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.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) saw a similar volume of requests for investigations of officer-involved critical incidents (OICI) in 2023 compared to last year, according to data released today by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Local law enforcement agencies requested BCI to investigate 58 OICIs in 2023, one fewer than in 2022. Under AG Yost’s leadership, BCI has investigated over 260 officer-involved critical incidents since 2019.
BCI’s Special Investigations Unit led investigations for 55 of 2023’s OICIs, with assistance from other sections of BCI, including the Crime Scene, Cyber Crimes and Criminal Intelligence units. For three incidents, local agencies only requested the services of BCI’s Crime Scene Unit to process crime scenes.
Thirty-four OICI investigations were completed and referred to the appropriate county prosecuting attorneys, and 24 investigations remain active and ongoing.
In 2023, 40 individual law enforcement agencies submitted requests to BCI to investigate officer-involved shootings.
The most frequent requestor of BCI was the Columbus Division of Police (11), followed by the Canton Police Department (3) and the Ohio State Highway Patrol (3).
Thirteen sheriff’s offices requested BCI to conduct at least one investigation in 2023.
August was the busiest month for BCI units as they opened 9 investigations within a span of 24 days.
While several law enforcement officers were shot, no officers died during officer-involved shootings in 2023.
Transparency
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office remains committed to post-investigation transparency in all officer-involved critical incidents.
This commitment means the public is given access to records after BCI has completed its investigation – a process that forms the basis for any legal action stemming from the incident – and either a prosecutor or grand jury has decided not to indict the case, or the case has been adjudicated in court.
AG Yost began posting complete investigative files to the AGO’s website in 2020 for all fatal officer-involved critical incidents investigated by BCI and/or prosecuted by the attorney general’s Special Prosecutions Section.
In 2023, 28 case files were added, including over 1,100 investigative reports and over 650 video files. The files, which include numerous photographs and graphic reconstruction comprise nearly 850 gigabytes of data.
The investigative files have gained over 25,000 pageviews as the public has accessed the files.
About the Process
Ohio law enforcement has sole jurisdiction to investigate their agency’s own officer-involved critical incidents, but many communities turn to BCI to conduct an independent investigation.
“There are no surprises when BCI is requested to investigate an officer-involved shooting – we’ve literally written the book on how to conduct a use-of-force investigation and made it available for anyone to review,” Yost said.
“Best Practices for Investigating an Officer-Involved Critical Incident” was published by BCI Special-Agent-in-Charge Mark Kollar in 2021 and is available on the AGO website here.
BCI defines an officer-involved critical incident as the discharge of a firearm by a law enforcement officer during the course of their duties that is directed at another person, any incident in which a law enforcement officer suffers serious physical harm or death at the hands of another, and any incident involving the use of force by a law enforcement officer against another person.
Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code section 109.54, BCI must be formally invited to become involved in an investigation by a formal request or by a memorandum of understanding.
BCI investigations into officer-involved critical incidents seek the facts and circumstances of each incident and do not include any determination of fault. The legality of the actions involved are determined by a county prosecuting attorney and/or grand jury.
Additional information about the investigative process is available on the AGO’s website.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The law enforcement task forces organized under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) confiscated more than $63 million in illegal drugs in 2023, including notable increases in cocaine and psilocybin mushrooms, Ohio Attorney General Yost announced today.
“Our major drug interdiction task forces are taking drugs, guns and cash off the streets and holding traffickers accountable,” Yost said. “The bottom line is that poisons like fentanyl continue to stream into Ohio and ruin lives. Stopping the flow of illegal drugs has been and will continue to be a top priority.”
In 2023, the task forces also seized 400 firearms and $5,471,132 million in currency.
“The role of these drug task forces in the safety of our communities cannot be overstated,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “I sincerely appreciate the collaborative work of state, local, and federal law enforcement officers in 2023, and I’m grateful for their continued dedication to public safety in the year to come.”
Under AG Yost’s leadership, OOCIC task forces have seized more than 1,774 firearms, $61 million in currency, and narcotics valued in excess of $304 million.
Here is a breakdown of the drugs confiscated in 2023:
Task forces also seized quantities of heroin (2.45 lbs.), crack cocaine (3.3 lbs.), khat (664 lbs.), MDMA (2.5 lbs.) and xylazine (2.2 lbs.).
