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.”
Norwalk – The Norwalk Post of The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a three-vehicle head-on crash that occurred Wednesday April 19, 2023 at 11:30 AM on US Route 20 near milepost 23 in Townsend Township, Huron County.
Bryan J. Anable, age 45, of Mansfield, was driving a white 2003 Chevy pickup eastbound on US 20. Nathanael Y. Roy, age 46, of Plymouth was the front seat passenger. William L. Worcester, age 56, of Grafton, was driving a blue 2020 Volvo semi westbound on US 20. Stephen N. Biro, age 70, of Parma, was driving a white 2020 Hino semi westbound on US 20 behind Mr. Worcester. Mr. Anable’s Chevy pickup traveled left of center and sideswiped the Volvo semi before striking the Hino semi head on in the westbound lane. Mr. Worcester’s Volvo semi came to a stop on the north edge of the road. Mr. Biro’s Hino semi drove off the right side of the road and into the ditch. Mr. Anable’s Chevy pickup was disabled in the middle of the roadway.
Mr. Anable was not wearing a safety belt and was trapped in the pickup. He was extricated by mechanical means. He died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. Mr. Roy was not wearing his safety belt. He sustained serious injuries and was flown by Metro LifeFlight to MetroHealth Medical Center.
Mr. Worcester was wearing a safety belt and was uninjured.
Mr. Biro was wearing a safety belt and sustained minor injuries. He was treated on scene by Citizen’s EMS.
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, Wakeman Fire District, Citizen’s EMS, North Central EMS, Metro LifeFlight, ODOT, The Huron County Coroner’s Office, Huron County EMA, Interstate Towing, and Norb’s Towing.
This is the fifth fatal crash in Huron County in 2023 and the fourth crash where the fatal victim was unbelted. The Patrol reminds everyone that wearing a safety belt is the best way to protect yourself from serious injury or death in a motor vehicle crash.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Files Amicus Brief Supporting States’ Power to Remove County Prosecutors Who Fail to Enforce Laws
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is leading a coalition of 15 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to affirm states’ authority to remove local prosecutors who refuse to put the law ahead of their personal politics.
In an amicus brief filed today in Warren v DeSantis, the attorneys general maintain that states have a right to defend their constitutions against local prosecutors who, by pledging not to enforce laws they dislike, essentially wield a veto power over lawfully enacted legislation.
“Prosecutors have no right to exercise a veto over an entire law,” Yost said. “But some are acting as though they do – and they are breaking our system of government. The political preferences of a single prosecutor cannot be allowed to override a lawfully enacted statute.”
Warren v DeSantis centers on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ removal last year of Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren, who “signed in his official capacity” a statement promising not to prosecute those who provide abortions in violation of Florida law.
Warren has appealed a lower court ruling rejecting his argument that the suspension violated the First Amendment.
The attorneys general argue otherwise, encouraging the appeals court to reject Warren’s claim of a First Amendment violation: “The official punishes the misconduct the speech proves, not the prosecutor’s speech itself,” the amicus brief says. Government employees do not have a First Amendment right not to enforce the law.
An appeals court ruling to the contrary would hinder states’ ability to protect their constitutional systems from wholesale prosecutorial abuse.
Specifically, the attorneys general say the First Amendment free-speech clause doesn’t limit states’ ability to remove prosecutors who refuse to do their jobs.
“A world in which each prosecutor is free to ignore the law in favor of his or her own individual sense of what the law ought to be,” Yost said, “is a world where what will get you arrested depends on who’s in office – a government of individual prejudices, not a government of laws.”
Joining Yost in the amicus brief were the attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.
Norwalk – The Norwalk Post of The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a two-vehicle head-on crash that occurred Thursday April 13, 2023 at 1:41 PM on State Route 162 near Lyon Road in Greenfield Township, Huron County.
Nathan G. Salazar, age 24, of Woodbine Street in Willard, was driving a black 1997 Dodge pickup eastbound on State Route 162. St even A. Overmeyer, age 62, of County Road 41 in Fremont, was driving a blue 2018 Republic Services Mack truck westbound on State Route 162. Mr. Salazar ’s Dodge pickup drove left of center and struck the Republic Services truck head-on. The Republic Services truck then drove off the right side of the road into the ditch. Mr. Salazar’s Dodge pickup truck landed in the road and caught fire.
Mr. Salazar was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash and was ejected from his pickup. He died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
Mr. Overmeyer was wearing a safety belt and received possible injuries. He was treated on scene by Willard Fire and Rescue.
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, the Willard Police Department, Willard Fire and Rescue, ODOT, The H uron County Coroner ’s Office, Huron County EMA, and Wilcox Towing.
