Trial date continued in corrupt activities trial; defense files to dismiss charges
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
The trial date for an engaging in a pattern of corrupt activities case has been continued to December, according to court document in Highland County Common Pleas Court, and a defense attorney has filed a motion to dismiss 57 of the 74 counts in the indictment.
There were 11 defendants in the case who were indicted in August, along with real estate and bank accounts, on 173 counts by a grand jury in Highland County Common Pleas Court. The indictment was a result of a continuing investigation into alleged patterns of corrupt activity involving a drug pipeline law enforcement says is responsible for bringing heroin into Highland County via Greenfield.
Defendants Tesse Everhart, Jennifer Forsha, Roderick Croy, April Elliot, Frank Parr, Bradley Rickman, Greg Smith and Quentin Binegar have pleaded guilty to charges from the indictment, and agreed to testify against the remaining co-defendants. The charges included first-degree felony engaging in a pattern of corrupt activities, possession of drugs, trafficking in drugs, and trafficking in drugs in the vicinity of a juvenile.
The defendants who remain in the case are Thomas Peters, of Dayton, who Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward had called the "ringleader" in the case; and Donna Gillam and Stephanie Ford.
Peters is charged in all 74 of the counts in the indictment.
During a hearing on Nov. 2, defense attorneys Daniel O'Brien and George Katchmer, who represent Peters and Gillam respectively, told the court that they each had a conflict during the week of the trial. O'Brien had a family matter and Katchmer has arguments scheduled before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on Nov. 30 in a separate case. Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss had told Katchmer to inform the court of appeals that the Highland County court date had been scheduled and to see if they would reschedule, and if not the local court would try to accommodate the matter.
Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins told The Highland County Press on Monday that some scheduling conflicts had arisen with witnesses for the state, and that last week she filed a motion for a continuance. The defense attorneys did not object to her motion, she said.
Coss scheduled the trial to begin Dec. 19.
O'Brien has filed a motion to sever Peters' trial from the other defendants, as well as a motion to dismiss 57 of the 74 counts in the indictment. He has also filed a motion to suppress.
During the Nov. 2 hearing O'Brien had indictated to the court his intent to file the motions, alleging that the indictment contains "some tricky wording. In my 50 years, I've never seen wording where instead of saying Joe Blow committed a crime, you say his crime was committed through someone else."
A hearing on all motions has been scheduled for Nov. 22.
The trial date for an engaging in a pattern of corrupt activities case has been continued to December, according to court document in Highland County Common Pleas Court, and a defense attorney has filed a motion to dismiss 57 of the 74 counts in the indictment.
There were 11 defendants in the case who were indicted in August, along with real estate and bank accounts, on 173 counts by a grand jury in Highland County Common Pleas Court. The indictment was a result of a continuing investigation into alleged patterns of corrupt activity involving a drug pipeline law enforcement says is responsible for bringing heroin into Highland County via Greenfield.
Defendants Tesse Everhart, Jennifer Forsha, Roderick Croy, April Elliot, Frank Parr, Greg Smith and Quentin Binegar have pleaded guilty to charges from the indictment, and agreed to testify against the remaining co-defendants. Defendant Bradley Rickman has pleaded guilty, but has not agreed to testify, according to his attorney. The overall charges included first-degree felony engaging in a pattern of corrupt activities, possession of drugs, trafficking in drugs, and trafficking in drugs in the vicinity of a juvenile.
The defendants who remain in the case are Thomas Peters, of Dayton, who Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward had called the "ringleader" in the case; and Donna Gillam and Stephanie Ford.
Peters is charged in all 74 of the counts in the indictment.
During a hearing on Nov. 2, defense attorneys Daniel O'Brien and George Katchmer, who represent Peters and Gillam respectively, told the court that they each had a conflict during the week of the trial. O'Brien had a family matter and Katchmer has arguments scheduled before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on Nov. 30 in a separate case. Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss had told Katchmer to inform the court of appeals that the Highland County court date had been scheduled and to see if they would reschedule, and if not the local court would try to accommodate the matter.
Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins told The Highland County Press on Monday that some scheduling conflicts had arisen with witnesses for the state, and that last week she filed a motion for a continuance. The defense attorneys did not object to her motion, she said.
Coss scheduled the trial to begin Dec. 19.
O'Brien has filed a motion to sever Peters' trial from the other defendants, as well as a motion to dismiss 57 of the 74 counts in the indictment. He has also filed a motion to suppress.
During the Nov. 2 hearing O'Brien had indicated to the court his intent to file the motions, alleging that the indictment contains "some tricky wording. In my 50 years, I've never seen wording where instead of saying Joe Blow committed a crime, you say his crime was committed through someone else."
A hearing on all motions has been scheduled for Nov. 22.
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