OSHP and ODRC investigation leads to 116-count felony indictment of three suspects following conveyance at numerous state prisons
COLUMBUS – Three suspects have been indicted in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas on a combined 116 counts of conveyance-related charges after an investigation by troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Office of Investigative Services and investigators from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction’s Chief Inspector’s Office.
The investigation began on May 28, 2021, when a drone containing contraband was located inside the perimeter fence of the Toledo Correctional Institution. Through the several months-long investigation, troopers and investigators identified three suspects, Robert A. Faulkner, 33, Columbus; Cory A. Sutphin, 28, Grove City; and Charles Gibbs, 33, Sandusky, who were utilizing drones to convey illegal drugs, phones and other contraband onto the grounds of the Toledo, Mansfield, Richland, and Ross correctional institutions, and the North Central Correctional Complex.
As part of the investigation, a search warrant was executed at Faulkner’s Columbus residence on November 16, 2021, where a total of $319,820 worth of illegal drugs, weapons, cell phones and contraband were located and seized. Troopers and investigators believe the contraband was suspected to be used in future conveyance operations at correctional institutions across the state.
On April 7, 2023, Faulkner (60 felony counts), Sutphin (26 felony counts) and Gibbs (30 felony counts) were indicted. The indictment included engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking and possession of cocaine and a fentanyl-related compound, possession of criminal tools, aggravated possession of drugs, and having weapons under disability.
If convicted, Faulkner could face a maximum of 142 years in prison; Sutphin could face a maximum of 69 years in prison; and Gibbs could face a maximum of 83 years and six months in prison.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — On a day set aside to raise awareness nationally about fentanyl-related overdose deaths, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost released data from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s laboratory highlighting the ongoing prevalence of the synthetic opioid in Ohio.
“Illegal use of fentanyl continues to wreck Ohioans’ lives, causing addiction and death,” Yost said. “Unless the pills you’re taking were prescribed by your doctor, you can’t be sure what it is – don’t risk it.”
Three years ago, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) established May 7 as National Fentanyl Awareness Day, an effort to educate Americans about the public health crisis that illegal fentanyl poses and engage them in the fight to prevent more tragic deaths.
Last year alone, the DEA says, more than 70,000 Americans fatally overdosed on illegally made fentanyl. In Ohio in 2023, the total number of fentanyl-related opioid deaths was 3,579, according to Yost’s Scientific Committee on Opioid Overdose and Prevention Education (SCOPE), which monitors such deaths statewide using Ohio Department of Health data.
Those 3,579 deaths represent 98% of the 3,651 overall opioid fatalities in Ohio last year — reinforcing the breadth of the state’s challenge with illegal fentanyl.
“These numbers are frightening if you look at them as numbers,” Yost added. “They are heartbreaking when you realize they were someone’s loved ones.”
Fentanyl update
As the largest criminal drug lab in the state, BCI’s laboratory tests a majority, but not all, of the drug evidence seized by law enforcement agencies in Ohio.
The BCI lab continues to process a high number of cases involving fentanyl, which in the first quarter of 2024 was the second-most-often identified substance in drug-evidence samples (after only methamphetamine). Since 2018, fentanyl has posed an increasingly larger public threat than heroin, whose prevalence has steadily declined in recent years.
Fentanyl is manufactured for doctors to control patients’ pain within a controlled environment. When fentanyl is illicitly manufactured in clandestine laboratories and mixed with other substances by drug traffickers — and/or used recreationally — it can be lethal.
Illicitly manufactured fentanyl often contains forms of fentanyl whose structure is chemically modified, making their potency and toxicity unknown. To date, BCI has identified at least 33 distinct versions of chemically modified fentanyl.
Fentanyl can be found in many forms, including pills and powder, and is often combined by traffickers with heroin, cocaine and/or other drugs. When consumed, complex mixtures of drugs can create dangerous interactions in the body, amplifying the danger. One sample recently analyzed by BCI contained 11 controlled substances.
Carfentanil update
Carfentanil, a fentanyl analogue that is roughly 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine, continues its ongoing presence in Ohio.
The drug was first detected in Ohio drug samples in 2016 and caused a spike in overdoses in 2017. Five years later, the public threat posed by carfentanil seemed to be abating, with BCI’s lab identifying the drug in only five samples in all of 2022.
In September of last year, however, AG Yost issued a warning about an uptick in carfentanil prevalence. Since Oct. 23, the BCI lab has identified a combined 36 items containing carfentanil in 14 counties, with the majority of those seized in northeastern Ohio.
Carfentanil is often found with other drugs and has been identified in market tablets and powders, including those similar in appearance to materials used to manufacture oxycodone tablets.
