was discovered in her bedroom by family members. Tolbert fled on foot and then by vehicle.
The next day, the principal at the victim’s local high school identified Tolbert’s vehicle in the school parking lot and notified a school resource officer who detained Tolbert at the school. Tolbert admitting being there at the school to see the minor victim.
Tolbert had first met the victim online six months prior and began chatting with her via different social media applications, including Discord. He admitted to flying from Sacramento, California, to Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 20, 2022, to meet the victim at her home in Jackson. Tolbert parked nearby her residence and snuck into the victim’s home through her bedroom window to avoid security cameras at the front door. He admitted to engaging in sexual intercourse with her at her home on August 21 and August 22.
A forensic examination of Tolbert’s digital devices revealed more than 500 images and 1,100 videos depicting child sexual abuse of both prepubescent and pubescent minors. Images and videos of the 14-year-old minor victim engaged in sex acts with Tolbert were also recovered.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati division; and Jackson County Sheriff Tedd Frazier announced the sentence imposed today by Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
Milan Twp – The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Sandusky Post is investigating a two-vehicle crash that occurred on Monday January 22, 2024 at approximately 6:48 AM. The crash was on US 250 just south of SR 113 in Milan Township, Erie County.
Marion – Troopers from the Marion Post of the Ohio Highway Patrol are investigating a fatal crash that occurred on January 20, 2024, at approximately 12:21 PM, on US23 at Newmans Cardington Road, in Marion County.
Erie Twp – The Sandusky Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a single vehicle crash that occurred on Friday January 19, 2024 on State Route 2 just east of W. Camp Perry Western in Erie Township, Ottawa County. The time of the crash remains undetermined at this time.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The leader of a human trafficking ring that operated in central Ohio has been sentenced to 14 years in prison, Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.
Law was to go into effect January 15, 2024
Joe Lyons •
January 25, 2024
(Columbus) – The Ohio AMBER Alert Advisory Committee is announcing a recent change to how the public will receive notifications when Ohio’s AMBER Alert system is activated. Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs), which are emergency messages that are broadcast to enabled mobile devices, are now capable of transmitting 360-character text messages in addition to the traditional 90-character text messages. This change is due to increased technology by both wireless carriers and wireless device manufacturers.
UPDATE: The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has positively identified the victim in this case through fingerprint analysis. The victim has been identified as 40-year-old Darcy Hooper of South Fulton, Tennessee.
At 4:30pm on January 5. 2024, the Marion County Central Dispatch Center received a 911 call from a citizen reporting that a possible deceased female was located in a drainage ditch in the 3000 block of Harding Highway East in Marion County.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A California man who traveled to Ohio to engage in sex acts with a 14-year-old he met online was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 204 months in prison.