This is the fourth fatal crash in Huron County in 2023 and the third crash where the fatal victim was unbelted. The Patrol reminds everyone that wearing a safety belt is the best way to protect yourself from serious injury or death in a motor vehicle crash.
(EAST PALESTINE, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing a phony charity that falsely claimed to be collecting donations to benefit residents of East Palestine following the Norfolk Southern train derailment.
Yost’s lawsuit alleges that Mike Peppel, in soliciting contributions, presented his Ohio Clean Water Fund as a nonprofit organization acting on behalf of Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley to provide residents with emergency aid and bottled water. Instead, Peppel and others have pocketed at least $131,000 of the roughly $141,000 raised from more than 3,000 donors.
“The idea that somebody would so brazenly exploit a disaster situation and the good hearts of people who want to help is unconscionable,” Yost said. “I’m mad as hell about this, and we’re going to make sure this sham charity gets shut down.”
Representatives of Second Harvest Food Bank complained to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office that they had not authorized the partnership cited by Peppel in soliciting contributions via mass emails and text messages.
Yost is seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to halt Peppel’s illegal activity, prohibit him from engaging in additional charitable solicitations and preserve existing charitable assets.
Second Harvest Food Bank twice confronted Peppel to tell him to stop advertising the non-existent partnership. To date, and only after he was called out, Peppel has paid only $10,000 to the food bank, a mere 7% of what Peppel admits he raised.
“Here’s a message for anybody else who might hope to profit from the situation in East Palestine: Don’t even think about it,” Yost said.
The Attorney General’s Office is privileged to protect and regulate the charitable sector, a role that the office’s Charitable Law Section fulfills by investigating abuses of charitable trusts and monitoring charitable registration.
For those wanting to make a charitable contribution, AG Yost encourages donors to research charities and ask the right questions. Follow these steps to ensure that your money is going to a reputable charity:
Visit the attorney general’s Good Giving Guidelines and Research Charities webpage to check whether charities have complied with registration requirements. Media articles and other postings can also provide useful details about groups, board members and key employees.
View 990 forms, which most tax-exempt groups must file with the Internal Revenue Service. These forms describe where organizations get their funding and how they spend it.
Support familiar, established organizations, or, if considering a donation to an unfamiliar group, check its website first. Does the information match what you received when you were asked to contribute? Do the group’s programs and services make sense?
Talk with friends and family about unfamiliar solicitations. Have they heard of the group? Do they know of anyone who has been assisted by it?
Ohioans who suspect misuse of charitable funds or fraudulent fundraising activities should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515 or charitable.ohioago.gov.
Vermilion – The Sandusky Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a single vehicle crash that occurred Saturday April 15, 2023 at 3:19 AM on US-6 near Decatur St. in the City of Vermilion, Erie County.
Tristin Gibson, age 21, of Hubert North Carolina, was driving a beige 2011 Chevrolet Malibu, and was eastbound on US-6 near Decatur St. Garrett Anderson, age 24, of Panama City Florida, was the front seat passenger of the vehicle. Mr. Gibson’s Chevrolet Malibu failed to negotiate a curve and crossed the center divider. His vehicle then went into the opposite lane of travel, struck a utility pole, and struck a private residence before coming to rest.
Mr. Gibson was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the crash. Mr. Gibson died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.
Mr. Anderson was wearing a safety belt and sustained serious injuries as a result of the crash. Mr. Anderson is currently being treated at Cleveland Metro Hospital and is listed in stable condition.
Alcohol and speed are believed to be factors in the crash. The crash remains under investigation.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted by Vermilion Police, Vermilion Fire and Rescue, Done Rite’s Towing, and Lorain County Technical Rescue.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP – On Friday, March 31, 2023 at approximately 5:00p.m. the Wooster Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol was called to the scene of a severe injury traffic crash on Evans Road (Township Road 203) near the intersection of Nonpariel Road (Township Road 202) in Franklin Township of Wayne County.
The on-scene investigation revealed that a white 2004 Chevrolet Silverado was traveling eastbound on Evans Road. The Chevrolet Silverado traveled left of center and off the north side of the roadway, striking a mailbox. After the initial impact, the Chevrolet Silverado re-entered the roadway and traveled off the south side of the roadway, striking a ditch, fence, and tree.
The driver of the white Chevrolet, a sixteen-year-old juvenile, was pronounced deceased at the scene as a result of injuries sustained from the crash. The investigation revealed that both the front and side airbags had deployed in the Chevrolet. The sixteen-year-old juvenile driver was wearing his seatbelt at the time of impact.
Agencies assisting at the crash scene were: Fredericksburg Fire/EMS, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wayne County Coroner’s Office. Wooster Towing removed the vehicle from the scene.
Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be a factor at the time of reporting and the crash remains under investigation.
Joe Lyons •
May 1, 2023
