(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — With Taylor Swift coming to Cincinnati at the end of June, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is reminding Swifties that scammers are looking to take advantage of fans.
“The nosebleed seats are over a thousand bucks, so be mindful when buying resale tickets,” Yost said. “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.”
Concertgoers are also encouraged to take a beat to review these tips:
Be skeptical of offers that are too good to be true. Sellers, especially on online marketplaces, may offer tickets at face value (or below) for events that are sold out or in high demand, but these offers may be scams. Some sellers may say they need to sell tickets quickly, falsely claiming, for example, that they have a medical emergency or an overseas military assignment.
Use reputable third-party resale sites. To protect yourself, deal with reputable businesses instead of individuals who are not associated with an event. Beware of websites that mimic popular ticket seller’s logos or the tour logos.
Before providing any payment or personal information, do a soundcheck. Research a seller’s reputation. Search the seller’s name, username, email address, phone number and other details for information. Even if you find no negative information, don’t assume that the seller is trustworthy. Some con artists change names regularly.
Be wary of sellers who change their tune on specific forms of payment. Con artists often request payment methods that are difficult to trace or recover, such as gift cards, crypto, cash or wire transfer. If you’re using a mobile wallet or a peer-to-peer payment service such as Venmo or Zelle, be sure you understand the protections the service provides (or doesn’t) before making a transaction.
Consider paying with a credit card. With a credit card, if a problem arises, you generally have greater protection and the ability to dispute charges, unlike some other payment methods.
Consumers who believe they have been defrauded should immediately report the details to the company they used to make the payment.
Ohioans can report scams to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or by calling 800-282-0515.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) –Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources – Division of Wildlife and the InnovateOhio Platform, today announced the launch of four new fishing tools on the DataOhio Portal.
At today’s “Where to Fish on Ohio’s Free Fishing Days” media event, Lt. Governor Husted shared that Ohioans can now access the Where to Fish, Sport Fish Report, Angler Survey and Waterbody Report tools. These resources include interactive maps, graphs, and table surveys that allow users to customize their search based on criteria most important to them. The announcement of these new tools comes just before this year’s Ohio Free Fishing Days. On June 17 and 18, 2023, all Ohio residents can fish for free in public waters. A fishing license is not required; however, fish size and limits will still apply.
“The best places to fish are usually kept secret, but not in Ohio,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “Now anglers can find out where the fish are through the DataOhio Portal that provides data-driven guidance on the best fishing opportunities across the state. This tool is designed to take you where the fishing is the best, but figuring out how to catch them is still on you.”
The Where to Fish tool equips anglers with a guide on where they are most likely to find the best fishing opportunity based on their interests and criteria. Users can enter the radius in which they are willing to travel, their sport fish species of interest, and their preference of population abundance or size of fish. The tool will filter the user’s selection to identify waterbodies nearby that match their preferences.
The Sport Fish Report tool displays relative abundances (catch per effort) based on a user’s selections of species of interest. Users can identify differences in abundance based on their elections of sport fish species, and whether they search statewide or by a specific location in Ohio.
The Angler Survey tool combines the outcomes of angler surveys for a waterbody and year of interest. Users interested in where anglers go most often to catch fish and how many are caught per hour can use this tool. Each summarized fish species, time spent fishing, the percentage of anglers who fished for that species, and their catch rates are displayed.
If a user is interested in identifying the sport fish in their favorite reservoir, stream, or pool of the Ohio River, they can use the Waterbody Report to select their favorite location and see changes in the sport fish abundance, size, and structure throughout time. In addition, they can view the average length-based growth data by species based on location and year or years of interest.
“We strive to provide the best and latest information to anglers before, during, and after they go fishing,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “Ohio has a multitude of locations that are waiting for exploration. These online tools help get anglers to those areas.”
These tools join ODNR’s Ohio Fish Stocking Records, the most popular dashboard on the DataOhio portal with over 63,000 views. Announced by Lt. Governor Husted in 2021, the “Ohio Fish Stocking Records” contains records of fish stocked by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources dating back to 1970. Users can access these records and the new fishing tools by using the keyword “Fish” to search the Data Catalog. The four new dashboards may also be found on the DataOhio Portal’s homepage under “Featured Datasets.”
The full Ohio Division of Wildlife fishing regulations guide is available at ohiodnr.gov.
The vision of the DataOhio Portal is to be the centralized location for State of Ohio data for agencies, their partners, and citizens, helping to inform programming and policy by combining data from across state government. The portal currently features over 300 datasets, dashboards, and visualizations, and recently celebrated a data milestone of over a quarter million dataset downloads.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and 41 of his counterparts today announced a $102.5 million multistate settlement with the maker of Suboxone – Indivior Inc. – for violations of state and federal antitrust laws.
