Submitted article and staff report
news@wbcowqel.com
Crawford County Prosecutor Matthew Crall announced the indictments of 28 new cases from the first session of the October Grand Jury. Included in those indictments were 35 individual charges. Among those charges were 20 drug charges. From this session alone, the Grand Jury indicted eight felonies of the first degree, the most serious charges.
Despite the fact that the Grand Jury has indicted 64 new cases in the last two sessions, County Prosecutor Matthew Crall remains optimistic.
“Many of these cases directly relate to the on-going drug epidemic which effects Crawford County, the State of Ohio and the United States. While we could choose to see these indictments as a negative indicator of the continued use of illegal drugs, I personally choose to see this as a sign that law enforcement and the prosecutor’s office are aggressively fighting criminal actions which is a part of the solution to ending this epidemic,” Crall said.
As of this date, the 2015 grand juries have returned 328 indictments. In 2014, the grand juries returned 258 indictments which was the most ever returned in a single year. With nearly one-fifth of 2015 remaining that record has been exceeded by 70 indictments.
“The heavy case load not only effects the hard working people in the Prosecutor’s Office. Without the cooperation of law enforcement, the Clerk of Court’s Office, and the Court, the Prosecutor’s Office could not efficiently process the cases. I am proud to say that this office is, through hard work, meeting this demand,” said Crall.
Seven new indictments have yet to be served and remain sealed. A list of the served indictments are as follows: Tristan Lucas, F1 aggravated robbery ($1,000,000); Torin Jones, five counts of drug possession ranging from F5 to F3 ($500,000); Ryan Spencer, F5 possession of heroin ($75,000); Kristi Kitts, F4 possession of drugs ($75,000); John Taylor, F2 burglary ($$250,000); Stephen Walters, F3 failure to comply ($500,000); Crystal Minamyer, F3 illegal conveyance and F5 possession of drugs ($150,000); Beverly Rice, F5 permitting drug abuse ($150,000); David Greene, F1 aggravated robbery and F4 carrying concealed weapons ($1,000,000); Misty Dyer, F3 trafficking in drugs ($250,000); Sheena Conley, F5 theft and F5 forgery ($75,000); Timothy Bucher, F4 domestic violence ($25,000); Tasia Myers, F4 domestic violence (personal recognizance bond); Eric Kimmel, F5 possession of drugs ($100,000); Heath Davis, F5 theft and three counts of F5 misuse of credit cards ($100,000); Brian Auck, two counts of F4 trafficking in drugs and F5 possession of drugs ($150,000); Shena Belcher, F4 trafficking in drugs and two counts of F5 trafficking in drugs ($250,000); Timothy Cooley, F4 driving under the influence ($100,000); Frederick Saunders Jr., unclassified felony aggravated murder, F1 kidnapping, F3 tampering with evidence ($5,000,000); Marla Saunders, unclassified felony complicity to murder, F1 kidnapping, F3 tampering with evidence, F3 obstruction of justice ($2,500,000); Carla Willoughby, unclassified felony complicity to murder, F1 kidnapping, F3 tampering with evidence, F3 obstruction of justice (to be arraigned); and Janette Moore, F5 possession of drugs and F5 trafficking in drugs (personal recognizance bond).
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