MOUNT VERNON — Indictments were returned in 17 cases on Monday by a Knox County grand jury. Arraignments are scheduled for Aug. 22 at 9 a.m., in the Knox County Court of Common Pleas before Judge Otho Eyster.
According to Knox County Prosecutor John Thatcher, on July 18 at about noon, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office seized approximately 160 growing marijuana plants and other items commonly used to grow marijuana at the Ridgeland Drive residence of Shawn G. Aber, Howard. Thatcher said the total weight of the seized marijuana exceeds 1,000 grams. Aber, 41, is charged with illegal cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana. Detective Sgt. Gary Rohler, Detective Roger Brown and Detective David Light, KCSO, investigated the case.
In other drug cases, David A. Harry, 51, Mount Vernon, is accused of selling marijuana to a confidential informant working for the Mount Vernon Police Department on May 30, June 5 and July 16. Detective Sgt. Jeffrey Jacobs, Detective Cpl. Matt Dailey and Detective Craig Feeney, MVPD, investigated the case with the assistance of Detective David Light, KSCO.
Erica D. Davidson, 32, Mount Vernon, is charged with 19 counts of deception to obtain dangerous drugs. Thatcher said that from November 2006 through December 2007, Davidson allegedly obtained overlapping prescriptions for Oxycodone, Methadone, Roxicet and Hydrocodone written by multiple doctors and filled at several pharmacies. Feeney investigated the case.
Christopher L. Drake, 29, Danville, faces 11 counts of deception to obtain dangerous drugs. Thatcher said that from April 2006 through October 2007, Drake allegedly obtained overlapping prescriptions for Hydrocodone, Alprazolam, Oxycodone and Morphine written by multiple doctors and filled at several pharmacies. Drake is also accused of theft from an elderly person and tampering with evidence for allegedly attempting to conceal the stolen property from authorities during an investigation on July 8. Sgt. Tom Durbin, KCSO, and Sgt. Tom Looney, Danville Police Department, investigated the case.
Joseph L. Boyd, 46, Gambier, was indicted for allegedly operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drug of abuse. Thatcher said that on May 17 at about 11 p.m., on Howard-Danville Road, Boyd allegedly drove his 1998 Harley-Davidson motorcycle left of center striking an oncoming 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier. Trooper Matthew L. Them, Ohio State Highway Patrol, investigated the crash. The results of blood testing done by the Highway Patrol Crime Lab revealed Boyd allegedly had a 0.184 alcohol content, and his urine screen was positive for marijuana.
Edward S. Farren, 28, Mount Vernon, is charged with felonious assault. On June 14 at about 4:40 p.m., Farren chased a 48-year-old female from his Cassil Street residence into the street where he allegedly threw her to the ground and punched and kicked her while she tried to get away from him. The victim allegedly suffered a severe laceration to her upper lip requiring numerous stitches, broken ribs and deep muscle bruising. Cpl. R.K. Morgan, MVPD, responded to the call and investigated the case.
On April 28 at about 10:30 p.m., when patrolmen Justin Trowbridge and Jason Payne, MVPD, responded to a domestic disturbance complaint on East Burgess Street, Brandelyn N. Zar, 27, allegedly punched Trowbridge in the mouth. Zar is accused of assault on a peace officer.
William W. White, 29, Mount Gilead, was indicted for allegedly assaulting a 34-year-old female in his apartment on July 19, 2007.
Sex offender registration records maintained by the sheriff’s office allegedly show that Stanley Snow, 25, Orrville, failed to register his address as required by law when he moved to Knox County, on about Jan. 15. Thatcher said Snow, who was convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Cuyahoga County in 2005, now faces charges of failure to register and failure to provide change of address. Detective Roger Brown, KCSO, investigated the case.
Bobby Folden, 27, Howard, is accused of identity fraud. Through investigation, Patrolman Michael Wheeler, MVPD, learned that between April and December 2007, Folden allegedly used his employer’s personal identifying information to obtain credit cards without his employer’s permission. Thatcher said the charges on the credit cards Folden obtained allegedly exceed $25,000.
Rene M. Hatton, 42, Mount Vernon, is accused of stealing $7,663.97 from her former employer between the months of April and August 2007. Thatcher said the case was investigated by Detective David Light, KSCO, with the assistance of a certified public accountant retained by the prosecutor’s office to review the alleged victim’s financial records.
On July 24, Scott A. Wilson, 32, Mount Vernon, allegedly stole $3,070 from the West Gambier Street residence where he had been a guest the night before. After the alleged victim reported the theft, Cpl. Roger Monroe, MVPD, located Wilson and recovered all of the money.
Scott A. Mitchell, 40, Cincinnati, is charged with stealing 437 pounds of copper cable from a local school. On July 26, while Mitchell’s company was doing renovation work, he allegedly directed his employees to load the copper wire into his pickup truck. Before the renovation work started, school officials told Mitchell and other contractors that all metals scrapped out of the renovations would belong to the school. Thatcher said the scrap value of the copper cable is approximately $1,200. Officer Jessica Butler and Cpl. R.K. Morgan, MVPD, investigated the case.
Robert T. Osborne, 20, Pickerington, faces one count of receiving stolen property for allegedly possessing musical instruments stolen from the store warehouse where he worked as a temporary employee prior to Sept. 28, 2007. Patrolman Matt Jones, MVPD, began an investigation when the store manager reported that Osborne allegedly approached a customer in the store parking lot and offered to sell the customer musical instruments he had at his residence for substantially less than their true value. Through investigation, Jones learned that additional witnesses also allege that Osborne was in possession of instruments stolen from the warehouse.
Roy V. Burkett, 29, Mount Vernon, is accused of possessing a stolen credit card, misuse of a credit card and forgery for allegedly using a stolen Visa to make purchases at a Mount Vernon gas station and store on Nov. 7 and 8, 2007. Burkett is also accused of forging the cardholder’s signature on a credit card receipt. Patrolman Tim Durbin, MVPD, investigated the case.
Angela L. Alberts, 47, Mount Vernon, was also indicted for possessing a stolen credit card, on May 29. Sgt. Fred Gerber, MVPD, investigated this case.
Thatcher said on four separate occasions in October 2007, Shirlee A. Mercier, 41, Mount Vernon, allegedly tried to cash a counterfeit money gram in the amount of $733.01. Although the denomination was the same on all four money grams, the account numbers were altered in an apparent attempt to make the money grams appear to be legitimate, according to Thatcher.