Ohio will receive about $5.9 million.
“My office has the pharmaceutical industry under a microscope,” Yost said. “From drug manufacturers to PBMs to distributors – we’re keeping a close eye on everyone involved.”
Suboxone, a prescription drug that originated as a tablet, is used to treat opioid addiction by easing cravings for opioids. It was introduced in 2002 by Indivior, formally known as Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, and patent-protected for seven years (2002 to 2009).
The coalition of attorneys general sued the company accusing Indivior of having schemed to block generic competitors from the market after the patented-protected period, thus artificially elevating the drug’s costs to consumers.
The lawsuit says Indivior engaged in illegal “product hopping,” meaning it made modest changes to its product in order to extend the patent protections so other companies couldn’t offer cheaper generic alternatives.
The company transitioned Suboxone from a tablet to a film (which dissolves in the mouth), and then actively attempted to destroy the market for tablets through marketing and price adjustments, the lawsuit maintains. These kinds of tactics allowed for Indivior to extend the patent protections, and the company eventually stopped selling tablets, forcing consumers to buy the more expensive film form of the drug.
The suit cites violations of the Sherman Act and Ohio’s Valentine Act, saying that Indivior engaged in anti-competitive activities designed to impede competition from generic equivalents of Suboxone.
The settlement agreement, filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, requires Indivior to pay the states $102.5 million. The case had been scheduled to go to trial in September 2023.
Also under the agreement, Indivior must disclose to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and to the attorneys general any:
Citizen petition that it files.
Product modifications.
Change in corporate control.
These conditions are designed to keep the attorneys general apprised of the company’s activities and to ensure that Indivior refrains from engaging in conduct similar to the allegations in the lawsuit.
The multistate case was led by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul. Joining Yost and Kaul in the suit were the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.
Norwalk – The Norwalk Post of The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a single vehicle fatal crash that occurred Tuesday May 30, 2023 at 4:39 AM on State Route 61 north of Egypt Road in Greenfield Township, Huron County.
Milan Hiteshbhai Patel, age 30, of Amherst Ohio, was driving a white 2014 Toyota Camry northbound on State Route 61 and travelled off the right side of the road. The vehicle struck a ditch, traffic sign, and tree.
Mr. Patel was not wearing a safety belt and was trapped in the vehicle. He was extricated by mechanical means. He died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. There were no passengers in the vehicle and no other vehicles were involved.
It is unknown if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted by the Huron County Sheriff’s Office, Willard Fire and Rescue, Fairfield Fire and Rescue, The Huron County Coroner’s Office, Wilcox Towing, and the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Marion – Troopers from the Marion Post are investigating a serious injury crash that occurred on May 29, 2023, at approximately 3:07 PM, on N. Main Street at Fairground Street in the City of Marion.
The crash involved a 2021 Marion Police Ford Explorer, driven by Officer Daniel Ice, age 51, of Marion, Ohio. The second vehicle involved was a 2019 Ford F-550, Marion City ambulance, driven by Jacob Fohl, age 22, of Marion, Ohio. The passenger in the Marion City ambulance was Nicholas Hunley, age 24, of Marion, Ohio.
The preliminary investigation indicates Officer Ice was traveling northbound on N. Main Street. Mr. Fohl was traveling westbound on Fairground Street. Mr. Fohl traveled into the intersection and was struck by officer Ice on the driver side. The ambulance overturned and traveled off the northwest corner of the intersection before coming to rest on it’s side.
Both vehicles were in emergency response to a drowning incident at Quarry Park. The victim in the drowning incident was treated by EMS and transported to Marion General Hospital. He is reported to be in stable condition.
Officer Ice was transported from the scene by Marion Twp. Fire & EMS to Marion General Hospital, and was later flown by Med Flight to Riverside Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Mr. Fohl and Mr. Hunley were also transported from the scene by Marion Twp. Fire & EMS to Marion General Hospital and were treated for minor injuries.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on scene by the Marion Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, Marion Township Fire and EMS, Marion City Fire & EMS, and Ron’s Towing,
This afternoon, members of the Henderson Police Department, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, and United States Marshals Service located wanted fugitive Bryan Gillespie.
Gillespie was wanted by the United States Marshal Service, and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections after Gillespie escaped from Allen Correctional Facility in Lima, Ohio last week.
Gillespie escaped the facility with James Lee, and the two surfaced in Henderson, Kentucky last Wednesday after they were pursued by local police, and then crashed the car they were driving in near Hays Park in Henderson, Kentucky. Lee was apprehended shortly after the pursuit but Gillespie evaded police by fleeing on foot.