Cocaine quantities surged in 2023. The 520 pounds seized in 2023 significantly exceeded the quantities seized by task forces in previous years:
Task forces also saw a notable increase in the quantity of psilocybin mushrooms seized during 2023:
Under OOCIC’s direction, task forces are formed through collaborative efforts and often involve local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Specifically, major drug interdiction task forces operate throughout the state with a focus on seizing illegal narcotics, weapons and cash before they impact Ohio communities.
“These investigations prove that the federal, state and local partnerships across Ohio are strong and delivering results,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “I am grateful for the hard work of these task forces and their dedication to protect and serve the communities and the people of Ohio.”
Several major drug task forces exist and are funded through RecoveryOhio, in concert with the Ohio Department of Public Safety and Ohio Criminal Justice Services.
“I can’t say enough about how great our partners are. I’m proud to stand on the front line with the local police chiefs, mayors and sheriffs that provide personnel and resources to these task forces,” Yost said. “I’m also grateful to the legislature and Gov. DeWine who ensure that we have the funding necessary to operate these task forces. Without their support, this success would not have been accomplished.”
2023 Notable Seizures
Here is a sampling of the seizures in 2023:
Licking, Muskingum, Guernsey County Major Drug Task Force (CODE Task Force)
In July, agents from the CODE Task Force, working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on a suspected trafficking case at a parcel facility, seized approximately 4 pounds of methamphetamine.
In October, the task force executed as search warrant on a residence in the city of Newark. Agents recovered more than 2 pounds of methamphetamine and a small amount of fentanyl. Several days later, the task force located a vehicle driven by a suspect and initiated a traffic stop. The driver failed to comply and a pursuit occurred, ultimately ending with the vehicle striking a tree and the driver fleeing on foot. The driver was apprehended by a K-9 and the subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of additional fentanyl within the vehicle.
The task force includes the sheriff’s offices in Licking, Muskingum, Guernsey, Knox, Perry and Coshocton counties; the Ohio State Highway Patrol; the U.S. Postal Inspector; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Licking County Prosecutor’s Office.
Central Ohio OOCIC / HIDTA Major Drug Interdiction Task Force
In March and April, the task force, which operates in Franklin and Madison counties, executed numerous search warrants as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation. In total, more than 280 pounds of cocaine and bulk amounts of currency were seized.
In late November, the task force made multiple significant seizures, including intercepting 15 pounds of methamphetamine and 2.2 pounds of cocaine destined for the central Ohio area.
The task force includes the Columbus Division of Police, the Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Gahanna Police, the Internal Revenue Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the State Highway Patrol, the U.S. Postal Inspector, Ohio HIDTA and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
ONSET Task Force (Summit, Medina and Cuyahoga Counties)
In August, task force agents with ONSET, working alongside Homeland Security Investigations, stopped two individuals that were about to board a flight to San Francisco from Cleveland Hopkins Airport. Law enforcement seized $27,350 in currency from one individual and $22,350 from the other. The second person stated that he had narcotics at his residence. A consent search at the resident resulted in the seizure of 200 grams of cocaine, 2,900 grams of fentanyl, a money counter, and ammunition.
In November, the task force made two separate seizures of more than 12 pounds of fentanyl pills.
The task force includes the sheriff’s offices in Medina and Summit counties, the Copley Township Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Medina County Drug Task Force, the State Highway Patrol, the Summit County Drug Task Force, the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office and the Medina County Prosecutor’s Office.
Hamilton County Major Drug Interdiction Task Force (RENU)
During an operation conducted from Aug. 29-31, the task force seized 13 pounds of methamphetamine and 53 pounds of marijuana destined for the Cincinnati area.
In October, the task force seized 6.5 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, also meant for Cincinnati.
A long-term investigation including a series of search warrants was completed during 2023 related to Jarman Hargrove, who was charged with multiple counts of drug trafficking and drug possession and having a weapon under disability. The task force seized 9 kilograms of fentanyl, 4.5 kilograms of cocaine, five firearms and $62,052 in currency during the investigation.
The task force includes the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Regional Narcotics unit, Green Township Police Department and the Cheviot Police Department.