Safety
If you believe you have been exposed to fentanyl or carfentanil, you should seek immediate medical attention and notify law enforcement.
Law enforcement officers and first responders should wear proper personal protective equipment and use caution in handling evidence suspected of containing carfentanil or any fentanyl-related substance, particularly in cases where an overdose has occurred.
CLYDE – The Ohio State Highway Patrol Fremont Post is currently investigating a single engine plane crash that occurred in a field approximately one-half mile northeast of the Sandusky County Regional Airport. The crash occurred today, May 6th, at approximately 12:57 pm.
Richard S. Hines, 69, of Port Clinton was piloting a 1964 Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee when he experienced engine problems and crashed in a field while attempting to return to the airport. Hines sustained serious injuries and was transported to Saint Vincent’s Medical Center by air ambulance and is in stable condition.
The Fremont Post was assisted on scene by the Clyde Fire Department, Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office, Clyde EMS, Sandusky County Life Squad 15 and Mercy Health Life Flight.
The FAA has been notified and the crash remains under investigation at this time.
UPDATE: Jonathon Jones and recovery of Kaitlyn Coones.
Jones was arrested and Coones recovered in Ahumada, Chihuahua, Mexico
Cleveland, Ohio – The U.S. Marshals Service Missing Child Unit (MCU) and Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) are investigating the whereabouts of Jonathan Jones (33) and Kaitlyn Coones (17). Jones is wanted by the Wood County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) for pandering obscene material and child endangerment and Coones is a reported endangered missing child from Canton, OH.
Jonathan Jones (33)
Coones was reported missing to Canton Police on April 11, 2023. The NOVFTF and MCU have been working with the WCSO and Canton Police to arrest Jones and recover Coones. They are believed to be together and last seen near the Mexican border in Arizona.
Jones is a white male, 5’10” and 170 lbs with blonde hair and blue eyes. Coones is a white female, 5’3” and 200 lbs with brown hair and green eyes. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of either of these individuals are encouraged to call the US Marshals Service. Callers may remain anonymous and are subject to a cash reward for information leading directly to an arrest or recovery.
(LONDON, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, members of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, and law enforcement officers from throughout the state paid tribute today to eight Ohio peace officers– eight heroes – who died in the line of duty in the past several years.
“Each of them defended our society and its values against those who seek to steal, kill and destroy,” Yost said during his remarks at the 35th annual Ohio Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony in London. “And everything we have today is here because they safeguarded these things with their lives.
“In return,” the attorney general continued, “we promise them, ‘You will not be forgotten.’ And we carve that promise in stone, as you can see in this great ‘Circle of Heroes.’ ”
The Circle of Heroes was a reference to the Ohio Fallen Officers Memorial Wall – a solemn and sacred presence on the grounds of the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy – which bears the names of all 829 Ohio peace officers who since 1823 have sacrificed their lives in service to the public.
“The promise that we make to fallen officers – to keep their memories alive – is not only for them,” Yost said. “We do it for the officers and deputies who stand and serve now. We do this so that all of them know how much we value them, and their mission, and their courage.”
The names of 15 heroes were added to the wall this year, including eight who died in 2022, 2021 or 2020. The other seven are historical honorees, including six Dayton police officers who died of the Spanish flu in the early 1900s.
The eight officers lost in recent years and honored today are:
Kin
Deputy Daniel J. Kin, Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office
On Dec. 15, 2022, Deputy Kin was transporting a prisoner from southern Ohio to the county courthouse in Wyandot when he was fatally injured in a crash. Deputy Kin was flown to Grant Medical Center in Columbus, where he died of his injuries. He was 34 and had been with the department for less than a year, but his colleagues remember him as someone who loved the job – and showed it with his infectious smile. He was voted Deputy of the Year in 2020 by his previous employer, the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Kin is remembered by his wife of six years, Erin, and their two young boys.
Yates
Deputy Matthew E. Yates, Clark County Sheriff’s Office
On July 24, 2022, Deputy Yates was responding to a report of gunshots at a Springfield area mobile home park. A woman had been killed by her son, and, as deputies entered the mobile home, they were met with gunfire. Deputy Yates, a member of the Special Operations team, was hit and went down. He was 41 years old, a second-generation law enforcement officer who enjoyed working with young people and was involved in a local group called Peace Keepers. Yates is remembered by his wife, Tracy, and their three children.