Local police and the United States Marshal Service quickly established a perimeter around the surrounding area where Gillespie fled, to include a peninsula that was surrounded by the Ohio river. Dozens of law enforcement officers from Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio responded to assist with the massive manhunt. After approximately 72 hours of relentlessly searching for Gillespie, the massive manhunt stopped, and a fugitive investigation started.
This afternoon Gillespie’s body was found floating in the Ohio river, near where he originally fled from police. The identification of Gillespie was confirmed through a physical inspection and tattoo confirmation.
*UPDATE – May 24 – 3:30 p.m.* Two Individuals Confirmed Missing from the Allen/Oakwood Correctional Institution
LIMA – The Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction (ODRC), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Henderson (Ky.) Police Department, Kentucky State Police, Henderson County (Ky.) Sheriff’s Office, Allen County Sheriff’s Office, and local, state, and federal law enforcement partners continue to work toward the apprehension of one of two inmates who escaped from the Allen/Oakwood Correctional Institution (AOCI) this week.
Yesterday evening, the Ohio State Highway Patrol released information to law enforcement agencies in multiple states on the escapees and the vehicle they were believed to be driving.
The vehicle, a red Mercury Capri stolen from Auglaize County, was located by officers from the Henderson Police Department earlier today, and a pursuit ensued. Following the pursuit, James Lee was taken into custody, but Bradley Gillespie was not apprehended. Law enforcement officers continue to saturate that area in search of the escaped inmate.
To support the work to locate Gillespie, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has deployed resources to the Henderson area. Troopers from the Patrol’s Aviation Unit will aid in the search from the air, and troopers from the Patrol’s Special Response Team will help on the ground under the authority of the USMS. Additionally, troopers from the Patrol’s Office of Investigative Services will be assisting with the criminal investigation. The apprehension of Gillespie remains the focus of all involved.
The Patrol continues to investigate how Lee and Gillespie escaped. The safety of the community in the area of AOCI remains the priority of local law enforcement, the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction. AOCI is operating with limited, controlled inmate movement and an internal investigation by ODRC is underway.
A reward of up to $21,000 remains in place for information that leads to the capture of Gillespie. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Findlay Patrol Post at 419-423-1414 or the USMS at 1-866-4WANTED. If encountered, members of the public should not approach Gillespie and should contact 9-1-1 immediately. Relevant updates will continue to be provided at @OSHP_NWOhio on Twitter.
Editor’s Note: Below is the joint media release released by the OSHP and ODRC on May 23.
LIMA – The Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction are investigating after two inmates, Bradley Gillespie, 50, and James Lee, 47 escaped from the Allen/Oakwood Correctional Institution (AOCI) .
Today, during a prisoner count at 11:00 a.m., ODRC officials determined Lee was missing. Angela Stuff, AOCI warden, approved an emergency count of all prisoners in the facility and escape posts were manned. During the emergency count, it was discovered Gillespie was also missing. The ODRC notified law enforcement and officers from multiple jurisdictions, the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, and the Patrol responded to the facility.
During the course of the investigation, prison officials determined Gillespie and Lee were last observed on surveillance video inside the facility at 8:41 a.m. on May 22.
The Patrol continues to work with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate potential leads. The United States Marshal Service, Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Allen County Sheriff’s Office are offering up to a $21,000 dollar reward for information that leads to the capture of Gillespie and Lee.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Findlay Patrol Post at 419 -423-1414 or the United States
Marshal Service at 1-866-4WANTED. If either escapee is located by the public, do not approach them and contact 9-1-1 immediately.
ODRC is also conducting an internal investigation. Sheriff Matthew Treglia will provide an update to the community at 6 a.m. on May 24 at the Allen County Sheriff’s Office.
Relevant updates will be provided on Twitter at @OSHP_NWOhio.
Editor’s Note: Below is the original media release released by ODRC on May 23.
(Lima, Ohio) – Officials at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction have confirmed that two individuals have escaped from the Allen/Oakwood Correctional Institution (AOCI). Below are the details regarding each individual who is confirmed missing.
Officials at the prison are working closely with local law enforcement on searching for and apprehending these individuals.
These individuals should be considered dangerous. Anyone who sees either of these individuals or has any information regarding their whereabouts should call 911 immediately.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is on-site and leading the investigation. The attached escape flyer has been provided to local law enforcement.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost today released the 2022 Ohio Missing Children Clearinghouse Report in recognition of National Missing Children’s Day, which occurs annually on May 25.
“Nothing terrifies a parent more than the thought of losing a child,” Yost said. “Thankfully, when a child goes missing, Ohio law enforcement rises to the task and often quickly reunites missing kids. My heart is with the parents whose child hasn’t yet come home.”