Miami Valley Bulk Smuggling Task Force (Montgomery and Clark counties)
In August, the task force conducted an investigation of a Phoenix group believed to be bringing fentanyl pills into Ohio. The task force located the group’s vehicle and driver at a local truck stop and surveilled the vehicle before ultimately conducting a traffic stop. Three people were arrested and more than 10,000 fentanyl pills were recovered.
The task force includes the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Vandalia Police Department, Butler Township Police Department, BCI, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations and the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
Mahoning Valley Major Drug Interdiction Task Force (Mahoning and Trumbull counties)
In October, agents with the Mahoning Valley Major Drug Interdiction Task Force along with the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force and Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force served a search warrant on a residence in Youngstown, where they seized 3 pounds of cocaine, more than 10 pounds of methamphetamine and over $55,000 in currency.
The task force includes the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office, Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force, BCI, and the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office.
Belmont, Harrison, Jefferson Major Drug Interdiction Task Force
In October, the task force executed a search warrant that resulted in the arrest of six people and the seizure of 56 grams of fentanyl, 34 grams of crack cocaine, and $1,723 in currency.
The task force includes the sheriff’s offices of Belmont, Harrison and Jefferson counties, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the prosecutor’s offices of Belmont, Harrison and Jefferson counties.
Northwest Ohio Major Drug Interdiction Task Force (Lucas and Wood counties)
During an investigation in March, the task force was monitoring a vehicle and eventually attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle sped away, and during the pursuit, two loaded pistols were thrown out the window. The task force recovered the guns, 1 gram of fentanyl and a scale. One occupant was arrested and another, who left his identification in the vehicle, is the subject of a warrant for felonious assault.
The task force includes the Toledo Police Department, the sheriff’s offices in Lucas and Wood counties, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Toledo Drug Task Force, the State Highway Patrol, Perrysburg Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office and the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office.
(CLEVELAND, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Gilson are seeking assistance to identify a man whose body was found Nov. 14 on the CSX train tracks just west of the Tiedeman Road overpass in Brooklyn, Ohio.
“I’m asking everyone in the greater Cleveland area to pause for a moment to look at the images of this man’s face – if you recognize him, please call the local authorities,” Yost said. “Everyone counts, and I’m hopeful that with the public’s help, we can regain this young man’s identity.”
The man was 16 to 30 years old, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, and 120 pounds. He was wearing gray Adidas sweatpants, a blue t-shirt, a blue zip-up sweatshirt, and blue Crocs with the Cleveland Guardians logo. The man had blue or hazel eyes, long brown hair, and a mustache and beard. He had no visible scars, tattoos or piercings.
At the request of the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s office and the Brooklyn Police Department, the AG’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation created post-mortem images of the man, which are being released to the public in hopes that someone recognizes him.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is making the public aware of a new state law giving parents oversight of their children’s use of social media websites as well as online services and products aimed at children.
The Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act, approved by the General Assembly in July, will take effect on Jan. 15, 2024.
“This law aims to give parents more control over their children creating new social media accounts,” Yost said. “So just like any other time, if you feel like you’ve been wronged by a company, we take those complaints and work to resolve any issues – this is no different.”
The Ohio Attorney General is charged with enforcement of this law, which applies to websites, services and products that are targeted to children or reasonably expected to be accessed by children.
Beginning Jan. 15, operators must obtain parental consent before establishing accounts for children under the age of 16. They also must present parents with a list of censoring or content moderation features.
When consent is granted, operators must then send written confirmation of the account to the parent or legal guardian. When consent is not given, operators must deny the child access to the platform.
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.
The new law does not require operators to notify parents about accounts created before Jan. 15, 2024.
OhioProtects.org features frequently asked questions regarding the law and offers additional resources for parents seeking information on the upcoming regulations.
Marion — Troopers from the Marion Post are investigating a fatal crash that occurred on December 25, 2023, at approximately 9:33 PM, on State Route 423 in Marion County.
The crash involved a 2005 Lexus ES, driven by Connor M. Martin, age 40, of Marion, Ohio. The preliminary investigation indicates Mr. Martin was traveling southbound on State Route 423 when his vehicle traveled left of the center-line and off the left side of the roadway. Once off road, the Lexus struck a road sign and a ditch. The Lexus continued and struck a tree and overturned onto its top.