Francis
Officer Dominic M. Francis, Bluffton Police Department
On March 31, 2022, a stolen car being pursued by Ohio state troopers struck and killed Officer Francis as he was deploying tire-puncturing stop strips. Officer Francis was 42 and had worked in law enforcement for 19 years. He had twice been named Officer of the Year and had received the Chief’s Leadership Award and the Life-Saving Award. He’d been honored as Top Cop by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and earned the Ohio EMS Star of Life multiple times. Outside of police work, Officer Francis served as a volunteer firefighter and worked as a coach, substitute teacher and bus driver for Cory-Rawson High School, his alma mater. He also had a special fondness for helping the school’s softball coach – Ricki Francis, his wife since 2010. Besides his wife, he is remembered by a son and a daughter.
Stayrook
Agent John D. Stayrook, Medina County Drug Task Force
Agent Stayrook died on Feb. 6, 2022, after contracting COVID-19 while assisting the Brunswick Division of Police a month earlier during a drug-related traffic stop. Agent Stayrook, 60, had found his way to law enforcement later in life, after a career in construction that had taken him all over the country. His fellow task force members remember him as someone who was passionate about the drug-enforcement specialization and had a unique talent for interviewing. Agent Stayrook loved camping and spending time with his family. He is remembered by his wife, Pamela; two children; and two grandchildren.
VanDenberg
Patrolman Sean E. VanDenberg, Lawrence Twp. Police Department
Patrolman VanDenberg died on Dec. 25, 2021, after a weeks-long battle with COVID-19, which he contracted after arresting a man and transporting him to jail. The suspect had complained of being sick and showed symptoms of COVID. Patrolman VanDenberg, who was 53, had chased his dream of becoming a police officer after a career as a mechanic, welder and fabricator – entering the Stark State College Law Enforcement Academy at age 44. His colleagues remember him as the “dad” of the department. He loved cycling, running and scuba diving, and had completed his first ultra-marathon just six months before his death. He is remembered by his wife, Jeanann; their four children; and three grandchildren.
Mills
Deputy Robert “Craig” Mills, Butler County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Mills retired in June 2019 after more than 30 years in law enforcement, only to return several months later to the work he enjoyed at the urging of Sheriff Richard Jones. He died on Sept. 12, 2021, after a long struggle with COVID-19. His colleagues remember his excellent ability to find people named in warrants, noting how other agencies would seek him out for that expertise. Deputy Mills was passionate about baseball, having played on the Detroit Tigers Triple-A team from 1982 to 1987. Mills’ mentorship of young athletes prompted the Hamilton City Council to name the street leading to a local baseball complex in his honor. He is remembered by his wife, Anne, and two children.
stewart
Officer Edward L. Stewart, Akron Police Department
On Feb. 12, 2021, Officer Stewart died at age 60 after fighting COVID-19 for two months. Officer Stewart, an Air Force veteran, chose to serve his entire 27-year law enforcement career as a transport wagon officer for the Akron Police Department. His colleagues remember his unquenchable thirst for knowledge and his photographic memory – a gift that aided the police department in its case work. More than anything else, though, his fellow officers will never forget his abundant compassion. Officer Stewart is remembered by his wife, Lisa; two sons; and two grandsons.
Jones
Officer Kenneth C. Jones, Akron Police Department
Officer Jones died of a heart attack on Nov. 7, 2020, the day after he began feeling chest pains while responding to a domestic-assault call. Jones was 55 and had served with the Akron Police Department for 26 years, the vast majority of the time in the patrol division. His colleagues remember him as a “gentle giant” whose calmness had a way of defusing tense situations on the job. His loved ones said he was a kid at heart who enjoyed Marvel comics, Star Wars movies and amusement parks. He is remembered by his wife, Stacy, whom he had married just six weeks before his death, and three children.
The seven historical additions to the memorial wall are:
Perry County Deputy Herbert Minshull, who was shot and killed in 1945 while attempting to serve a warrant.
Six Dayton police officers who died of the Spanish flu contracted while on duty between 1918 and 1920: Troy E. Sine, Clement L. Francis, Emerson Glotfelter, Vinton E. Harsh, Edward M. Hennessey and Lawrence R. Graham.
“Unlike criminals and road hazards, viruses are silent and invisible – and strike from within,” AG Yost said at the ceremony. “This is a reminder that officers face more dangers than criminal violence and traffic accidents.”
Ceremonial units from many Ohio law enforcement agencies participated in today’s event, with a rider-less horse provided by the Columbus Division of Police serving as a powerful symbol of the lives lost.
For more information on each officer’s life and legacy and/or to hear from their respective departments, visit the Fallen Officers Memorial webpage on the website of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
Ohio State Highway Patrol opens up recruitment for certified Ohio peace officers to become state troopers
First lateral cadet training academy class to begin in September
(COLUMBUS) –Anyone who has an Ohio Basic Peace Officer certification with two years of full-time (or equivalent) Ohio law enforcement experience may now apply to the Ohio State Highway Patrol as a lateral cadet with the intent of becoming a state trooper, as announced today by Ohio State Highway Patrol Colonel Charles A. Jones. Applications for a new lateral class will be accepted throughout the month of May. The new lateral cadet class is expected to begin training in September.