The clearinghouse documented 20,617 people missing in 2022 – 1,603 more than the year before. Of those, 15,555 were reports of missing children – 8,224 females and 7,331 males. Authorities reported that 96% – a total of 14,940 children – were recovered safely by year’s end. Open source data revealed that four children reported missing were found deceased in 2022.
The report details all missing persons entries for which circumstances were specified:
8,525 cases involved a runaway, where a child left a home without permission and stays away overnight.
34 cases involved abduction from a noncustodial parent, where a parent, other family member or another person acting on behalf of a parent keeps or conceals a child, depriving another individual of custody or visitation rights.
5 cases involved abduction by a stranger.
In 2022, Ohio law enforcement issued 11 AMBER Alerts through the Ohio AMBER Alert Plan and four Endangered Missing Child Alerts involving five children. Thankfully, all the children were recovered safely.
The Ohio Missing Persons Unit is housed within the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), which operates the Missing Children Clearinghouse. As a part of BCI’s Criminal Intelligence Unit, the Missing Persons Unit coordinates resources, facilitates rapid responses to missing person cases and provides immediate access to important investigative tools. In addition to focusing on missing children, the Missing Persons Unit plays an integral role in cases and issues involved missing adults, human trafficking and unidentified human remains.
The Missing Persons Unit has a 24-hour toll-free hotline (800-325-5604) to field calls from law enforcement, parents and community members. The unit also maintains a database of Ohio missing persons.
(CINCINATTI, Ohio) — For a third straight season, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron are teaming with the Cincinnati Reds to raise awareness of human trafficking in both states.
“Human trafficking knows no borders, and the criminals pushing this modern-day form of slavery don’t play by the rules,” Yost said. “With AG Cameron and the Reds, I’m proud to show Ohioans, Kentuckians and sports fans everywhere that we’re all on the same team in this battle to end human trafficking.”
Both attorneys general collaborated with the Reds to record a public service announcement (PSA) explaining some of the signs of sex and labor trafficking – and urging those who suspect a problem to report it.
The PSA began running Tuesday night on the scoreboard at Great American Ball Park, where it will remain as part of the pre-game rotation during homestands this season. Great American continues to provide a unique opportunity to engage both Ohio and Kentucky residents in the fight to eradicate human trafficking.
According to the Polaris Project, there were more than 16,500 trafficking victims and survivors nationwide in 2021, the latest year for which data is available.
Like AG Cameron in Kentucky, AG Yost has worked diligently in Ohio to combat human trafficking. Yost created the Human Trafficking Initiative (HTI) to build awareness of the problem and empower Ohioans to take action.
The regional human trafficking task forces of Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) have made 1,277 human trafficking-related arrests statewide since the commission began collecting annual data in 2019. As part of those efforts, OOCIC has also:
Fielded 2,440 tips.
Secured the indictment of 412 people on 2,113 counts.
Served 905 search warrants.
Made 510 rescues.
Referred 1,983 people to resources.
The Reds partnership is crucial to Yost’s efforts to partner with sports venues, which draw large crowds, to raise awareness of the scourge of human trafficking.
In March, both Nationwide Arena in Columbus and UD Arena at the University of Dayton partnered with Yost’s office on a poster campaign during the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament games. Last year, the Columbus Crew soccer team partnered with the attorney general on a PSA campaign at Lower.com field.
The Reds PSA lets baseball fans know that, contrary to popular belief, human trafficking can occur at any time and in any location. It also directs fans to report suspected human trafficking to local law enforcement or the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888).
Joe Lyons •
June 20, 2023
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — With Taylor Swift coming to Cincinnati at the end of June, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is reminding Swifties that scammers are looking to take advantage of fans.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) –Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources – Division of Wildlife and the InnovateOhio Platform, today announced the launch of four new fishing tools on the DataOhio Portal.
Marion – Troopers from the Marion Post are investigating a serious injury crash that occurred on May 29, 2023, at approximately 3:07 PM, on N. Main Street at Fairground Street in the City of Marion.
This afternoon, members of the Henderson Police Department, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, and United States Marshals Service located wanted fugitive Bryan Gillespie.
Gillespie escaped the facility with James Lee, and the two surfaced in Henderson, Kentucky last Wednesday after they were pursued by local police, and then crashed the car they were driving in near Hays Park in Henderson, Kentucky. Lee was apprehended shortly after the pursuit but Gillespie evaded police by fleeing on foot.
*UPDATE – May 24 – 3:30 p.m.* Two Individuals Confirmed Missing from the Allen/Oakwood Correctional Institution