During the crash, Mr. Martin was ejected from the Lexus.
Mr. Martin was pronounced deceased on scene by the Marion County Coroner. Mr. Martin was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on scene by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Pleasant Township Fire and EMS, and Kirby’s Towing.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, seven states filed a federal antitrust lawsuit today challenging the NCAA’s transfer eligibility rule as an illegal restraint on college athletes’ ability to market their labor and control their education.
The rule requires college athletes who transfer among Division I schools to wait one year before competing in games, unless the National Collegiate Athletic Association waives the rule for a particular athlete. The NCAA began automatically exempting first-time transfers from the regulation in 2021 but has continued to enforce the rule for subsequent transfers and to deny waivers for no legitimate reason.
“The rule is riddled with so many exceptions that the NCAA cannot plausibly substantiate its prior justifications,” Yost said. “We’re challenging it in order to restore fairness, competition and the autonomy of college athletes in their educational pursuits.”
As part of the multistate lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, the attorneys general are seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to keep the NCAA from enforcing the rule.
The suit follows by about six weeks a letter that Yost sent to the NCAA expressing concerns about the eligibility status of second-time transfer Aziz Bandaogo, a 7-foot center for the University of Cincinnati basketball team whose appeal for a waiver was denied in early November.
“Not only is that decision wrong as a matter of common sense and decency, it is also likely illegal,” Yost wrote, noting that the denial “raises serious antitrust concerns as an illegal restraint of trade.”
Although Bandaogo has since been cleared to play by the NCAA, the rule continues to hold back uncounted other college athletes, including second-time transfer Jamille Reynolds, a UC forward and teammate of Bandaogo’s.
“We’re challenging the rule to restore fairness, competition and the autonomy of college athletes in their educational pursuits,” Yost said.
Since its founding in 1906, the NCAA has expanded its rulebook beyond on-field contests to regulate off-the-field competition among its member institutions and manage the burgeoning business of collegiate sports. Some regulations are essential for the administration of college sports, the states’ lawsuit acknowledges, but “certain rules, lacking a clear procompetitive benefit, may run afoul of the nation’s antitrust laws, which are rooted in the belief that market forces yield the best outcomes.”
In justifying the one-year waiting period for second-time transfers, the NCAA cites the promotion of academic well-being and the preservation of athletic amateurism. But the suit calls the connection between the rule and these goals “pretextual”; notes that these purported goals can be accomplished through less-restrictive means; and argues that the harm it does to athletes, universities and fans far exceeds any supposed benefits.
The one-year waiting period constitutes 20% of the total time allotted by NCAA regulations for the completion of a college athlete’s full eligibility – and, as such, could prove devastating for athletes seeking to optimize their career and welfare by transferring to schools that better suit them.
The NCAA often describes the college athlete experience as transformative, with competition playing a key role. By preventing students from competing, however, it hinders the full realization of this experience. Students deprived of the opportunity to compete in their chosen sports are denied the benefits that competition offers in preparing them for life, as acknowledged by the NCAA, and often suffer financial harm.
“The ‘AA’ in NCAA might as well stand for ‘arbitrary and atrocious,’ ” Yost said. “The transfer eligibility rule needlessly curtails the fundamental rights of college athletes.”
Joining Yost in the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Colorado, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—In honor of the lives lost on December 7, 1941 in the attack on Pearl Harbor, and in accordance with orders from the President of the United States, Governor DeWine has ordered that the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the state of Ohio from midnight to midnight on December 7, 2023.
Joe Lyons •
January 6, 2024
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.
In November, the task force made two separate seizures of more than 12 pounds of fentanyl pills.
In October, agents with the Mahoning Valley Major Drug Interdiction Task Force along with the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force and Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force served a search warrant on a residence in Youngstown, where they seized 3 pounds of cocaine, more than 10 pounds of methamphetamine and over $55,000 in currency.
(CLEVELAND, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Gilson are seeking assistance to identify a man whose body was found Nov. 14 on the CSX train tracks just west of the Tiedeman Road overpass in Brooklyn, Ohio.