Historically, the Patrol has required already commissioned law enforcement officers to attend the full training program for cadets which lasts approximately six months and includes approximately 1,200 training hours. Because the lateral cadets will have at least two years of full-time law enforcement experience, the Patrol’s Academy Cadet Training Program will be shortened to approximately 12 weeks.
“As a way to increase our recruitment efforts, we are continuing to develop innovative ways to attract new applicants,” said Colonel Jones. “We believe there are officers who wanted to be troopers, but timing or other factors kept them from joining. A lateral cadet class is one way to attract those seasoned Ohio peace officers to the Patrol.”
The Patrol will pay those selected into the class during their training at the Academy and starting pay upon graduation for an Ohio state trooper is $31.19 per hour after July 1. A summary of the Highway Patrol Lateral Cadet requirements and other information is listed below:
Must have a current Ohio Basic Peace Officer certification with two years of continuous full-time law enforcement experience with an Ohio agency.
Academy training will be shortened to 12 weeks from the traditional six-month program.
Lateral class cadets will be placed at a post within 50 air miles of their residence upon graduation.
Must pass a physical assessment based on the Cooper Standard of the 30th percentile prior to acceptance into the class.Are you ready to build tomorrow? If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a member of the Patrol, please visit www.statepatrol.ohio.gov and click on ‘OSHP Recruitment’.
COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol is bringing awareness to the potential increase of motorcycles on our roadways. May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol would like to remind motorcyclists to ride trained and sober.
From 2018 to 2022, there were 18,980 traffic crashes involving motorcycles resulting in the death of 953 motorcyclists and 13 others. Another 5,296 motorcyclists were injured. Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Summit and Lucas counties accounted for 33 percent of the motorcycle crashes in Ohio.
“Riding a motorcycle is a great way to see the beauty of our state, and as the weather continues to warm up, we expect to see many more motorcyclists on the road,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “We are reminding motorists to look out for motorcycles while traveling, especially at intersections and while changing lanes.”
Taking a training class, wearing safety equipment and riding with proper endorsements will help you protect yourself and others. During the same time period, 50 percent of at-fault motorcycle drivers involved in crashes did not have a motorcycle endorsement on their license.
“Ride responsibly, trained and defensively,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “This means riding with an endorsement, wearing proper safety equipment, all while obeying all traffic laws and never riding impaired.”
Ohio law requires helmets for riders under 18 and drivers with less than one year of motorcycle experience. Passengers on motorcycles must wear helmets when the driver is required to do so.
For more information visit www.motorcycle.ohio.gov. A statistical map detailing citations and other motorcycle-related information can be found here.
Green Township – On April 30, 2023 at approximately 3:05 a.m.,the Ohio State Highway Patrol Wooster Post was notified of a serious injury crash on Apple Creek Road (County Road 44) just north of Weilersville Road (Township Road 121) in Wayne County.
The on-scene investigation revealed a black 2016 Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup was traveling northbound on CR 44 and traveled off the right side of the roadway. The Ford F-250 struck a ditch, culvert, utility pole, and a railroad crossing gate before overturning along the railroad tracks.
The driver of the Ford F-250, Jason E. Elder, age 24 of Sterling, was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Wayne County Coroner’s Office. Mr. Elder was seat-belted at the time of the crash.
The Ford F-250 was removed from the scene by Bears Towing. Additional agencies on scene were the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Central Fire and EMS, Norfolk Southern Railroad, and AEP Utilities.
The crash is currently under investigation, but alcohol is being considered as a factor in the incident.
At this time, Apple Creek Road remains closed for utility and railroad track repairs.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two men were sentenced in federal court here today for conspiring to attack power grids throughout the United States to promote their white supremacy ideology.
Christopher Brenner Cook, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 92 months in prison. Jonathan Allen Frost, 25, of Katy, Texas, and West Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced to 60 months in prison. Jackson Matthew Sawall, 22, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was also charged and pleaded guilty in February 2022. His case remains pending.
Cook and Frost engaged in a plot to attack the country’s energy infrastructure, damage the economy, and stoke division in American society in the name of white supremacy. “Revolution is our solution” was a recurring theme in the defendants’ communications to one another.
“These defendants plotted armed attacks against energy facilities to stoke division in furtherance of white supremacist ideology and now they are being held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will not tolerate the use of violence to advance any extremist ideology and we remain determined to protect our communities from such hateful acts of terror.”
“At the root of every terrorist plot – whether foreign or domestic – is hate,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “As a society, we must be vigilant against online radicalization, which is a powerful tool used by extremists to recruit both juveniles and adults.”
“The individuals sentenced today created a suicide pact to sow hatred and commit terrorist acts intended to destabilize our country,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers. “Through rigorous investigation and law enforcement partnerships, their radical plan was halted. Today’s sentence is a message to anyone with similar plans that they will be disrupted and held accountable for conspiring to commit violence.”
According to court documents, in fall 2019, Frost and Cook met in an online chat group. Frost shared the idea of attacking a power grid with Cook, and within weeks, the two began efforts to recruit others to join in their plan.
As part of the recruitment process, Cook asked literary questions and circulated a book list of readings that promoted the ideology of white supremacy and Neo-Nazism.
The conspirators had a separate propaganda group named “The Front” that planned to take credit for the power grid attack should it occur successfully. The defendants also created exclusive subgroups for individuals who passed the defendants’ additional screenings. The first subgroup was called “Lights Out.”
As part of the conspiracy, each defendant was assigned a substation in a different region of the United States. The plan was to attack the substations, or power grids, with powerful rifles. The defendants believed their plan would cost the government millions of dollars and cause unrest for Americans in the region. They had conversations about how the possibility of the power being out for many months could cause war, even a race war, and induce the next Great Depression.
The defendants’ commitment to their radical ideology turned from ideas to concrete actions in furtherance of the attacks.
In February 2020, the co-conspirators met in Columbus, Ohio, to further discuss their plot. Frost, who had obtained several untraceable automatic rifles, provided Cook with an AR-47 and the two took the rifle to a shooting range to train.
Frost also provided Cook with a suicide necklace during the Columbus meeting. The necklace was filled with fentanyl to be ingested if and when the defendants were caught by law enforcement. Cook expressed his commitment to dying in furtherance of the mission.
Upon arriving in Columbus, Cook and Sawall purchased spray paint and painted a swastika flag under a bridge at a park with the caption, “Join the Front.” The defendants had additional propaganda plans for their time in Ohio, but they were derailed during a traffic stop.
Court documents detail that Cook and Frost continued in furtherance of the conspiracy to travel together after their Ohio meeting, and traveled to Oklahoma and Texas in March 2020, where Cook stayed in different cities with various juveniles he was attempting to recruit for their plot.
Frost circulated a “meetup guide” to the group with guidance on recruiting juveniles to their cause because “[T]hey are 99% not a Fed…”
When law enforcement searched each defendant’s residence, they discovered multiple firearms, chemicals, components capable of building explosives, violent extremist Nazi material, and information about U.S. power infrastructure and substations.
The men were each charged by a Bill of Information and pleaded guilty in February 2022 to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica W. Knight and Trial Attorney Justin Sher with the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are representing the United States in this case.
U.S. Attorney Parker commended the cooperative investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Columbus, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Houston, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Northern District of Indiana.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce the recent promotion of Correctional Officer Dalton Deem to Correctional Sergeant on Wednesday April 19, 2023.
Sgt. Deem was hired as a Correctional Officer in November 2021 and completed his Correctional Officer Academy in April 2023. Sgt. Deem graduated from Garfield High School in Woodbridge, Virginia in May 2018 and received three years of college education from the University of Virginia (Wise) majoring in Accounting/Business Management.
Sgt. Deem is currently assigned to 1st shift in the Jail Division.
Captain Chris Blunk said, “the Richland County Sheriff’s Office congratulates Sgt. Dalton Deem and we look forward to continuing to carry out our mission in serving and protecting the residents of Richland County.”
Joe Lyons •
May 9, 2023
Coones was reported missing to Canton Police on April 11, 2023. The NOVFTF and MCU have been working with the WCSO and Canton Police to arrest Jones and recover Coones. They are believed to be together and last seen near the Mexican border in Arizona.
Deputy Daniel J. Kin, Wyandot County Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Matthew E. Yates, Clark County Sheriff’s Office
Officer Dominic M. Francis, Bluffton Police Department
Agent John D. Stayrook, Medina County Drug Task Force
Patrolman Sean E. VanDenberg, Lawrence Twp. Police Department
Deputy Robert “Craig” Mills, Butler County Sheriff’s Office
Officer Edward L. Stewart, Akron Police Department
Officer Kenneth C. Jones, Akron Police Department
COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol is bringing awareness to the potential increase of motorcycles on our roadways. May is National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol would like to remind motorcyclists to ride trained and sober.
